DownIn3Green - the problem for Comrade Notso Fantasic is that he's notso keen on anybody apart from other pilots (and only then other Nigels that fly long haul). He seems to think that there's notso much call for ground staff, cabin crew and definitely not pax!
The reality, of course, is that his views are notso relevant in the 21st Century; and he'll go the same way as the dinosaurs - notso much future for him then!
Back to the topic at hand - as
411A correctly says, UAL is actually owned by its employees who appointed its previous CEO Jim Goodwin and other directors; and therefore only have themselves to blame for the present state of the company.
The greed of management coupled with the greed of the pilots has resulted in added cost to the company that is equal to around 10% of the losses - or $2m per day.
United's biggest cost, though, is its debt - the money it wasted on the failed US Airways deal; the finance costs of its new aircraft; the costs of its attempts to drive low cost competitors out of business.
I don't think UAL will survive; and I suspect that the same may well be the case of AA.
As we enter the aviation's second century, air travel will be as different from the past decade as it was compared between the 'genteel' era of the 1950s and the 'mass transit' era of the 1970/80s.