Akerosid, I have always enjoyed your postings. I have no idea who you are but I have a long experience in dealing with airline regulatory affairs. I was involved a few years back in preparing the EU position for the openskies negotiations with the US which have taken around 20 years so far. It is a pathetic record when there are potentially so many consumer benefits. I do not believe that the US will ever allow free global ownership of its airlines and I have absolutely no idea why any non US business would have any interest in owning shares in such a hopelessly bankrupt industry. So what I think is that the ownership issues are just a red herring to prevent any deal happening. There are huge vested interests in preventing it. Heathrow access is just the starter. But French chauvinism is also crucial and then there is the German issues about the Star alliance which includes United , an airline that has failed to make a go of LHR-JFK. That has got to be the most pathetic marketing performance ever in the whole history of aviation.
What is needed to crack it all open are politicians with courage. Do you know any?