SWA searching for more deals, SWAPA salivating----article

[PHXFLYR]

Besides UAL who would be willing to deal?

Doug Parker over at USAirways. He's got the aviation equivelant of a 1959 Edsel he's been trying to offload for a few years now with no takers.

PHXFLYR

 

[goahead]

GL = jealously.

You talk about fair intergration, let's see one group is in bankruptcy and they want equal seniorty, den base for life, pay and medical for life for the furlougies, not to mention being pay protected and oh yea keeping your job. I think gaps was shooting for the moon.

Now go ahead with your immature rant.

 

[freightdogfred]

to allow SWA crews time to understand how to fly INTL routes--it will take years)

What's the deal with "understanding international routes". First time I flew to Mexico I asked the CP if there was anything I should know? Response- "Ummm I think they speak spanish down there." That was about it....

Hmmm..methinks your boss has never been to MMMX or MMMY.

 

[ironspud]

Alaska and Airtran are the only things that make sense to me.
Alaska seems pretty cozy with DAL, but Airtran would be a pretty good fit for WN so maybe? Sun Country also comes to mind, but they don't really fly anywhere Southwest couldn't go on their own.

I don't see a lot of possibilities.

My bet is AirTran:

- They'd make a hel.l of a lot of noise in ATL.

- Would be a major player in MKE ( major trouble for Republic).

- Gain DCA access/expand LGA access

-Take out the competition in BWI

- Solidify MCO

- Substantial 737 fleet already in place

- 717's could be replaced with new 737's on order

...and don't forget - Airtran now has ALPA's expert advisor's and expertise to cover their backs during the SLI.

 

[funnyman12]

I don't think Southwest/Airtran would happen. If it does though, SWAPA better not even attempt a staple with a successful company like us. My career expectations at Airtran were the hopes of us being the next Southwest or better(im 30 years old, got me 35 more years)....well hopefully not 35.=) Airtran is a successful airline with a quality product and a loyal customer base. It would be very expensive to convert to business class on over 500 planes and still expensive and risky to take business class away from Airtran. For the cost reason I would not imagina a merger/aquisition.

 

[Reebo]

I don't think Southwest/Airtran would happen. If it does though, SWAPA better not even attempt a staple with a successful company like us. My career expectations at Airtran were the hopes of us being the next Southwest or better(im 30 years old, got me 35 more years)....well hopefully not 35.=) Airtran is a successful airline with a quality product and a loyal customer base. It would be very expensive to convert to business class on over 500 planes and still expensive and risky to take business class away from Airtran. For the cost reason I would not imagina a merger/aquisition.

We can all hope

 

[General Lee]

GL = jealously.

You talk about fair intergration, let's see one group is in bankruptcy and they want equal seniorty, den base for life, pay and medical for life for the furlougies, not to mention being pay protected and oh yea keeping your job. I think gaps was shooting for the moon.

Now go ahead with your immature rant.

Again, you are the one who doesn't seem to understand. F9 already had another bid, and was not going away. They had a large share of the pax at DEN, and brought gates/slots from airports you couldn't get into. I call that things of value, and their pilots had it in their contract (not dropped by the BK judge) that they had to go with the assets. If you wanted a bigger piece of the pie in DEN, faster upgrades, etc, SWAPA should have given them SOMETHING. Something other than a STAPLE, which was a slap in the face. Now, SWA has helped create a larger competitor (Republic), you have lost quicker upgrades, you can't place those extra planes anywhere, and Kelly looked a bit "amateurish" according to some analysts and probably some Wall Streeters. At least you guys are "pals" now, and that TA will be done tomorrow, right???


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[NuGuy]

Heyas,

Agree about Airtran. While it makes a really compelling business case, there is NO WAY on God's green earth the Tranny guys would roll over for what the SWAPA guys would be offering for an SLI.

I can guarantee you that one would go to arbitration unless something like a relative integration was proposed.

Nu

 

[RiteSideUp]

First thing swa needs to do is to find a pilot group that is ok with a staple and then go from there. Otherwise any other effort will be a wasted one.

 

[Mach 80]

The SWA pilots are not knee jerked to stapling anyone but were being realists as to the situation. Not all situations are the same. Buying an airline that is in bankruptcy in which the pilots are at risk at being put on the street in the near future and their present pay rates, scheduling, and benefits are soooo far below par that even being stapled with some pay protection would be fabulous for them in the long term. I can't imaigine even General Lee disagreeing if Delta was buying Frontier. Can you imagine the outrage at Delta if there was a Delta/Frontier combination and the Frontier pilots demanded a perfect ratio integration?

Now, if SWA were to buy an airline that was NOT in bankruptcy, was actually making money (without the benefit of stiffing creditors and debt holders via the protection of bankruptcy laws) and the pilots had an established decent level of pay and benefits, I don't think the SWA pilots would expect to see them stapled. It all depends on the situation.


Is Alaska a possibility for SWA?

 

[Kharma Police]

Now, if SWA were to buy an airline that was NOT in bankruptcy, was actually making money (without the benefit of stiffing creditors and debt holders via the protection of bankruptcy laws) and the pilots had an established decent level of pay and benefits, I don't think the SWA pilots would expect to see them stapled. It all depends on the situation.

The SWA pilots would demand nothing but a staple from any pilot group. They would smile and use the same line , "well, you are at the bottom of our list but at least you are at Southwest". To which we will reply, "go tell it to the arbitrator".

 

[Tanker Clown]

Maybe SWA will buy Delta. Ditch the DAL domestic stuff, excpt hang on to Song (because Song really sticks it to Air Tran and Jet Blue). And then Genital Lee could get on SWA's health plan and get the sex change surgery he as longed for.

 

[scrub]

Kelly said all 737s, southwest to purchase itself, all employees will be stapled!!!!

 

[Lear70]

You can forget about AirTran if what he said will hold in their search.

They want a company in bankruptcy reorganization... not happening at AirTran anytime soon, record profits this year and next unless oil does something stupid again, in which case, we're ALL screwed.

They want a company that's all 737's. I don't know of one out there, do you?

Of course, their recent actions with Frontier would suggest that one of those criteria is obviously waivable, so maybe both are? Who knows... Not even going to go there with a SLI battle over something that's unlikely to happen. Do I wish it would? Sure. Do I think it will? No.

 

[vixin]

Airtran or Alaska would not be stapled. Of course SWAPA would start with that. But a relative integration would be worked out I am sure. A bankrupt carrier that is close to liquidating, you bet ya .