SOT
I think this kind of consolidation has to occur in this industry in order to give all players a chance at surviving. The CEO of NW was on Your World with Cavuto (watched from the US club in PIT) today and he, near the end of his interview, said that consolidation would be an option in the future and that the HP/US thing was a step in the right direction (paraphrased).
This is a step forward I think.