airtran future?

[sleeves]

so its ok for amr to have an 85+% market share in their home airport but NO other airline is allowed this luxury? that's fair.

How about swa at LUV. That has got to be 99%

 

[Red Baron]

How about swa at LUV. That has got to be 99%

You mean LOVE field. Competition comes, then goes.

 

[TV9Driver]

I think we (AirTran) have a huge target on our backs right now. We are a small, well run, very successfull and PROFITABLE company.

I think that if we don't get bigger fast we are going to make an excellent target to be bought out by AA, Delta, SWA, CAL, UAL, etc.... We'd be a drop in the bucket for any of these companies...

Just my opinion, but I have to say that the (somethin's gonna happen soon) hair on the back of my neck has been standing on end for a while....

 

[Lear70]

Any chance Airtran could look at STL or San Antonio as a possible base? Hmmmm..... I believe they were after a heftier midwest presence and a more viable westward launching place. Lear what do you think?

Why me? I don't have a crystal ball...

STL has been a loser of a base for at least 3 airlines I can think of. Someone with a better background in TWA, AA, and SWA can probably explain why better than I could.

SAT? I love that city, but I can imagine what kind of problems we'd run into - mainly gate space. The airport's not that big.

TV9 has some of the same thoughts I do about it:

I think we (AirTran) have a huge target on our backs right now. We are a small, well run, very successfull and PROFITABLE company.

Very true and, more to the point, the Legacies have tried to run us out of business before with a direct war... didn't turn out so well for them; I doubt they'd try it that way again.

I think that if we don't get bigger fast we are going to make an excellent target to be bought out by AA, Delta, SWA, CAL, UAL, etc.... We'd be a drop in the bucket for any of these companies...

Not sure about a "drop in the bucket", but most of those companies could likely afford to buy us out in a hostile takeover attempt, just like we tried with Midwest.

The only thing we have working for us is our balance sheet. We have airplanes, but those are leased, as is most of the rest of the operation. We're not worth more in pieces than as a whole, which works in our favor.

Just my opinion, but I have to say that the (somethin's gonna happen soon) hair on the back of my neck has been standing on end for a while....

Ayuh... I'm getting that distinct feeling as well. The main thing that concerns me is that we keep deferring airplanes and going after mergers; that tells me that management's stand-alone plan may not allow for the kind of growth we've been planning on for awhile.

Either we have to merge with/buy someone and get too big for any one airline to swallow, or we'll likely get swallowed in the next year or so ourselves...

 

[IdRtherBsailing]

I think it is better to be part of an growing airline that everyone fears than an airline that the others airlines could give a crap less about.

So when your airline stops growing, will you quit?

 

[Ty Webb]

...the world will be trannies oyster.

. . . or, at least, our bearded clam!




imp:

 

[TV9Driver]

As far as STL goes, the biggest complaint I heard when I was at TWA was that there was not enough O&D traffic in STL. Now, throw on top of that AA and SWA's presence there, it makes for a tough place to grow a hub. Both AA and SWA have the history of squatting on their territory and driving others out. If we had both of them gang up on us, that could be a tough situation.

I live in STL so of course i'd love a hub there, but i'm just being realistic.

Also, to pick up on something Lear said... we don't really own anything, - that can be good or bad. In a bad way, it would be alot easier to transfer or drop leases than to sell owned airplanes - meaning that another airline could gobble us up and have an easier time trading in our leased 717s for a new contract for Airbus or 737s...

again, just my opinion...

 

[CitationLover]

How about swa at LUV. That has got to be 99%

but DAL is a restricted field governed by the many times updated and now slowly phased out wright amendment.

 

[FIREMAN]

"we don't really own anything"


We do own 27 of the 737s and I think 2 717s

 

[Citrus531]

2 717's out of 87? Wow.....heard the leased 717's are on 18 year leases?!? Are the 73's similar I wonder?