MaxBlast feeling the LUV!

[PCL_128]

I see this statement over and over and over again. Please cite actual wording from the document and present your case as to which portion was not followed. I want to see the actual language you feel was not followed.

On this point, I actually agree with the Southwest pilots. Gary never actually violated anything. He implied that he might violate it. And that mere implication caused all hell to break loose on our side of the partition. But he never actually broke the agreement, and to this day, I don't believe he would have. He just bluffed quite well, and we were incredibly gullible. The rest is history.

 

[madjack]

"He just bluffed quite well, and we were incredibly gullible."

If it makes you feel any better, he wasn't bluffing...

 

[waveflyer]

As of right now, nearly every FAT pilot over there went voluntarily. Conduct that survey again once integration is over.

What did I expect him to do? How about stay the hell out of it and let the process work like its supposed to. Like every other airline CEO does. By sticking his nose in and creating the animosity, he is responsible for alienating 30+% of his employees. Maybe he thought that would be better than actually doing what's fair and thereby pissing off the other 70%.

Yeah, I know, RSW guys are pissed too, except nobody thus far has been able to coherently articulate to me exactly why that is.

Be careful when you hope Gary acts like "every other airline CEO"

He may not be herb, but I do thank god he's internal and not like the rest

 

[waveflyer]

"He just bluffed quite well, and we were incredibly gullible."

If it makes you feel any better, he wasn't bluffing...

And that not bluffing wouldn't be breaking the process agreement

 

[-9Capt]

With US-Air/AmWest as the most recent precedent for an arbitrated SLI he could refer to, it does make it a little more understandable why GK may have chosen a different path for his airline.

Statements like that demonstrate a lack of understanding about the differences between the two integrations. It's been discussed before, don't feel like going down that road again. Suffice to say, they had different issues in play that allowed the integration to drag on.

 

[-9Capt]

And that not bluffing wouldn't be breaking the process agreement

It would certianly violate our contract, as well as the petition SW filed with the DOJ that allowed the merger to happen.

 

[Kharma Police]

It would certianly violate our contract, as well as the petition SW filed with the DOJ that allowed the merger to happen.

Re-read them both, swiss cheese comes to mind. Even the all knowing Airtran sheepherder Lear70 had a change of heart when he got on the inside and talked to the lawyers.

 

[canyonblue]

As for the last sentence of your post, I would refer those pilots to my signature line.
| | |
VVV

It wasn't do we grow Southwest, or do we buy AirTran? It was, we need AirTran, so we can grow in the future, Mr. Kelly said.

I don't get it. Do you believe everything Gary Kelly says or not? On one hand you believe he is not to be trusted in anything he says, on the other you take a quote of his for your signature line as the Gospel Truth.

 

[PCL_128]

"He just bluffed quite well, and we were incredibly gullible."

If it makes you feel any better, he wasn't bluffing...

Yeah, he was. But if he wasn't, it would have violated the Process Agreement that he signed, which would make him no different than any other corrupt, lying airline CEO. Which means that your beloved CULTure is just a sham. If you believe that he wasn't bluffing, then you'd better be preparing for one hell of a screwjob on your CBA.

Luckily for you, he was bluffing.

 

[-9Capt]

"I don't get it. Do you believe everything Gary Kelly says or not?"

I believe whatever suits my agenda.

 

[madjack]

Maybe your right about the CBA, but historically that has not been the trend since '01, but the company never had to absorb an AAI- like airline, while divesting most if it's airplanes...

 

[Kenney G]

Maybe your right about the CBA, but historically that has not been the trend since '01, but the company never had to absorb an AAI- like airline, while divesting most if it's airplanes...

SWA bought all of AirTran. Planes and all. Originally did they not plan on keeping the 717 for a bit while retiring the 737 300/500? Plans change but your management chose a different path well after buying AirTran. Plus is your fleet pretty much the same hull size as a combined SWA/AirTran fleet? Does not seem SWA is absorbing 1000 pilots with no airplanes. Looks like they are using Airtrans orders as well as Swa orders were scheduled to replace the 300/500 series. Your CEO even said growth was a long way off for you even before the merger.

 

[madjack]

What do I know, but the drivers of next contract will be cost vs revenue....buying an airline, dismantling it and then divesting of most of its airplanes had to add to the cost equation...hopefully those synergies will kick in...

 

[DonVerita]

"which over the long term, will end up degrading his employee centric culture of SW. "

Just how is taking sides with your employees, degrading the culture? I would be more alarmed if did NOT take sides with his employees!! Many folks, right or wrong, on the SWA side feel that by taking all the AAI pilots sans 88 dc9s was throwing your side a pretty big bone...

Earth to Madjack -- ATN doesn't have DC-9's. Got rid of the last of those over 10 years ago. They have B-717's. Might look similar on the outside. BIG difference on the inside. Think glass cockpit, technology, automated everything...something you won't find on a SWA 737-300.

 

[SWA Bubba]

Earth to Madjack -- ATN doesn't have DC-9's. Got rid of the last of those over 10 years ago. They have B-717's. Might look similar on the outside. BIG difference on the inside. Think glass cockpit, technology, automated everything...something you won't find on a SWA 737-300.

I suspect that he knows the difference--he's just using that term for derision in your little pissing contest. Certainly, YOU know a little something about that. A little like you acting like every one of our planes--or even most of them--are 737-300/500s.

We do have a few of them, however, and in fact are partly "replacing" your 717s with them, by not retiring them as fast as originally planned. I guess that maybe there's something negative about your "glass cockpit, automated everything" B-717s, seeing as how the company would rather have old 737-300s than keep them. Makes you go hmmmm.....

Besides, -9Capt seems pretty proud of that particular airframe.

Bubba