ATA LFs way down

[HalinTexas]

Thats all great except the one thing that matters the most is the pilot contract. ATA will be hiring pretty quick off the street if they EVER need more pilots. That contract is going piece by piece. It will be the most undesirable place to work among majors in my opinion. A place to go when you have nothing else. I dont think anyone who has a decent gig anywhere else would want to go back unless there was a complete buy out by SWA.

Have you been paying attention to what's been happening at UAL and USA?

The concessions we are presently under (20% paycut, retirement cut, and other stuff) expires at the end of May. It then reverts to the previous pay-freeze concessions given last summer for 30 days, when that concessionary LOA expires. Now, I'm not foolish enough to believe that our contract will return to full force July 1, but this group has given enough. I don't think another paycut will survive another vote. 152 captains are being displaced by May 15. I think we're over 100 pilots furloughed out of approx. 250 planned. Quite a few are leaving by choice. Base realignment by summer. Down from 65 to 45-ish airframes at year's end. Codeshare is doing quite well with expansion coming, and the possibilities endless.

All of this when put into context of UAL and USAir, gives a glimmer of hope. Two of our former execs have gone to UAL, and USAir has furloughed by to 1988 hire dates. Also, we all remember what life was like under the Teamsters contract. Not good, no one wants to go there. ATA, at the time, stood for America's Training Airline. Most of the pilots know how to work hard at their job, and never experienced the "life" that other carriers had and might still have.

I agree it looks bad, but living through the last 7+ years of stupidity, the future looks refreshing. We're not out of the woods, yet, but I can see some light between the trees. Let's just not smack our heads on any of them on the way out.

 

[Skyflyin]

The codeshare is actually performing above expectations, as will be evidenced by a major announcement in the next 48 hours.

Well...what is this "MAJOR" announcement Seth?

 

[acbarney]

Don't know if it's cosidered a "major annoucement" but...

Southwest Airlines Air Itinerary and Pricing

Air Itinerary Trip Date Day Stops Routing Flight Routing Details Depart Jul 10Sun1PVD-PHX-OGG1654Depart Providence (PVD) at 8:10 AM
Arrive in Phoenix (PHX) at 10:35 AM 4585*Change planes in Phoenix (PHX) departing at 2:20 PM
Arrive in Maui (OGG) at 5:45 PM
(4585 Operated by ATA Airlines) Return Jul 18Mon1OGG-PHX-PVD4584*Depart Maui (OGG) at 9:15 PM
Arrive in Phoenix (PHX) at 5:55 AM
(4584 Operated by ATA Airlines)352Change planes in Phoenix (PHX) departing at 8:50 AM
Arrive in Providence (PVD) at 4:40 PM

 

[atafan]

Southwest Airlines Expands at Sky Harbor; Airline Adds Eight New Gates and Expands ATA Codeshare
Monday March 7, 3:00 pm ET

PHOENIX, March 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV - News) has eight new reasons to celebrate in Phoenix. Today, the airline is introducing the latest development at Sky Harbor International Airport, the new D Concourse. Additionally, Southwest is expanding its codeshare with ATA Airlines to include Sky Harbor International Airport. "Improving the Customer experience is one of our top priorities at Southwest, and this new facility is a testament to that," said Gary Kelly, Southwest's Chief Executive Officer. "These eight new gates will give Southwest room to grow at Sky Harbor and will accommodate the growth we anticipate at the fifth busiest airport in the world."

Southwest's "D" concourse includes eight new gates, a brand new six-lane security checkpoint, and new concessions. Southwest will begin operating out of the new concourse on March 8. The airline will utilize eight gates in the "D" concourse and 16 gates in the "C" concourse for a total of 24 gates at Sky Harbor. Southwest will no longer use the "B" concourse.

Southwest is celebrating its new terminal today with Southwest's CEO Gary Kelly and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon. Kelly and Gordon will tear down the last construction wall in Concourse "D."

The new facility in Phoenix also gives Southwest the opportunity to expand its codeshare agreement with ATA Airlines, which offers service to Maui. The codeshare means that Southwest and ATA will exchange passengers and their checked baggage at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, with a single ticketing option through either airline. For example, a Customer who wishes to travel from Austin to Maui will now have the flexibility of booking the codeshare service through either carrier. The flight from Austin to Phoenix will be on Southwest Airlines, and then the Customer and baggage will transfer for the continuation to Maui.

Codeshare service with ATA flights in Phoenix for continuation to Maui is being offered from the following Southwest Airlines markets: Albuquerque, Austin, Nashville, Houston (Hobby), Chicago Midway, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Providence, Raleigh/Durham, and St. Louis. Codeshare service with ATA flights in Phoenix for continuation to Honolulu is being offered from the following Southwest Airlines markets: Albuquerque, Austin, Birmingham, El Paso, Houston (Hobby), Islip (Long Island), Raleigh/Durham, and Salt Lake City.

Service is available for booking now at http://www.southwest.com or through Southwest Airlines reservations at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA. Flights start April 3, 2005, and a range of fares is available, with low advance purchase fares and unrestricted walkup fares.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International is Southwest Airlines second busiest airport in terms of daily departures with 190 daily nonstop flights to 40 cities. Southwest's Phoenix operation includes a flight attendant base, a pilot base, a maintenance base, and reservations center. Southwest has more than 3,700 Employees in the Phoenix area.

 

[acbarney]

Here's the official "announcement"



Southwest Airlines Expands at Sky Harbor; Airline Adds Eight New Gates and Expands ATA Codeshare
Monday March 7, 3:00 pm ET

PHOENIX, March 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV - News) has eight new reasons to celebrate in Phoenix. Today, the airline is introducing the latest development at Sky Harbor International Airport, the new D Concourse. Additionally, Southwest is expanding its codeshare with ATA Airlines to include Sky Harbor International Airport.

"Improving the Customer experience is one of our top priorities at Southwest, and this new facility is a testament to that," said Gary Kelly, Southwest's Chief Executive Officer. "These eight new gates will give Southwest room to grow at Sky Harbor and will accommodate the growth we anticipate at the fifth busiest airport in the world."

Southwest's "D" concourse includes eight new gates, a brand new six-lane security checkpoint, and new concessions. Southwest will begin operating out of the new concourse on March 8. The airline will utilize eight gates in the "D" concourse and 16 gates in the "C" concourse for a total of 24 gates at Sky Harbor. Southwest will no longer use the "B" concourse.

Southwest is celebrating its new terminal today with Southwest's CEO Gary Kelly and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon. Kelly and Gordon will tear down the last construction wall in Concourse "D."

The new facility in Phoenix also gives Southwest the opportunity to expand its codeshare agreement with ATA Airlines, which offers service to Maui. The codeshare means that Southwest and ATA will exchange passengers and their checked baggage at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, with a single ticketing option through either airline. For example, a Customer who wishes to travel from Austin to Maui will now have the flexibility of booking the codeshare service through either carrier. The flight from Austin to Phoenix will be on Southwest Airlines, and then the Customer and baggage will transfer for the continuation to Maui.

Codeshare service with ATA flights in Phoenix for continuation to Maui is being offered from the following Southwest Airlines markets: Albuquerque, Austin, Nashville, Houston (Hobby), Chicago Midway, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Providence, Raleigh/Durham, and St. Louis. Codeshare service with ATA flights in Phoenix for continuation to Honolulu is being offered from the following Southwest Airlines markets: Albuquerque, Austin, Birmingham, El Paso, Houston (Hobby), Islip (Long Island), Raleigh/Durham, and Salt Lake City.

Service is available for booking now at http://www.southwest.com or through Southwest Airlines reservations at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA. Flights start April 3, 2005, and a range of fares is available, with low advance purchase fares and unrestricted walkup fares. Phoenix Sky Harbor International is Southwest Airlines second busiest airport in terms of daily departures with 190 daily nonstop flights to 40 cities. Southwest's Phoenix operation includes a flight attendant base, a pilot base, a maintenance base, and reservations center. Southwest has more than 3,700 Employees in the Phoenix area.