"I heard it from a friend who, heard from a friend who, heard it from another you been messing around." (**CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED**, I hate when i relapse into the 80's)
Really though, I had a jumpseater yesterday that had lots of info. (management type) He said that thursday there had been a chief pilot/management meeting in Dallas where the new numbers for 05 where confirmed to be 750+. He said the meeting was very upbeat and he said the senior management people where "giddy" with excitment. He also said the company numbers indicate that SWA is going to "aquire" 30 + additional aircraft (above the previously announced numbers) in 05. (and the general sense was that it was going to be announced sooner rather than later).
Now this is where it gets interesting. We ran the normal gauntlet of rumors about where the aircraft were going to come from and most were verifiable, RUMORS. But, I was shooked when he offered up a scenario that included merging with Aloha. He said Aloha was practically begging SWA to take the -700's at about 50 cents on the dollar. Herb sure likes deals like that. He said the merger aspect of the deal would be the deal breaker as SWAPA and the pilot group would not let that happen. Preferential interviews would be the right thing to do for everyone involved.
Rumors confirmed
1) 750+ new hires in 05
2) 30+ additonal aircraft in 05
3) atleast 1 new city in 05
4) DFW out of the question (not much of a rumor any more sinse Kelly has said publicly that it was out)
5) If the Wright ammendment goes away SWA will fly Dallas-Denver within 3 months of appoval
6) Several "unknown" (to him or I, probably only Herb knows) entities were actively planning a war againt the Wright ammendment and people at the GO felt sure it would go away sometime in 05.
Rumors squashed.
1) -800's are totally out of the question for now
2) We are not buying Airtran
3) another pilot groups seniority list would end up stappled or merged to our through the aquition of aircraft. Morris taught a valuable lesson to SWA that won't be repeated. He said management was of common thinking that preferential interviews would be the fair thing to do.
New rumors
1) possible aquition/merger (or something) with Aloha
2)David Neeleman is rumored to be looking for a buyer for Jet Blue
Really though, I had a jumpseater yesterday that had lots of info. (management type) He said that thursday there had been a chief pilot/management meeting in Dallas where the new numbers for 05 where confirmed to be 750+. He said the meeting was very upbeat and he said the senior management people where "giddy" with excitment. He also said the company numbers indicate that SWA is going to "aquire" 30 + additional aircraft (above the previously announced numbers) in 05. (and the general sense was that it was going to be announced sooner rather than later).
Now this is where it gets interesting. We ran the normal gauntlet of rumors about where the aircraft were going to come from and most were verifiable, RUMORS. But, I was shooked when he offered up a scenario that included merging with Aloha. He said Aloha was practically begging SWA to take the -700's at about 50 cents on the dollar. Herb sure likes deals like that. He said the merger aspect of the deal would be the deal breaker as SWAPA and the pilot group would not let that happen. Preferential interviews would be the right thing to do for everyone involved.
Rumors confirmed
1) 750+ new hires in 05
2) 30+ additonal aircraft in 05
3) atleast 1 new city in 05
4) DFW out of the question (not much of a rumor any more sinse Kelly has said publicly that it was out)
5) If the Wright ammendment goes away SWA will fly Dallas-Denver within 3 months of appoval
6) Several "unknown" (to him or I, probably only Herb knows) entities were actively planning a war againt the Wright ammendment and people at the GO felt sure it would go away sometime in 05.
Rumors squashed.
1) -800's are totally out of the question for now
2) We are not buying Airtran
3) another pilot groups seniority list would end up stappled or merged to our through the aquition of aircraft. Morris taught a valuable lesson to SWA that won't be repeated. He said management was of common thinking that preferential interviews would be the fair thing to do.
New rumors
1) possible aquition/merger (or something) with Aloha
2)David Neeleman is rumored to be looking for a buyer for Jet Blue
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