Why America Has 4 Airlines Pretending To Be 12

American Eagle. Delta Connection. United Express. Envoy Air. SkyWest. Republic. Piedmont. PSA. GoJet. They look like different airlines. They are not. Almost every name on a US departure board traces back to Delta, United, American, or Southwest — the Big Four that collectively held 76% of US domestic seat capacity in June 2026. This video breaks down the architecture of the US aviation oligopoly: how eight carriers became four through mergers from 2005 to 2013, how the regional affiliate system extends Big Four reach under a dozen different brand names through capacity purchase agreements, what the scope clause is and why it created the two-tier pilot labour market, and why the 76% concentration number understates how dominant the Big Four actually are. Includes the collapse of Spirit Airlines in May 2026 and what it means for the competition the DOJ was trying to protect.