Southwest Airlines to Acquire AirTran; Spreading Low Fares Farther 6:55 am - PR Newsw

[Tristar]

Let me be the first to say "Southwest Sucks!"

 

[i fly boxes]

wow southwest now flies international - to the carribean!

 

[GuppyWN]

wow southwest now flies international - to the carribean!

That's actually pretty funny.

Gup

 

[SkiFishFly]

Wow. Just freakin wow. I don't know for sure but I feel like I just won the lottery. At least this should take all the worries of an impending strike off the table.

 

[jetvison]

Looking forward to working with the SWA folks on the merger. At face value (whatever that is) this could be a great thing.

 

[skidbuggy]

Anyone remember Muse Air? Or the heartburn experienced with the acquisition of Morris?

Time to turn the seatbelt sign on... I think it's going to be a bumpy ride.

I hope it works out for both sides.

 

[johnsonrod]

Wow. Just freakin wow. I don't know for sure but I feel like I just won the lottery. At least this should take all the worries of an impending strike off the table.

Seriously, good luck with it as I hope it works out for you. Ironically, you sound very much like some Frontier pilots I know two years ago...

Let's hope the integration is fair - no staple this time around!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[737tanker]

Can someone clarify something for me. With the new laws, I don't think SWA can just staple us to the bottom. I believe there has to be some kind of integration, even if its not favorable to the AAI guys. Is that correct?

Since SWA is acquiring more than 50% of AirTran the new law says that the list must be merged on a "fair and equitable basis". In some cases that could be a staple, in other cases it could be DOH. In the case of SWA and AirTran I think it will be whatever an arbitrator decides!

 

[DIAMONDDD]

Airtran guys....get used to some tools telling you that you should be thankful for whatever they give you because you are lucky to have a job. SWA pilots are a good group of people, but, for some reason, some pilots can't help themselves from being complete DBs.

 

[yoyoma]

Airtran guys....get used to some tools telling you that you should be thankful for whatever they give you because you are lucky to have a job. SWA pilots are a good group of people, but, for some reason, some pilots can't help themselves from being complete DBs.

hahaha! if i had a nickel for every ahole capt who told me this at swa i could retire at 59 instead of 65

 

[CFIT]

I think PCL is shaking like a whore in church, he loves slamming SWAPA.

it will be interesting to see how much ALPA helps, now that they are losing yet another pilot group.

 

[Ty Webb]

Hope you boys like LBB and 8 legs a day!!!!

Hope you guys like Mo-line and Gulfport . . .

 

[Lear70]

Lets get 'er done. Welcome aboard. I wonder if the 717 folks will have to PFT??

OK, I don't care who you are... that's funny!

It will all work out. There will be no furloughs, it just doesn't make any sense. We're dramatically understaffed compared to Southwest's staffing model, and they won't be dumping the 717's before the leases are up, if they do at all.

Heck, they're talking about HIRING next year even AFTER the integration... maybe just talk, maybe not, but I'd bet they have aggressive expansion plans into the Caribbean and Mexico/South America region.

I'm stoked, you should be, too. Looking forward to joining all my PCL friends who went to Southwest the last couple years and flying together again, even if they might be sitting in the left seat before me... it's all good, I'm just here for the pay and QOL.

 

[Tweaker]

Snapshot:AAI

AIRTRAN HOLDINGS, INC.

(up 58.90%)as of 10:18:33am ET 09/27/2010


Damn! That is just this morning!

 

[FDJ2]

You guys might be missing something here...it is an acquisition not a merger.

You might be missing something here. The nature of the transaction is not relevant.

 

[UALRATT]

(Oberstar's head will probably explode).

I just busted out laughing:laugh: :laugh:

I don't think he will make it to the end of the year. MASSIVE myocardial infarction.

 

[WayBack]

I think PCL is shaking like a whore in church, he loves slamming SWAPA.

it will be interesting to see how much ALPA helps, now that they are losing yet another pilot group.

Predictions on:
how long it takes to strangle Delta out of ATL?
how long until Delta furloughs?


Ask the Midwest guys how much ALPA helped them.

 

[ATLplt]

I think this COULD be a kick-ass operation if we can come together as one team without a ton of shots lobbed from both sides.

The 717 is staying, my opinion only. It's the perfect airplane for small markets, it's cheap to lease/own, and you've got close to 1000 pilots already trained on the thing. I see it doing hub and spoke out of larger western bases as well as high yield NYC/BOS stuff.

This may be a great thing for all of us, and I welcome working with SWA guys and gals in the future. We're all cut from the same "can do" attitude, and are use to fighting the legacies for our slice of the pie. Now, with close to 700 airplanes, I think that fight can be brought with some authority.

 

[BMW]

OK, I don't care who you are... that's funny!

It will all work out. There will be no furloughs, it just doesn't make any sense. We're dramatically understaffed compared to Southwest's staffing model, and they won't be dumping the 717's before the leases are up, if they do at all.

Heck, they're talking about HIRING next year even AFTER the integration... maybe just talk, maybe not, but I'd bet they have aggressive expansion plans into the Caribbean and Mexico/South America region.

I'm stoked, you should be, too. Looking forward to joining all my PCL friends who went to Southwest the last couple years and flying together again, even if they might be sitting in the left seat before me... it's all good, I'm just here for the pay and QOL.

Couldn't agree more! Let's cash some nice checks and hope this is all done before the last of 1-2-3 deals is gone.

 

[FDJ2]

I am by no means an expert but isn't that what the TWA guys were thinking.

You're right about one thing, you're not an expert. AAI is not TWA, the laws have changed, and there will be a fair and equitable integration.

If the Frontier pilots couldn't be bullie, I very much doubt the Airtran pilots will. Airtran ALPA has some very talented folks in their MEC, I'm sure they'll do fine.