Airtran upgraded on consolidation outlook with Southwest

[Lear70]

AirTran is to cost, what SWA is to employees. AirTran is laser-focused on costs while SWA has the reputation for being extremely focused on keeping its employees happy. A WN/FL merger could bring the best of those two cultures together.

The problem is that those two may not work together.

AirTran is "laser-focused on costs" at the expense of its employees. I'd rather not see that come to pass at Southwest, too.

AirTran also has extremely capable management, most specifically Bob Fornaro that could be a huge asset to WN if people like him were brought into significant roles at WN.

And instructed to start taking into account the fact that front-line employees will only take care of your customer if you take care of them. Depending on work ethic like AirTran does only gets you so far.

Also, if the WN folks are worried about destroying the culture by bringing FL folks in, to be honest, the culture at FL, is in many ways, more like WN than WN is supposed to be. Make sense? FL knows it is the underdog and acts that way. WN is no longer in that position.

The only people it will make sense to is the AAI employees because they're the only ones who see it on a daily basis.

I would also venture to say that the culture you're talking about is exclusive to office personnel, pilots, mechanics, and some flight attendants. The ground personnel are totally different; jumpseated for 5 years back and forth almost exclusively on SWA from BNA-DTW and their ground personnel aren't even comparable to ours except to note that they are both human beings doing similar jobs.

 

[Ty Webb]

I've been flying with Delta retirees for the past three years . . . if he's at Delta, he's completely outclassed, and is probably handed his comeuppance on a daily basis.

TW.

 

[CatfishVT9]

Catfish:

Remember, tanking is a manly profession. As long as you are the plugger and not the receiver.


I thank every tanker (clown) that gave me the gas to do harm knowing full well that they cannot.

I had to think about that for a minute since it's the opposite for Navy or Air Force as to who's the plugger or pluggee (is that a word?).

In his case though, he's more a Clown than a Tanker.

 

[Tanker Clown]

HAHAHAHA. Surely you guys can appreciate the humor in that. Give the guy some credit he makes these boards interesting. I think I know who he is and if I do he is actually a DAL pilot!

Hey CB, I called this merger this summer. Everyone blew it off. Now look. I do more than make it interesting. I enlighted fools on this board.

By the way, I don't work for DAL. I am exactly who I say I am in my profile. Just like everyone else is. I would never lie on a pilot message board.

 

[Bavarian Chef]

I am exactly who I say I am in my profile. Just like everyone else is. I would never lie on a pilot message board.

Uhhh, the difference being that many of us on here actually know each other. Catfish was a skipper of mine, for example.

 

[Lear70]

Hey CB, I called this merger this summer. Everyone blew it off. Now look. I do more than make it interesting. I enlighted fools on this board.

Umm... "enlighted"?

Yeah,,, you're just FULL of educational knowledge for the board members.

 

[Ty Webb]

Hey CB, I called this merger this summer.

Wow . . . Your 50/50 armchair prediction almost came true?

In light of that startling development, I guess we should go ahead and upgrade you from Idiot to Idiot Savant.

 

[400ADude]

If there is an acquisition all the law says is the list integration has to be fair. I'm bettin on fences along with Southwest payrates and Critter payrates to go with those fences. Then down the road there will be a reshuffle/rebid and quite a few Critters will be going back to the right seat but will get Southwest payrates and most likely a pay raise.

Frankly, I'm not really for a merger with Critter since they don't bring much to the table (payrates, attitude, scabs, etc..) but who knows crazier things have happened. I'm giving it less than a 10% chance.

 

[PCL_128]

Your understanding of the new merger law and seniority integrations leaves much to be desired. But this "critter" isn't exactly thrilled about the prospect of merging with SWA anyway.

 

[400ADude]

Your understanding of the new merger law and seniority integrations leaves much to be desired. But this "critter" isn't exactly thrilled about the prospect of merging with SWA anyway.

Our unions legal team just sent out a breakdown of the new rule. There is not a whole lot of change from the old system with the exception of not making people interview for the job they hold. Interviewing won't happen but an arbitrator will decide what is economically fair based on career expectations etc... If I remember correctly, a 5 yr Airtran Capt makes as much a 5 Yr Southwest FO.

Again, I believe this discussion is a bit premature and a long shot situation at best. We'll see.