American Airlines to drop 25 of 56 gates at STL

[STL717]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9214307/

 

[furloughfodder]

Here comes SWA (again)...

 

[BoilerUP]

If I'm not mistaken, SWA pretty much already owns the E concourse at STL.

 

[Metro752]

I hate STL. Half the time I get stuck going MCO-STL-MDW on the way back from SJU. Stupid TZ only does MCO-IND right now, so I can't go to MDW. The MDW-SJU flights are usually full, thats why.

 

[TooBad]

PERFECT Opportunity for JetBlue........


Dave, David, George are you listening?

 

[TWA Dude]

Like the article reads, the only "news" here is that AA won't be paying for gates it hasn't used in over two years. No big change for operations at STL. And BTW, since AA drastically reduces ops at STL SWA hasn't increased theirs, in fact, I believe they've decreased their operations slightly. If JB wants to come in nothing is stopping them or anybody else. STL is a weak O & D market and that's all there is to it.

 

[Jim Smyth]

We have had the opportunanity to expand at STL for quite a while now but havent. Reason being is the Airport Authority wants more money out of the people using the facilities to fund the new runway they are building and no longer need. So you all come on down now ya hear!

 

[GuppyPuppy]

We have had the opportunanity to expand at STL for quite a while now but havent. Reason being is the Airport Authority wants more money out of the people using the facilities to fund the new runway they are building and no longer need. So you all come on down now ya hear!

Sounds like SWA should threaten to leave STL and move all operations to Mid-America. Or, how 'bout the airport that Parks College uses?

GP

 

[CSY Mon]

Yeah a typical AA business decision: Buy an airline, fix it up, double the pay, then get out of the gates, routes and park the airplanes.

What is left of the salvation army purchase ...?

Not much, except $1,5 BILLION down the drain and some bitter TWA folks screwed by Carl Ichan and laying the blame on AA.

Instead of letting TWA die a natural death like Pan Am and them other dinosaurs, then pick up routes on the open market if they smelled good.


Thanks Mr. Idiot Don Carthy and his ego managers who wanted to rule the worlds biggest airline.....

 

[Mkubwa]

AA buys airlines to eliminate competition. They take on the employees so the feds don't squash the deal. When you're cash rich this strategy works. I really don't think Icahn (please learn to spell it correctly) would have let his little cash cow be put to slaughter - after all, the AA lawyers had to scour the bankrutpcy code to find a way to nullify the Karabu arrangement.

Seems like no one goes out of business (Ch. 7) "naturally" these days.

Too much competition is BAD - take a look at the current state of affairs. Lions don't wait around waiting for the gazelles to collapse from old age.

 

[AA717driver]

Come on, CSY. At the time ORD was a cluster#u@k and DFW was out of gates. And, precious slots were taken up by those Eagle RJ's (or should I say slots were take up by those "precious" Eagle RJ's )

All TWA had to do was go back to Carl for even more money (at even more draconian terms) and AA's (and everyone else's) revenues stayed depressed in the middle of the country.

You are looking at this from the viewpoint of "what happened". Carty was looking at this from the point of "what could happen".

BTW, no one's pay doubled except Compton's. Mine was about 20% increase...for awhile. Now, it's zero.

Anyway, who cares? It happened, we're all on the street and bitching from either side won't cure anything. And, yes, AA is going to be the bad guy in this because they were overseeing the dismantling of TWA.TC

 

[Mkubwa]

Looks like we posted simulataneously, TC.

 

[AA717driver]

Seems like no one goes out of business (Ch. 7) "naturally" these days.

Too much competition is BAD - take a look at the current state of affairs. Lions don't wait around waiting for the gazelles to collapse from old age.

Wonderful synopsis Mkubwa! Everyone has their post 9/11 blinders on.TC

 

[aa73]

Anyway, who cares? It happened, we're all on the street and bitching from either side won't cure anything. And, yes, AA is going to be the bad guy in this because they were overseeing the dismantling of TWA.TC

AA is always the "bad guy", whether good or bad. Seems like they've created too many enemies over the years... But I swear, I'm one of the nicest of the "bad guys.."

 

[B6Driver]

CSY mon,

"Yeah a typical AA business decision: Buy an airline, fix it up, double the pay, then get out of the gates, routes and park the airplanes.

What is left of the salvation army purchase ...?

Not much, except $1,5 BILLION down the drain and some bitter TWA folks screwed by Carl Ichan and laying the blame on AA."

You could not be more wrong or stupid.

 

[FlyFastLiveSlow]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9214307/

This is old news. They only use the "C" and "B" concourses since Nov 1, 2003. That only amounts to around 30 ish gates, several of which are always empty anyway. Same old AA.

 

[CSY Mon]

really don't think Icahn (please learn to spell it correctly)

Ohh little guy, Sorry...Did I not spell it correctly..?

Oops, I will try harder..

BTW, no one's pay doubled except Compton's. Mine was about 20% increase...for awhile. Now, it's zero.

Not so?

Going from TWA pay to AA "A" scale was only a 20% increase?

Hmm, my 3rd year AA F/O pay was just over $100K per year.
The TWA guys, after several pay-cuts did not make much more in the left seat?

Back in the late 90s a B-747 captain with TWA made $116.000.00 per year guarantee. ..B-767 and MD-80 capts went down to 90--80K.anually if they were senior.

Plenty of junior F/Os jumped ship so as to seek their future and fortune somewhere else...(before 9/11 remember?)

 

[Mkubwa]

Ohh little guy, Sorry...Did I not spell it correctly..?

Oops, I will try harder..

Take it like a man, now... Don't be so defensive.

 

[CSY Mon]

Take it like a man, now... Don't be so defensive.

Aye, thanks for the advice junior...I will sure try harder...Like AVIS...