Ata ?

[NZCHooverboy]

Yeah, But

We will get to keep the HUD!!

Remember, if you haven't heard any new rumor before noon, start one.

 

[Falcon Jet 1]

SWA will take a few months to make the ATA -800 stupid by disabling all of the autoland,autobrake, and autothrottles. Howmany -800's do yall have and do they have a HUD. Also how many seats do they have. Im sure the ATA guys will get preferential Interviews, but not stapled to the botttom of the list like the morris guys received. To many cultural problems from that buyout.

 

[NZCHooverboy]

737-800 Fleet

We have 34 '800's. If the far flung rumor of SWA buying them comes true, then the planned business class conversion (12 + 148) goes away. One class configuration has 175 seats.

The HUD is great for low viz approaches. The AIII mode even gives flare and power guidance. Using the HUD makes handflying to mins relatively easy.

BTW, where does this rumor come from? Why would SWA want to add bigger airplanes to their mix? You all seem to do well with the 2 pilot/3 FA arrangement.

Anyhow, if we do get brought in, I would enjoy being an SWA employee. I think your corporate philosophy is to treat all employees as assets.

 

[Falcon Jet 1]

We just took out 350 million bond note two weeks ago, the DFW and PHL possibilities will only come to fruition if we have the aircraft. Boeing cant give us that many instantly and Kelly was qouted as saying the the used aircraft market is a likely possibility in the 1st quarter of 05. Next generation is the only way we will go.

 

[SWA/FO]

Gary Kelly is coming to MDW on Thursday 10/7/04. For what?

 

[737tanker]

Had training in domicle today and 1 of the chiefs said that both Herb and Gary were in IND this weekend. From what was said it looks like SWA is going to get the -800s and AWA is going to get the 757s. ATA will keep the rest for their charter Ops. SWA Maint said that the ATA -800s are in great condition, even when compared to our -700s. The reason for the -800s is that SWA can add more capacity that way. Also learned that it is cheaper for SWA to buy new -700s from Boeing than used -700s from the open market.

 

[CaptSeth]

I can't say that I'm fond of rumors that involve the liquidation of my career.

 

[Jeff Helgeson]

Hang in there

I can't say that I'm fond of rumors that involve the liquidation of my career.

I feel your pain, man. I just hope to never be apart of the cause!

 

[jjbiv]

Just watch the flap overspeed inspections on the -800s. They get expensive after a while. Other than that, they are great birds.

joe

 

[mt2]

Gary Kelly is coming to MDW on Thursday 10/7/04. For what?

Obviously, a wreck !!

You know the sandwich at Potbelly's. Seriously though, it could be anything, SWA has lots of gates/departures at MDW.

 

[cfm56-7]

I wouldn't be surprised to see us use the ATA 737-800 to fill the gates at dfw if and when we take them. just food for thought

 

[SWA/FO]

One thing is for sure, this is not your Father's Southwest Airlines. It appears Gary Kelly is not sitting around.

 

[ATA717Pilot]

Wouldn't work.

For SWA to take ATA's 73-8's and crews in a merger would require taking the FA's as well. SWA couldn't hire enough back-end crews fast enough.

Can you picture ATA FA's actually smiling, treating pax (and crew) nicely and most importantly - having to clean up the airplanes!

Talk about a culture shift.

 

[canyonblue]

Wouldn't work.

For SWA to take ATA's 73-8's and crews in a merger would require taking the FA's as well.

Possibly not. The company wants our productivity to increase from 61 hours per month to 70. Someone mentioned that if that were to happen, we would not need to hire anymore pilots for 2005. No one mentioned what would happen if we were to acquire more airplanes than originally scheduled. That increase in productivity could staff additional airplanes.

 

[Pickle]

What about the fragmentation clause? Maybe the lawyers are in IND trying to find a way around that? Maybe not. The pay concessions LOA for the 717s from this past summer, which included the fragmentation language, expires if no new planes are here in a year. Does the fragmentation clause expire then also? I can't find my copy of that LOA. I will have to do some looking for that.

I know this is getting WAAAAAAAAAYYYYY ahead of the game here, but.....

If SWA does NOT merge the crews in with the airplanes, but only grants preferential interviews, would interviews be assured? What I mean is, what if you don't meet SWA's mins? I am a 737 captain at ATA but I don't have 1000 hours PIC turbine. Would I even be given an interview in this case? Would SWA hire me without the 1000 hours PIC turbine? If not, then why even give me the preferential interview?