ZERO chance they will go back on this pay for a seat scheme once they implement it. Financially, it won't be an option. Absolutely will not happen. If it crashes and burns on them, that sets up the merger with a larger airline.

This isn't to say some new airline won't pop up, find some old planes to run out of a few secondary airports, and try to copy the Southwest "open seating" model... however I think the likelihood of that being a success are very remote at this point.