Cardinal: No airline has ever shrunk towards profitability.
I agree but the likley outcome is the various carriers shrinking into mergers. The set up of the alliances was done to prepare the ground for this.
With regards to the carrier in point, we may indeed expect to see BA reduced to a handful of people co-ordinating the sub-contractors. They will fly on behalf of One World, in whom they will have part ownership.
In the end, we may see them go the whole way, in which case One World becomes a listed company in all the countries where they have partners and the individual carriers cease trading by reversing themselves into One World.
And you thought it was difficult enough to get a decision from the people at Waterworld? When WW does not exist and the operational decision is taken on the far side of the globe?
To forstall the question: As a pax, No I do not like the idea either.