This is a great thread.

As a lot of you know, I am a high volume domestic traveller and I get to a lot of destinations many of which are fairly small markets and a good number of them in the western US.

I must have an airline that has a very complete route map. So, that basically rules out someone like Southwest, AirTran or Frontier. So, it leaves me with the majors. Yes, I have become addicted to hub flying. You folks that live in one don't realize how great you have it.

Let's assume that Delta closes up shop (which I don't think will happen but whatever) and no one takes over CVG as a hub, that probably means I am going back to IND for my flying.

IND is loaded with lots of airlines, always has been. And, pretty much, they are all cheap in price. NW is clearly the leader in market share and also has a lot of mainline service to all 3 of their hubs. Therefore, it is the most likely first choice. But I don't know, I took a couple of flights on them in the last year and wasn't all that impressed. Overall, I still really prefer Delta.

Like DLFan, I know almost nothing about AA. Yes, I have heard some good things about them but I have peaked my head in the American forum from time to time and see that people still ..... there too. I am not sure they routes work for me. I have said this before, I don't like the DFW airport at all, not crazy about ORD, and MIA is basically worthless for my routes.

Then there is UA. I have ill feelings about UA. The taxpayers of my state gave them a lot of money to build a maintenance facility for which they owe us a penalty for it not working out that they have not paid. They also tried to steal equipment that was basically owned by the taxpayers. From an operational standpoint, again I have my previously stated feelings about ORD. They do offer service to DEN from IND and that could work for me but then there is that beloved Great Lakes Aviation in DEN. OK, I am funny about getting my seat assignment in pencil on a Beechcraft 1900 flown by a 22 year old.

CO, as I wrote a few months ago, I was on a IAH-IND route and I liked it. However, I was only lucky enough to get a mainline jet on that route. They also have ERJs on that route and that is just too sticking long to be on one. I something about Houston, I don't like. People say Comair at CVG is like a bus terminal. It's the damn nicest bus terminal in the world compared to that IAH operation. CLE obviously is a hub that I would visit a lot if it were them. I think that is all RJ from IND. EWR is pretty much useless for my routes and it's a good thing since it is the airport at the absolute bottom of my list. However, it has been a few years since I have been there...maybe it's better now.

US/HP is interesting but I need to know more about them when the get everything merged to figure out if they are someone I might be interested in. They need a hub someplace between PIT and PHX.

With this long winded post, I guess my answer is NW, CO, UA in that order.