I really do not mind paying extra for the assigned seats (WN doesn't have this), a bit better service (WN, JetBlue, etc. doesn't have this). Miles and alliances are important for me, I love flying UA with EconPLus , which I don't mind paying more for, and get on Air Canada to YUL. I love having options in terms of taking flights through ORD, YUL, YVR , because if one hub goes down because of wx, traffic or whatever, I can connect through another hub. (BTW, UA provides the best option in terms of this as I can connect through DEN if ORD is down, or vice versa. Even connecting trhough SFO is an option in my case). Airlines like America West or AirTran will always win my business thanks to their first class seating, milage programs, their cap on the last minute fares and assigned seats. You will never see me on ATA due to their poor service, or Southwest due them being the GReyhound with wings hurding the pax to the airplanes. And accoring to that press release Alaska is a major carrier who screws up their customers, which is not. You will never see me on Delta as they screw their customers in terms of milage plan, $5 for the headset that is operated by the technology from daVinci days. There is room for the major airlines. The problem they have is with their cost structure. The problem with the press articles like this is that a lot of people want $99 one way fares, but they also want the F class treatment. BAHA Fan of commuting to YUL and having a ball at Crescent St. Not a fan of hot and humid YUL days and being stuck in windowless room with almost no AC in downtown Montreal