SWA to speed up Airtran integration.....article

[General Lee]

Southwest plans to speed up AirTran integration

Memphis Business Journal

Date: Tuesday, December 18, 2012, 7:39am CST

Southwest Airlines plans to speed up the integration of its AirTran unit in 2013 with the goal of fully integrating the airline into its own business by the end of 2014, The Wall Street Journal reports.


Dallas-based Southwest (NYSE: LUV), bought AirTran last year. The integration is expected to add $400 million in revenue and cost savings next year, Southwest's Chief Executive Gary Kelly told the Journal.
Southwest has slowed its integration with AirTran because of the struggling economy, but is currently testing new technology to connect its network with AirTran and will begin matching schedules and jointly selling tickets for each other's flights in January, the Wall Street Journal reports. Southwest hopes to fully connect the networks by April.

Memphians have been waiting for their shot at Southwest flights — and hopefully lower fares — since the merger closed. Delta Air Lines Inc. currently is the dominant carrier at MEM, but as it has slashed its flight count and raised prices, local travelers are seeking more options.




Good news! It would be BETTER if they paid EVERYONE the same now (even with people moving from seat to seat), and not have a B-scale on the same type plane. Tell SWAPA to work on that.....



Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[SWA/FO]

Good news! It would be BETTER if they paid EVERYONE the same now (even with people moving from seat to seat), and not have a B-scale on the same type plane. Tell SWAPA to work on that.....

They could have had that. It was deal #1. They didn't pass that onto the members for a vote. They got deal #2, no pay until you cross over.

 

[climbhappy]

speed it up? this reminds me of the little caesars commercial with the elderly couple driving down the road at 5mph.and the old man says "you're driving like a bat out of hades"

 

[General Lee]

They could have had that. It was deal #1. They didn't pass that onto the members for a vote. They got deal #2, no pay until you cross over.

Was that in the original Process Agreement? Answer that.


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Citrusflyer]

It's funny when "speed it up" means they're trying to meet the original deadline they had set all along.

 

[Lear70]

The pay issue is in the past. It's over. Done. Kaput. As is anything that was in the Process Agreement, honored or not. SWAPA isn't going to help us get pay any sooner than it's coming per SIA 2 and even if they wanted to, SWA has made it VERY clear that it's not going to happen.

Time to find other things to discuss. Like the Playoff picture, Virtual Bases, and what you're doing to your Boat in the off-season... I gotta rip up the deck on mine. Dry rotting in the corners, going to glass the new deck.

 

[PCL_128]

Good news!

Good news? Maybe for some, General, but not for all. A lot of us will see our QOL decimated when we transition over. We're trying to hold out as long as possible. As far as I'm concerned, Gary can take his sweet old time.

 

[fletch717]

They could have had that. It was deal #1. They didn't pass that onto the members for a vote. They got deal #2, no pay until you cross over.

Except that deal 1 took more seniority from us. Then we would have lost the things in deal 1 with the sale of the airplanes.

 

[madjack]

AAI seniority went away when ur CEO decided to sell

 

[Lear70]

AAI seniority went away when ur CEO decided to sell

Holy Baby Jesus... are you serious?

I'm going to both laugh and cry the day we merge with another carrier and they stick up for their rights in Arbitration. OAT will get screwed but it'll be an interesting object lesson for OSW in Federal Law.

Sometimes I can't believe what comes out of people's *mouths* on here.

 

[Dude]

All of these threads are bull$hit. Many on our side had unrealistic expectations just like the other side. There are a few simple facts that go completely ignored, mostly because no one wants to take ownership and be accountable for their wants that far exceeded reality.

-SWA pilots weren't going to get a full staple.
-AirTran pilots were giddy as anyone would have been until they figured the process wouldn't happen at the speed of heat.
-Some SWA guys refuse to see the deal they got - very good considering where it could have gone.
-AirTran guys will never know if they got a "good deal" or not. Why? Because there is no way to know what their careers at AT would have been absent the purchase.
----Had AT not done well...they got a great deal.
----Had AT rebounded and kicked ass...not a good deal.
-Indisputable fact is that AT pilots' careers have more value than they did prior.
-Indisputable fact is that SWA pilots are better off with the deal.

Gary cares about his brand, his shareholders and his deal...everything else comes after. He wasn't going to open his wallet when he didn't have to. Instead of being pissed about not getting "your" money early, look forward to the day when you at least get it - when you become a SWA pilot. Our guys should consider the impact on the AT pilots' seniority and be respectful about it. I'd kinda like to have my type rating money back, but I made a business decision and it was a price I was willing to pay to play where I wanted to.

These stupid threads do nothing for us as we near 2015 and everyone being SWA. None of these issues are going to be ironed out until the integration is done and the dust settles.

 

[texman]

Gen nuts! Quick question. Why does Delta have a B scale with the 717? The 12 year rates are less than the 12 year 737 rates? Please tell.

 

[Lear70]

All of these threads are bull$hit. Many on our side had unrealistic expectations just like the other side. There are a few simple facts that go completely ignored, mostly because no one wants to take ownership and be accountable for their wants that far exceeded reality.

-SWA pilots weren't going to get a full staple.
-AirTran pilots were giddy as anyone would have been until they figured the process wouldn't happen at the speed of heat.
-Some SWA guys refuse to see the deal they got - very good considering where it could have gone.
-AirTran guys will never know if they got a "good deal" or not. Why? Because there is no way to know what their careers at AT would have been absent the purchase.
----Had AT not done well...they got a great deal.
----Had AT rebounded and kicked ass...not a good deal.
-Indisputable fact is that AT pilots' careers have more value than they did prior.
-Indisputable fact is that SWA pilots are better off with the deal.

Gary cares about his brand, his shareholders and his deal...everything else comes after. He wasn't going to open his wallet when he didn't have to. Instead of being pissed about not getting "your" money early, look forward to the day when you at least get it - when you become a SWA pilot. Our guys should consider the impact on the AT pilots' seniority and be respectful about it. I'd kinda like to have my type rating money back, but I made a business decision and it was a price I was willing to pay to play where I wanted to.

These stupid threads do nothing for us as we near 2015 and everyone being SWA. None of these issues are going to be ironed out until the integration is done and the dust settles.

D*mn good post.

 

[scoreboardII]

Ditto

 

[General Lee]

Gen nuts! Quick question. Why does Delta have a B scale with the 717? The 12 year rates are less than the 12 year 737 rates? Please tell.

Ummmmmm, what? The 717 gets the same rate as the DC9, same size. At DL, the 737 pays about $5 an hour less than the 757/767. Maybe you are trying to be humorous (???), but what the B-scale at your airline means is the pay for the 737 at AT and SWA aren't paid the same, and that is bad. Got it yet? Do you need more examples to figure it out? Same plane, different pay=bad.....



Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[General Lee]

All of these threads are bull$hit. Many on our side had unrealistic expectations just like the other side. There are a few simple facts that go completely ignored, mostly because no one wants to take ownership and be accountable for their wants that far exceeded reality.

-SWA pilots weren't going to get a full staple.
-AirTran pilots were giddy as anyone would have been until they figured the process wouldn't happen at the speed of heat.
-Some SWA guys refuse to see the deal they got - very good considering where it could have gone.
-AirTran guys will never know if they got a "good deal" or not. Why? Because there is no way to know what their careers at AT would have been absent the purchase.
----Had AT not done well...they got a great deal.u
----Had AT rebounded and kicked ass...not a good deal.
-Indisputable fact is that AT pilots' careers have more value than they did prior.
-Indisputable fact is that SWA pilots are better off with the deal.

Gary cares about his brand, his shareholders and his deal...everything else comes after. He wasn't going to open his wallet when he didn't have to. Instead of being pissed about not getting "your" money early, look forward to the day when you at least get it - when you become a SWA pilot. Our guys should consider the impact on the AT pilots' seniority and be respectful about it. I'd kinda like to have my type rating money back, but I made a business decision and it was a price I was willing to pay to play where I wanted to.

These stupid threads do nothing for us as we near 2015 and everyone being SWA. None of these issues are going to be ironed out until the integration is done and the dust settles.

No, these threads bring out what was WRONG with specific mergers, so hopefully it won't happen again, or will be handled differently next time. Like:

1. When two groups merge, management should NOT favor one side over the other. That never created unity, between pilot groups or with the new company. Stay out of integration management.....

2. When you say you will do something in a prior agreement, follow through. (That goes for US Easties and the agreement to do binding arbitration, and certain management types from another airline apparently agreeing to things, and then not.....)

3. Don't pay different payrates for the same plane type. No, not good. No unity there. Same pay in a joint contract is the FIRST thing done in a successful merger. Same pay takes the sting away from the eventual SLI.


4. Don't take years to integrate. Come on! Unity? Have enough money to complete the merger fully after the purchase is made...



No merger is perfect, but these latest mergers had airlines that had the benefit of watching a couple go first. One went relatively well, the other did not. No excuses.



Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[canyonblue]

D*mn good post.

Agreed, good post. The the Delto dork has to add his comments which I never read. Please stop adding to anything SWA, it's not your airline doosh.

 

[XRMEFLYER]

All of these threads are bull$hit. Many on our side had unrealistic expectations just like the other side. There are a few simple facts that go completely ignored, mostly because no one wants to take ownership and be accountable for their wants that far exceeded reality.

-SWA pilots weren't going to get a full staple.
-AirTran pilots were giddy as anyone would have been until they figured the process wouldn't happen at the speed of heat.
-Some SWA guys refuse to see the deal they got - very good considering where it could have gone.
-AirTran guys will never know if they got a "good deal" or not. Why? Because there is no way to know what their careers at AT would have been absent the purchase.
----Had AT not done well...they got a great deal.
----Had AT rebounded and kicked ass...not a good deal.
-Indisputable fact is that AT pilots' careers have more value than they did prior.
-Indisputable fact is that SWA pilots are better off with the deal.

Gary cares about his brand, his shareholders and his deal...everything else comes after. He wasn't going to open his wallet when he didn't have to. Instead of being pissed about not getting "your" money early, look forward to the day when you at least get it - when you become a SWA pilot. Our guys should consider the impact on the AT pilots' seniority and be respectful about it. I'd kinda like to have my type rating money back, but I made a business decision and it was a price I was willing to pay to play where I wanted to.

These stupid threads do nothing for us as we near 2015 and everyone being SWA. None of these issues are going to be ironed out until the integration is done and the dust settles.

I stopped commenting on this thing a long time ago because it solves nothing and despite what the women would have us believe, "talking about it" doesn't make me feel any better. This post pretty much sums up my view as well and I really hope we can stop "re litigating" what happened here soon and move on like some have suggested. It's depressing to see it come up over and over again.

 

[Tripower455]

Maybe you are trying to be humorous (???), but what the B-scale at your airline means is the pay for the 737 at AT and SWA aren't paid the same, and that is bad.

Do you even know what a B scale is, or the history behind the term? Your posts on the subject referencing the SW/AT deal indicate that you don't.

Whether you think it's right or wrong (and no one asked you anyway), AT and SW are being operated as separate airlines, separate lists during the transition, per the agreement both sides voted for.

The AT guys get full SW pay (with their AT longevity) the day they get a SW ID.

 

[bladeusa]

and until then.. spend 3 years with a 25% take home pay cut, terrible schedule, >40% of pilots on reserve and out of seniority transition.