Earnings

In their posting for the Q3 results it looks like AS is worried about Q4 results posibly being a loss because of rising oil costs. (I wonder if AA will make a play for them?) I read that one of the benfits of the YX transaction with NW as a passive investor was that it would allow them to jointly purchase fuel. Will rising fuel costs and a declining economy push US towards another merger? I don't really understand what analyst are saying about "peak oil" but it does not sound good.