"I don't care if it's the first act of 'Henry V.'"
In NYC, DL is 31% of traffic, UA 30%, and AA+B6 30% combined. AA is struggling for FCF, and outsourcing risk to AS and B6 as a last gasp. These are the the exact moves I would take if I was the CEO of an airline that's struggling to avoid BK between October and December of this year. AA has given up control of their domestic network on the coasts, is keeping DFW, ORD, and CLT, and praying int'l comes back. I don't think their prayers are going to be answered.
Hope is not a strategy.