As I posted before the mouse just ate the eagle.
Like many here i dread losing *A but I'm wondering now that the new AA will be the big dog in the industry does it not make sense that others will want to join OW? If so, maybe OW can someday be even better?
I'm thinks better partners to Asia and Europe.
Anyways, I know we have many haters here but congrats to Doug Parker who did what he always wanted and what everybody else thought impossible.
Hope they don't screw it up!
I don't think airline size doesn't have anything to do with attracting other airlines to an alliance. They tend to grow thru codeshares and business partnerships with eventually an invitation being extended by one of existing members. It's often meant to address a weakness in an alliance to strengthen it in a particular region.
While all the alliances have grown and changed members at times, that seems more in line with natural changes in the industry.