An Honest Question for AirTran Pilots

[Lear70]

Too bad for you. About time though. Glad someone put a stop to it finally.

No one "put a stop to it"; I VOLUNTARILY stopped moderating the SWA/AAI thread about two weeks ago and said as much on one of these threads. Guess you didn't get the memo...

None of the other moderators or webmaster asked me to, something I did of my own accord. I still moderate the board, just not these combined threads.

Thanks for your support...

 

[Bob Dylan]

No one "put a stop to it"; I VOLUNTARILY stopped moderating the SWA/AAI thread about two weeks ago and said as much on one of these threads. Guess you didn't get the memo...

None of the other moderators or webmaster asked me to, something I did of my own accord. I still moderate the board, just not these combined threads.

Thanks for your support...

In any case, it was way past the time as your bias was evident. Thanks for stepping down.

 

[Lear70]

In any case, it was way past the time as your bias against SWA pilots was evident. Thanks for stepping down.

I don't have anything against Southwest pilots, I have quite a few of them that are personal friends and look forward to working together with them again (yes, even if they end up senior to me).

It was just obvious that posting AND moderating was doing nothing but instilling animosity where there doesn't need to be any. Better to step down and remove any question about it, that's all.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I don't have anything against Southwest pilots, I have quite a few of them that are personal friends and look forward to working together with them again (yes, even if they end up senior to me).

It was just obvious that posting AND moderating was doing nothing but instilling animosity where there doesn't need to be any. Better to step down and remove any question about it, that's all.

I apologize and actually edited my post before you responded. I don't think you have anything against SWA pilots either. That came out wrong. Sorry.

 

[Lear70]

I apologize and actually edited my post before you responded. I don't think you have anything against SWA pilots either. That came out wrong. Sorry.

Yeah, I was online and read it before you went back and edited it, then saw you'd changed it when my reply posted.

Thanks, I appreciate it, and don't worry about it, it's the internet, things come across wrong more than half the time, that's why things get so ugly so quick on here, someone takes something differently than it was meant and it just devolves from there.

It's all good, it's FI.

 

[clr4theapch]

Bob Dylan.... though you have been a member her since 9\07... your a relative babe here on FI.. your posts are getting closer and closer to the out of bounds lines..

You might want to tone it down... your on my favorites list... Mod. clr4

 

[scarlet]

yeah tell us the flight number and dates of the two pilots that would agree to a staple.

We would decerifiy ALPA the next day, just as USAIR did. The agreement then would be with SWAPA and ALPA and SWA, We would no longer be ALPA... I believe it is better the two unions work it out. Arbitrator is going to look heavy at the most recent and smoothest transition !

we have 1700 pilots,,,scattered through 7200 pilots is not a huge deal. Huge growth planned with Airtran merger, or stay separate and AT will gladly get the 50 737s and more 717s at cheaper seat mile and continue growing into South America

 

[vixin]

There is a little problem with that. If SWA keeps us separate all new growth comes to the SWA side. Even your precious 50 airplane orders. But, you could keep your current rates and have no growth potential. They could put 25 717 on your side. But then they would have to put 90 737's on the SWA side. So keep your pay and benefits if you want to act that way. We will gladly keep ours. Oh yeah I almost forgot. NO SWA pilot can be furloughed until this deal is done.

 

[texman]

yeah tell us the flight number and dates of the two pilots that would agree to a staple.

We would decerifiy ALPA the next day, just as USAIR did. The agreement then would be with SWAPA and ALPA and SWA, We would no longer be ALPA... I believe it is better the two unions work it out. Arbitrator is going to look heavy at the most recent and smoothest transition !

we have 1700 pilots,,,scattered through 7200 pilots is not a huge deal. Huge growth planned with Airtran merger, or stay separate and AT will gladly get the 50 737s and more 717s at cheaper seat mile and continue growing into South America

Dude you better do your research. This will never happen. It would be like us giving up scope and allowing a B scale. Plus a Arbitrator will not look at the most recent transaction. You need to stop drinking the ALPA kool aid.

 

[vixin]

Not to mention it would cost Airtran pilots thousands per month.

 

[texman]

Not to mention it would cost Airtran pilots thousands per month.

Well you and I know that it is all about the Transaction Agreement, on how the next two years are going to play out. The problem I see is OIL hitting 100 + a barrel. What does GK do with two separate companies? Shut one down? I don't know. I just hope it works out for all.

 

[Ty Webb]

Well you and I know that it is all about the Transaction Agreement, on how the next two years are going to play out. The problem I see is OIL hitting 100 + a barrel. What does GK do with two separate companies? Shut one down? I don't know. I just hope it works out for all.

Well, maybe between SWA's hedging skills and AAI's lower non-fuel CASM, and the other synergies between the companies, we could work together to get through that period. That would be my hope, and I'm sure it will be yours, too.

 

[GuppyWN]

Ty,

What's your non-fuel CASM after you factor in your "new" contract?

Gup

 

[Ty Webb]

Ty,

What's your non-fuel CASM after you factor in your "new" contract?

Gup

I haven't seen those numbers published yet. According to pre-Contract numbers, AAI had the lowest pilot CASM of any major airline, so I don't think that the marginal increase we got will affect it by much.

It will also depend on how the "signing bonus" is amortized, too. I would imagine that was a one-time expense.

 

[texman]

Well, maybe between SWA's hedging skills and AAI's lower non-fuel CASM, and the other synergies between the companies, we could work together to get through that period. That would be my hope, and I'm sure it will be yours, too.

As we bust each others balzzzz, and give tough luv on this board, we all know as a team we can make or brake this deal. LW stated that we are hedged nicely for the next five years. So yes the synergies are going to be nice. I luv how we all play hard ball on this board. We as a pilot group (on both sides) have a lot of pride. I think both of the energies when combined, the company will grow. I think there is more planned than we can imagine.

 

[Ty Webb]

Agreed 100%. This is going to be a winning combination, and the next ten years will be very exciting to be a part of.

Thankfully, the issues surrounding SLI won't be solved on Flightinfo, but by the cooler heads that prevail on our MC's. They will make the best of a difficult situation and will hammer out the best compromise they can.

And then what? We live with it, and move forward. To a better, brighter future. . . . cue in Wagner's "Flight of the Valkyries" . . .

 

[funnyman12]

Talked to AAI merger committee member yesterday....he had the factual numbers that AAI is actually hedged better than SWA for 2011. I couldn't believe it either but it is in the SEC filings and I found it in AAI's 2nd qtr conf call, granted the conf call was in July. Still surprising.

 

[Ty Webb]

To paraphrase Seinfeld: "Oh, we know how to hedge the fuel, we just don't know how to unhedge the fuel. . . .".

 

[S3sundowner]

No matter what happens, the aai guys win big with this acquisition. By the time the deal closes and fences come down, we might be talking another 4-5 years. By then, the aai guys will more than likely have significant new hires below them plus retirements start to roll in. So the long term effects of even a staple (and I'm not suggesting that Ty) will still result in significant gains for your group. The guys holding weekends off now, will probably still be holding weekends off when the system "opens up". So for the next four years or so, you guys will keep what you have now but make A LOT more money too. So the sooner you guys make a deal with swapa, the better off you will be.

 

[texman]

Hell going from one job to the next to build time and be competitive to get on with swa, I haven't had a xmass or holidays off in the past ten years. Hopefully I can get weekends off out of this deal.