AA gives away 20,000 FREE tickets

[Flopgut]

>>But nowhere else is there an airport with the history of lending competitive advantage to a single carrier like Love<<

Excuse me, but who just gave away 20k free tickets at Love? The idea that the WA was designed to protect SWA is pure crap. The WA was designed to protect DFW. Legend came into Love, Continental has come to Love, You guys came once to destroy Legend, then left, and now you are back giving away free tickets while you bleed money that isn't free. We could care less. All the attention to Love just helps us in the long run. The employees of AA are the ones who should be upset about costly management blunders while your wages and retirement are at risk. Management is going to take care of themselves no matter how bad they botch this one.

Excuse me, but we stand on the edge of repealing the WA, completely changing the metroplex airline travel market, and you don't think AA can try to get a little chatter going with some free tickets? It may not be a great idea, but its more than fair to react. Do you not see the GLARING disparity in your statement? Your airline is about to get the playing field adjusted to your huge advantage, again, and you don't think AA should jump in with a deal and try to compete? Their effort to compete is sour grapes, your politically charged handout is OK? BS.

Sure AA mgt is pathetic, almost all legacies are. Thats hardly a shrewed observation. But when mgt can point to the sort of equally pathetic things we have to deal with, like the WA repeal, its hard to inspire them to better lead. Since DFW opened, Love Field has been an issue. Its like the hole that Boba Fett fell into on tattooine, the only airline that it has not been continuously digested for decades is yours. FBJ can tell me to let go on the Braniff thing but the other Love Field issue are very much in the "now".

 

[Flopgut]

History has shown that "everybody" is taking a turn, yet again. What specifically ( more than just "history") do you see that would lead you to believe that SWA is headed in this direction?

Using that logic, I see the New Orleans Saints winining the next Super Bowl. Why? Because of history...everybody gets a turn eventually.

Tejas

46% of expenditures go to labor (was the number a year ago, maybe lower now, still high), most highly unionized airline, highest paid pilot group. What has happened to nearly every company that can make that claim? SWA pilots may be willing to capitulate to reduced pay and ease that high percentage, but I don't think your FAs will. They are way behind on their fair share of the spoils and have been probably more key to the success. There may be similar issues with the other non-pilot work groups.

Maybe SWA slides this time. But soon your other work groups are not going to tolerate the disparity in pay.

 

[Flopgut]

Flopgut,

You are making some assumptions here.

First, what shoulda or coulda been done is WAY old news. At some point we have to live with the reality forced upon us.

Second, you are making this a zero sum game. Is it really Love field or SWA's fault that AA management treats their employees so poorly? AA got their employees to take big pay cuts just to shrink the fleet, pay their executives big benefits (retiring and present) and now to finance 20,000 tickets.

With or without SWA or Love field, AA management would be finding new and inventive ways to treat the employees poorly. Their excuse would just be other airlines or "problems". I know you don't work at AA, but that is the perspective I think is relevant.

Believe it or not SWA management finds new ways to improve the lives of their employees. If growth stopped at SWA tommorrow and went gangbusters at AA I would still want to be at SWA.

Making one's condition of happiness based on growth and time to Captain is no way live, IMHO. In this environment the growth can stop in a second.

I agree, your perspective is very relevent. Legacy mgt would rather ride the negative trends and not miss any sort of chance to roll back labor costs. Going forward, I don't want legacy pilot groups to miss a chance to advance our pay. Revenge is a very human thing. If legacies start making some money, there is going to be he!! to pay. That will take longer if the resident "discounter" continues to attack the market from a safe distance. We need to draw you in to our clutches and force your airline to compete in earnest. I like AA chances in a single airport face-off.

You may think your different than me, but your not. Lack of challenge and the inability to gain ground would bother you the same way it does me. If SWA stopped growing and AA went gangbusters, you'd be getting nervy. Very few "sleepwalkers" at SWA, thats part of what got you hired. (yes, thats a compliment)