U.S. Airways trying to buy Delta

[Aplus9]

its a false assumption to think that consolidation will mean more pricing power. It will likely mean just the opposite. If consolidation happens and the merged airlines pull back some capacity, you just open the door for new entrants to add that capacity right back. Then instead of competing with another major who has similar costs you are competing with a start up with rock bottom costs.

I hope this means gates for SWA in ATL....in the next couple of years.:beer:

 

[VeeOne]

Former hub-communities like Pittsburgh have not faired well as a result of the merger - Pittsburgh has drastically reduced its service to the detriment of Pittsburgh business people. PIT airport now resembles a ghost town.

The Pittsburg city government tried to give USAirways the shaft with a 3$ ticket tax for every passenger that passed through PIT- USAir told them that if the issue was pushed they'd move to PHL. USAirways held true to their promise. PIT residents and business people have their own elected local city government to thank for that.

 

[General Lee]

I hope this means gates for SWA in ATL....in the next couple of years.:beer:

How? Even a combined DL/US would never give up the most efficient and busiest airport hub in the world. We carry more pax through ATL than anyone else by far. Airtran doesn't seem to want to give anything up there either. Try Macon, GA.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[General Lee]

Here's another one...

The good news is that James Oberstar isn't buying it.

He was on CNBC this afternoon talking about the current mantra that the industry "needs consolidation". He called it "nonsense" and said that the airlines are "doing well". What is needed is more competition, not less...in his words.

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson issued the following statement today in response to a proposed bid by U.S. Airways to merge with Delta.
“As the largest employer in Georgia, Delta Air Lines is vital to Georgia’s economy and to the thousands of Georgians it employs. Delta has put in place an aggressive plan to emerge in 2007 as a strong, stand-alone carrier and I am very confident it will succeed. As U.S. senator, I have worked very hard to help Delta and its employees through hard times and I will work even harder to keep Delta as an outstanding corporate partner headquartered in Atlanta for many, many years to come.”



Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Falconjet]

How? Even a combined DL/US would never give up the most efficient and busiest airport hub in the world. We carry more pax through ATL than anyone else by far. Airtran doesn't seem to want to give anything up there either. Try Macon, GA.


Bye Bye--General Lee

Wow, for a minute there I thought the General said that Atlanta was the most efficient airport hub in the world.

If that is true there isn't anything that will save your airline or any other in our lifetime.

FJ

 

[Z_Pilot]

There's been alot of chatter about hubs & seniority lists, but what about airplanes? LCC is in bed with the dreaded Airbus & Delta is all American. Who would win? Common sense tells me the older 737's would vanish first. 777 or A330 for pond crossings? The only fleet similarities would be the 757...but I don't know which airlines have what engine... ZP

 

[Flopgut]

What's up with the timing on this proposal? We just voted in a Democratic Congress, why didn't they try to pull this last month? Would have been easier with Republicans, right?

 

[TurboJetCpt]

It will be interesting to see how the PILOT SENIORITY LISTS are merged. Now THAT will be a battle royale !!!! :uzi: :smash:

 

[JT8D]

Christ, and I thought the US boys were going to experience culture shock. Wait until the Delta boys get a load of how things are done at HP.

 

[Laughing_Jakal]

Let me reiterate: " STAPLE STAPLE STAPLE"

 

[AAflyer]

There's been alot of chatter about hubs & seniority lists, but what about airplanes? LCC is in bed with the dreaded Airbus & Delta is all American. Who would win? Common sense tells me the older 737's would vanish first. 777 or A330 for pond crossings? The only fleet similarities would be the 757...but I don't know which airlines have what engine... ZP

Usairways (AWA as well)---R&R 757s

Delta--------Pratt 757s

New combined fleet

B777
A330
B767-200/300ERs/400s
B757
A321/320/319
B737-300/400
B737-800
MD88
MD90
E-190

Nice mix.

AA

 

[Tejas-Jet]

Delta and USAir guys can start bickering about seniority and denying jumpseats.

Denying jumpseats??? C'mon...an airline pilot wouldn't really do that now, would he?

Tejas

 

[Tejas-Jet]

Now how does that ALPA list integration work again? A profitable airline buys a bankrupt airline, they are both ALPA, you have to consider career expectations......... So if it goes through they will integrate the lists with maybe a 3 for 1 at the top, then staple most of the DAL pilots to the bottom of the US Air list?

No, no....Date of Hire is really the only way here....Remember...

Date of Hire=Unity

Unity=Date of Hire

Tejas

 

[General Lee]

Usairways (AWA as well)---R&R 757s

Delta--------Pratt 757s

New combined fleet

B777
A330
B767-200/300ERs/400s
B757
A321/320/319
B737-300/400
B737-800
MD80
MD90


Nice mix.

AA

That MD80 is supposed to be MD88s. Don't forget the E190s USAir is getting too......soon.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[AAflyer]

That MD80 is supposed to be MD88s. Don't forget the E190s USAir is getting too......soon.

Bye Bye--General Lee

Updated,

Thanks for the correction.

AA

 

[JT8D]

Usairways (AWA as well)---R&R 757s

Delta--------Pratt 757s

New combined fleet

B777
A330
B767-200/300ERs/400s
B757
A321/320/319
B737-300/400
B737-800
MD88
MD90
E-190

Nice mix.

AA

Not to mention all of HP's 320's/319's are RR. "east" (US) A320/321 ... GE.

That is small potatoes though compared to when they get paired in the flight deck.

 

[Tejas-Jet]

It will be interesting to see how the PILOT SENIORITY LISTS are merged. Now THAT will be a battle royale !!!! :uzi: :smash:

Cool Northern Efficiency will replace Southern Hospitality

Tejas

 

[ironspud]

You know...there are a couple of "positives" to all of this.

1. The general could be on the street.
2. AA could be crushed.

Nuttin' wrong with that!!

 

[AAflyer]

You know...there are a couple of "positives" to all of this.

1. The general could be on the street.
2. AA could be crushed.

Nuttin' wrong with that!!

WOW, even in a DAL-USAIR merge thread you couldn' resist bashing AA.

You are my hero!!!!

AA

 

[FDJ2]

Let me reiterate: " STAPLE STAPLE STAPLE"

I think it would be patently unfair under any scenario to staple the US/AWA pilots to the bottom of the DAL list. But nice try at flame baiting.

 

[LUVStruck]

Where's the blue LUV?

I'm a little disappointed. I just made it through ten pages of posts (it was three when I started) and not one person has bashed Southwest or JetBlue. Are you guys getting soft?

 

[Itsallsogood]

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson issued the following statement today in response to a proposed bid by U.S. Airways to merge with Delta.
“As the largest employer in Georgia, Delta Air Lines is vital to Georgia’s economy and to the thousands of Georgians it employs. Delta has put in place an aggressive plan to emerge in 2007 as a strong, stand-alone carrier and I am very confident it will succeed. As U.S. senator, I have worked very hard to help Delta and its employees through hard times and I will work even harder to keep Delta as an outstanding corporate partner headquartered in Atlanta for many, many years to come.”



Bye Bye---General Lee

Future President (I hope not) John McCain will probably want it in Arizona.

 

[dtfl]

I think it would be patently unfair under any scenario to staple the US/AWA pilots to the bottom of the DAL list. But nice try at flame baiting.

How many pilots does USAir have on furlough? What worries me is - I bet most of them are senior to Delta guys who have been (even some who have NOT been) furloughed.
What happens there? They cannot and will not keep the overlapping routes and schedules...so they will reduce some capacity between the two...once the paring down is complete- how many pilot positions will be required? I bet a lot less than the# of pilots on the seniority list.
I don't know how Parker could look his investors in the eyes and brief that slideshow that said "No mainline furloughs" Unless they plan to push all the junior guys down to the regional THEN furlough them.
Thoughts?

 

[scoreboard]

I don't know how Parker could look his investors in the eyes and brief that slideshow that said "No mainline furloughs" ?

What "look them in the eye"? He is going to look them in the eye and say "this will make us rich!" Pilots be damned, look what he is doing now to AWA/USAIR.

 

[dtfl]

What "look them in the eye"? He is going to look them in the eye and say "this will make us rich!" Pilots be danged, look what he is doing now to AWA/USAIR.

My point - there WILL be furloughs...so he's a liar.

 

[densoo]

CAL's Kellner Speaks

in weekly voicemail.

I’d like to start off this week by discussing the big industry news. US Airways announced on Wednesday that it was proposing a merger with Delta Air Lines. If the proposed merger were to occur, it would create the largest airline in the world. As you’d might expect, it was a big topic of discussion for Jeff Smisek and me yesterday at the CEO Exchange in Newark, as the creation of a competitor even larger than American Airlines would not be good for us in the long run. However, there is no certainty that the proposed US Airways/Delta merger will ever occur. There are all sorts of hurdles, and we’ve seen offers before that did not end up happening. Our position on industry consolidation remains the same. If the industry stays as it is, our preference is to remain independent and continue our growth plan. However, if the landscape of the U.S. airline industry does indeed change, we’ll do what we need to do to act in the best interests of you, our customers, our shareholders and the communities we serve.

 

[Tejas-Jet]

USAirways and America West can't even integrate themselves very well (AWA and US pilots are not close to an agreement on integration). What makes them think that Delta would be easier to integrate if they have had such a hard time integrating what is on their plate today?

Actually, they are not having a "hard time" with the integration. Maybe its the rank and file that are having a "hard time". The negotiators are following the ALPA merger policy. As the 2 pilot groups discuss, if there is some agreement, there will be progress among the 2 pilot groups....

If there is no agreement, following the ALPA Merger Policy timetable, they will then go to arbitration. The arbitrator chosen by both pilot groups using a stike method, was busy when selected so...they had to wait on his schedule for a few months...

...He is now working with them as a mediator/arbitrator...

I know that there are some pilots ( who don't fly for either US or AWA) who would like to see this thing resolved quickly. But when peoples' careers are at stake....one has to be careful and do things slowly. As long as they are following the ALPA Merger Policy....whats with the impatience? We'll all find out soon enough how it all comes out in the wash.

Tejas

 

[Itsallsogood]

Excellent Texas, in addition, the selection process to select an arbitrator was met by both East and West. The mediator/arbitrator Nicholau was unavailable until November. Hence the long wait. Good news....the process has begun. (DOH already dead.)

 

[icekazanski]

If the new company is named Delta...who will make US fly???

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

My wife filled me in on a bunch of stuff happening 2 days ago:
USAir bid to acquire Delta about 2 months ago. Delta's mgmt and board didn't want to be bought out, so they didn't tell anyone.

So, USAir finally had enough, and went public, so the creditors and stockholders would know they'd been offered a ton of money for their stock and/or obligations.

The creditors love it, and want the deal badly. Delta mgmt and board hate it. No one knows what the stockholders want because they just found out.

If the merger goes through, then NWA will merge with CO to defend themselves.

In separate activity, AirTran announced a code share with Frontier, similar to the NWA/Delta/CO codeshare. Now AirTran is looking to buy/merge with Midwest Airlines, which would be even more incentive for NWA to merge with CO.

cliff
YIP