Gotta love FT. In the same thread we get both "by all reports, an overall decline in corporate travel" and "business travel is up in 2004" !

I have no idea which one is right, but the inconsistency is amusing.

As to the topic at hand, I think AA has done a very good job of keeping the EXP ranks "pure" -- none of the diluting practices of UA, DL, etc. (I say this as someone who has never been and almost certainly never will be an EXP.) So I'd be surprised to see a significant jump in EXPs unless at least a couple of other legacy carriers go out of business.