Alaska Fleet Plan for 2013/2014

[thrasher]

No it wouldn't. Alask/SWA merge would work. Relative senority. I'm betting it's in the planning phase. SWA reducing in NW. SWA puts Hawaii on hold.

 

[RNP.15]

Not if AS gets date of hire.

 

[Ocity]

Not if AS gets date of hire.

All mergers go according to McCaskill Bond. SWA might be able to push around AirTran but Alaska Pilots can afford to go to War if need be. I can promise, the slightest whiff of any cram down douchbaggery will grind any merger to a halt in Federal Court for years.

 

[Boxboy]

All mergers go according to McCaskill Bond. SWA might be able to push around AirTran but Alaska Pilots can afford to go to War if need be. I can promise, the slightest whiff of any cram down douchbaggery will grind any merger to a halt in Federal Court for years.

SWA+AS merger could be the next USAir/Americawest debacle since SWA doesn't like to play nice. If it happens, fights on fo sho!

As for our pilot group signing on some pos deal, it's very likely since most of them have no cajones. Just look at the last timeuke:.

 

[igneousy2]

Make no mistake, our pilot group may not be unified when it comes to the importance of scope vs. pay, but if something like a SWA merger came down, we would all instantly be united.

...ahem...I mean Delta.

 

[wscrj]

Ah yes....it'd been awhile since I'd heard a "we're buying AS" rumor.

Now I'm current.

 

[Dan Roman]

All mergers go according to McCaskill Bond. SWA might be able to push around AirTran but Alaska Pilots can afford to go to War if need be. I can promise, the slightest whiff of any cram down douchbaggery will grind any merger to a halt in Federal Court for years.

SWA isn't going to shell out the kind of cash that it would take to buy AK, has anyone looked at what their stock price is? If anything, AK would be the buyer. Alaska is like Hawaiian in that their worth is tied up in their reputation for service and they have strong customer loyalty. AK and Hawaiian are very successful airlines (so is SWA), but paint another name on the side of either of their planes and much of what makes them successful would go away. SWA would have to pay a premium and than lose much of what they paid for. I think AK is way to different of an operation than SWA for the two to merge. Just because they both have 737's doesn't mean they match up well. For example, AK codeshares a lot with DAL, that would all go poof. Finally, I'm sure what SWA did to AirTran (threaten to keep the airlines separate) could never work with Alaska. So you're right, SWA could never run roughshod over them and simply couldn't have "their way" of doing business. Just like here in Hawaii, if they tried that kind of crap they would have their arse handed to them.
Finally, I AM NOT BASHING SWA HERE! They are very good at what they do, but it seems when I call out some of the narcissisim inherent in thinking they are going to do whatever they want (remember them saying they are going to kick Delta's ass?) I get labled a SWA "hater" I'm not. I've met a lot of good SWA folks and wish them all the best. SWA has done a lot to promote the importance of treating your employees well (Thank you Herb!) not to mention they when I laid over in PDX at the Monarch the staff always extended the 1 2 3 to us too!

 

[Mea25000]

AS will not merge with LUV.. LUV made a push almost 3 years ago when GK got the valuation of AS he ran to AAI. Although the 2.6 B market value looks like a steal now. AS may be forced to merge with Dal down the road but it will take a tremendous market cap erosion for this to happen. Never say never who knows. Been hearing a little interest in an airbus company... All stock offer in the low 600 million range with a new branding of the two iconic names... I guess if it happens we will all read about it in the paper... Pacific airways with a boy on some tails and a girl on others...

 

[MesabaDriver]

No way!!! I was told 5yr upgrades when they hired me... I went ahead and bought Capt stripes when I got my FO ones.

 

[Dan Roman]

Matter of fact, I've raised another point. SWA can grow buying airlines that has employees that don't mind being merged in, like Morris, but the jury is still out on the AirTran deal. If they try to grow by buying someone that doesn't want to be bought, like AK, they would totally upend the entire airline and basically kill what has made them successful. Look at what happened to Piedmont, they were an outstanding airline in much the same way as SWA. They merged with USAir (who was also one of the stronger carriers in the business) and went down hill rapidly. An unwanted merger can destroy an airline.
My take is this country is going to have 3 legacies and and the rest of us. SWA, AK, HA, JetBlue, Spirit, VA, Frontier and Allegiant. (sorry if I missed anyone)