They have to completely revamp their operations to survive.

It should make the intolerable delays a thing of the past.

US Airways employees especially have been promised better times are ahead before only to be disappointed.

Low-cost carriers are reluctant to jump into the international arena. It requires long planning horizons, sometimes years of diplomacy.

The real excitement starts now as they gradually merge two operations. They've got the two-year window, but it will be a delicate act,