As iruppert said, this is Jetcareers, not a.net, but...
I don't think there will really be a #1 airline. As fair market share or profitability or ROS or ROE or any other measure of financial success, someone will be in first. But airlines have become almost the same in the service they offer. Sure, some fly places other's don't. And some have better FF programs. And some have consistently lower fares. But that said, each person needs something different out of an airline. I don't really care what sort of A/C it is, and I don't care if it has TVs in every seat. And I don't really mind having a long layover/multiple connection flight. For me (a poor college student, soon to be even poorer CFI) I care almost entirely on cost. Ok, so I wouldn't fly TowerAir because they were cheapest, but you are talking to someone who used to regularly take ValueJet down to Florida. However, for other people, comfort, speed, and quality of service (in cabin) matter the most. So, all that said. I don't think there will really be a number one airline 10 years from now. I think there will still be a big 4 or 3 and they will all be so close that there won't be a way to differentiate between them.
IMO
Ethan