More SWA Govt. Help...

[BILL LUMBERG]

(Reuters) - United Airlines parent UAL Corp (UAUA.O) won U.S. antitrust approval on Friday to acquire Continental Airlines (CAL.N), a deal that will create the world's largest air carrier.

The Justice Department said it closed its investigation into the deal after the combining airlines agreed to give up some takeoff and landing rights at its Newark airport hub to low-fare carrier Southwest Airlines (LUV.N). (Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky and James Vicini; Editing by Gary Hill)


I wonder how much of this "Agreement" the Airlines actually had a say in.......Looks like another Government attempt to help prop up Southwest.

Oh well, maybe the pizza parties extend to the DOT and Justice Department.......I'll bet they love the big screen!!

 

[JetMonkey]

Amazing.. All I got to say is Southwest can owe most of its sucess in the past 10 years to the US Government.

 

[Moon-dog]

Let the whining commence, that did not take long for the usual suspects to sound off like little girls.

 

[nimtz]

The fault lies entirely with Little Jeff 'Smigel' and Big Buck Glenn. Proof to me all these senior VP's are going to cash out and be on the first life boat when an iceberg lies dead ahead...

 

[GuppyWN]

Bill,

Seriously?

Dude. Let it go.

Gup

 

[Tanker Clown]

Lumberg is one to talk. Look at the Gub'ment help that Song got when they went through bankruptcy. Nothing like wiping out your debts, screwing your share holders, and raping the employees to get back on track. But I guess when it came to the pilots, you can't rape the willing. You boys love them pay cuts!

 

[ualdriver]

Better that it go to SWA then some non-union, undercutting outfit that is going to dump a bunch of capacity into/out of EWR at ridiculously low fares. I wonder if SWA won some sort of bid for the slots or if UAL/CAL got to choose who got the slots. Out of all the low cost carriers, I would think that they'd rather compete against SWA.

 

[labbats]

I don't know about you, but I'd prefer those slots went to the airline with the highest pay and best workrules. If that happens to be Southwest then good on them.

 

[B727Driver]

Tanker, ouch!! I wonder what Lumberg would have said if they awarded the slots to Mesa, or better yet, a Skybus-type carrier. Undercutting? Non-union pay?
Only because Scope is on 7 day leave did we hear from Lumberg first. The General is probably enjoying a warm beer is Europe. Cheers!

 

[Jetjockey]

I don't see how EWR is a gift. Jetblue has been there for years. It's a damn circus. We welcome the new clowns to the show. At least their planes airplanes are painted accordingly.

 

[mdf]

(Reuters) - United Airlines parent UAL Corp (UAUA.O) won U.S. antitrust approval on Friday to acquire Continental Airlines (CAL.N), a deal that will create the world's largest air carrier.

The Justice Department said it closed its investigation into the deal after the combining airlines agreed to give up some takeoff and landing rights at its Newark airport hub to low-fare carrier Southwest Airlines (LUV.N). (Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky and James Vicini; Editing by Gary Hill)


I wonder how much of this "Agreement" the Airlines actually had a say in.......Looks like another Government attempt to help prop up Southwest.

Oh well, maybe the pizza parties extend to the DOT and Justice Department.......I'll bet they love the big screen!!

Right Lumberg! How long was Delta on the Govt. Nipple?

 

[Flopgut]

I'm a CAL guy and I've got no problem with SWA in EWR. It will probably put more customers in our widebodies. Which will be a nice reminder for them that if they do more of their flying on CAL (soon to be UAL) their rewards will take them farther. This will be good for everybody.

 

[whatitdoing?]

Good for SW........

 

[Jetjockey]

It will be easy to spot the SWA passenger. They will be ones with grocery bags as carry-on baggage.

 

[GuppyWN]

It will be easy to spot the SWA passenger. They will be ones with grocery bags as carry-on baggage.

Hey... be polite.

Puerto Rican suitcase, please.

Gup

 

[Whataburger]

Hey... be polite.

Puerto Rican suitcase, please.

Gup

I was thinking more "Tommy Boy"-ish.

I've been to Puerto Rico, never saw anything that resembled a suitcase, and judging by all the trash by the streets, there are no trash bags either.

 

[MILPILOT17]

I love me some Gubment cheese!

 

[BILL LUMBERG]

Lumberg is one to talk. Look at the Gub'ment help that Song got when they went through bankruptcy. Nothing like wiping out your debts, screwing your share holders, and raping the employees to get back on track. But I guess when it came to the pilots, you can't rape the willing. You boys love them pay cuts!

Clown,

I normally wouldn't waste a shot on a towed target like yourself, but Capitalism goes both ways.....if you guys want it like every SWA god-fearing soul does, then a Bankruptcy court comes along with it.

 

[Yuppyguppy]

Lumberg is one to talk. Look at the Gub'ment help that Song got when they went through bankruptcy. Nothing like wiping out your debts, screwing your share holders, and raping the employees to get back on track. But I guess when it came to the pilots, you can't rape the willing. You boys love them pay cuts!

What were SWA payrates in 1980s, 1990s compared to the big guys. You guys started the whole thing. BARF

 

[Tanker Clown]

Who's "you guys?" Air Force guys? We used to not make as much as Delta guys....but now a LTC makes much more than a Delta guy. I guess that's because we would never stand to pay cuts.