Let's put it in perspective -- that merger occurred in 1987, which is ancient history now. How much of any airlines routes and services remain 26 years later?

$30 in 1987 is worth $62 today. You can still find that ticket for just under $90, which isn't bad considering that the cost of Jet A has increased several fold in the last 26 years. The champagne is unlikely even to be stocked, let alone free today.

The emphasis today is on "rightsizing", which mean regional partners for anything smaller than a 717 or a 737. If the cost of Jet A were to drop to 1987 levels (somewhere around 55-60 cents/gallon), I'm sure you see more mainline jets everywhere.