Alaska and Delta: Frenemies?

[Noserider76]

Things are just about to get even more strained... It could be very interesting for all of us over here at AS in 2014. RA and BT are playing high stakes poker and I sure hope BT is sitting on something real good.. I am confident RA is.

Yep, looks like they want to have a little capacity war with AS adding more flights on top of the ones DL just added. Like you said, should be interesting.

 

[CesnaCaptn]

Maybe this is a gang bang on VX. Then again, 3X flights per day hardly makes them relevant.

According to management, SEA-Bay Area is a loss leader. Every time we operate this flight we lose money. It's crazy that airlines are always up for a little attrition warfare.

 

[waveflyer]

Hate to say it, but the SWA/AK rumors are heating up- but no announcement possible til 2015- and coincident with huge growth announcement to take the edge off
Apparently mgmt learned from AT that stagnation and acquisitions are bad enough for morale that it affects the bottom line-
They knew there'd be some discontent- now they know how much-
Primed for growth and new destinations- the idea is to have so many new hires and movement, employees will be 'excited' about the move- they'll link growth to the merger to do this....
Then again I'm a pilot, and I might be starting sh/t to see what happens-
I think all the CEO's are constantly playing poker - BT, DP, RA, and GK seem to still be playing this particular alaska hand

 

[johnsonrod]

Get ready for the Seattle-bound Skywest MRJs in the coming years. That MRJ will look cool in the Eskimo paint scheme.

 

[RNP.15]

Why the big fuss over little Alaska Airlines. Were just a little boutique airline flying the west coast.

 

[mittro]

I believe the general is correct. DL is making a play on the Asia routes out of SEA and SFO/LAX/LAS are big destination's.
AS is already running load factor's in the mid 80's meaning less and less seats to offer on the codeshare. With the DL 717's coming online out east, Compass and Skywest can send the EMB-175's and CRJ-900's west to feed these city pair's with the a/c that are no longer needed, feeding the mainline asia growth!

 

[Noserider76]

Hate to say it, but the SWA/AK rumors are heating up- but no announcement possible til 2015- and coincident with huge growth announcement to take the edge off
Apparently mgmt learned from AT that stagnation and acquisitions are bad enough for morale that it affects the bottom line-
They knew there'd be some discontent- now they know how much-
Primed for growth and new destinations- the idea is to have so many new hires and movement, employees will be 'excited' about the move- they'll link growth to the merger to do this....
Then again I'm a pilot, and I might be starting sh/t to see what happens-
I think all the CEO's are constantly playing poker - BT, DP, RA, and GK seem to still be playing this particular alaska hand

Problem with that is the merger merry go round is most likely over. Think the government is kicking themselves for letting SWA take over it's main low fare competitor. Don't think AS-SWA would have much of a chance, but that's just my opinion.

 

[Saluki Dawg]

Except that Alaska isn't really considered an LCC. If anything they are closer to a legacy than Southwest, although we're working on it. I actually think that SWA/AAG would have almost no trouble getting DOJ approval.

 

[cbrown1]

Except that Alaska isn't really considered an LCC. If anything they are closer to a legacy than Southwest, although we're working on it. I actually think that SWA/AAG would have almost no trouble getting DOJ approval.

Many people thought AA/US was a sure thing as well.

 

[Noserider76]

Except that Alaska isn't really considered an LCC. If anything they are closer to a legacy than Southwest, although we're working on it. I actually think that SWA/AAG would have almost no trouble getting DOJ approval.

The past is the past. The government isn't going to allow anything except 2 relatively small carriers to get together. LCC or legacy makes no difference. They're won't allow the industry to get any smaller with fares up and companies making record profits.