One things for certain the days of cheap aircraft are long gone. Boeing won't make that mistake again.
Was it a mistake? Or a hedging of bets, post 9/11? I don't think you're giving Boeing enough credit - they've been in this game longer than O'Leary. In two decades time, i've more confidence in the name 'Boeing' still being around than i do for FR.
If they gave them a nice deal, its because they needed to. Airliner production lines and skilled people cant be turned on and off like a tap. Smoothing out the peaks and troughs in demand comes at a price, but thats the price of staying in business during the bad times.
Contrast this with O'Leary's fuel price hedging...
He's a cost-cutting one trick pony, not a business genius. I admire what he's been able to pull off, in a way, and
some good things have come out of it for sure, but i don't think its ultimately sustainable and i don't think FR will be looked back on fondly in the future. Unlike the achievements of Boeing.