[PHXFlyer]

Gate space is finite. If AA is having issues and a gate isn't immediately available for your flight they can't just hijack a gate from another airline. You could always fly Continental through Houston or Norwelta through Memphis or Atlanta but at any hub you're going to find the same thing happens from time to time. Southwest claims to not follow the "hub and spoke" model of the legacies but in fact they do have "de facto hubs" at DAL, PHX, BWI, etc. You just won't be able to avoid it sometimes.