<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Plato90s:
The usual measurement for the "size" of an airline isn't the market cap. It's the revenue, as a reflection of the size of the network and the number of passengers carried.
On that level, AA is far larger than WN, almost 4x.</font>
My assertion was not that WN is larger than all of the other airlines, but that their market cap and financial condidtion made them a "major" airline - a top 5 or 6 carrier.
On the topic of programs, I was not a fan of WN because of the boarding process, no forst, etc. However using them for all of my west coast trips in the past year I can appreciate their program. I still have my UA status for long-haul flying, however condidering that your partner points count as status points on WN, it's a great deal. No other airline allows you to earn free flights faster than WN. WN is also the only airline that truly has no blackout dates, including your companion pass person. Think about this, you can use a free ticket and take someone with you anywhere in the U.S. - that's awesone!