Continental Airlines Chooses Not to Merge

[Andy]

I find the notion that AA pilots were attempting to sway pax away from UAL by approaching them in the terminal a bit far fetched. Can you expand on that?

There were multiple reports on UAL's forum about it. I guess they got a few nonrevs also.
I'm not saying that it was a large amount of pilots, but I guess that it was enough to get noticed.
I don't have first hand info on it, as I didn't travel through ORD during that time period. But again, there were multiple reports of this activity.

Look, you've got a few in every crowd. With >10K pilots at AMR, are you surprised that a few would've done this?
United has >7K pilots, and I'm never surprised at what a few will do.

Just look at how quickly many on this board have put United on deathwatch, yourself included. I'm sure that a few 'enterprising' employees of other airlines are thinking of ways to push us over the edge.

 

[Palomino]

There were multiple reports on UAL's forum about it. I guess they got a few nonrevs also.
I'm not saying that it was a large amount of pilots, but I guess that it was enough to get noticed.
I don't have first hand info on it, as I didn't travel through ORD during that time period. But again, there were multiple reports of this activity.

Look, you've got a few in every crowd. With >10K pilots at AMR, are you surprised that a few would've done this?
United has >7K pilots, and I'm never surprised at what a few will do.

Just look at how quickly many on this board have put United on deathwatch, yourself included. I'm sure that a few 'enterprising' employees of other airlines are thinking of ways to push us over the edge.

tin foil hats will keep you safe

 

[Flopgut]

A little clarity for you...
I have NEVER worn a "screw CAL" pin.

K. Maybe you didn't. Plenty did! In the context of this thread and most recent events, the point is: No one at CAL is. CAL ALPA is working toward a clean deal. I'm not sure UAL ALPA would be if the roles were reversed. There is too much history that suggests otherwise. There certainly is not enough positive history regarding UAL ALPA that you get the benefit of the doubt. Let's see how it goes with USAir this time. Do you deny that 10 years ago UAL ALPA's rick d. was quoted as saying: "This is a purchase, not a merger" [paraphrased slightly] regarding UAL/USAir?

 

[Flopgut]

Let's be frank, it's ALWAYS THE DOLLARS THAT MAKE OR BREAK A DEAL!! What else matters? For all the gnashing of teeth over UAL's first Q, keep in mind they burned $80 million in Cash during the airlines WORST quarter. Some of the loss was the inclusion of the profit sharing checks (that accounted for profit charing for the entire previous year). Could it have been better? YES!! But from a practical standpoint, do you look at Larry and wonder what COULD be done with UAL's route structure? What COULD be done when you match up EWR and IAH with the Pacific route structure, LHR and over 100 more widebody jets (including better than 30 747-400s)? Do you imagine the growth potential and the new flying that could come out of that?
A joint contract? A seniority prenup? Do you really think UAL ALPA would want a deal without them in place? Let me kill any doubts, we are on the same sheet of music!! Strength in Unity!

Allright, let's disagree on everything but this. I totally agree that UAL for all pratical purposes is a powerhouse. This quarter has been exaggerated and would be a lot different if you had any other CEO! (you could hire satan to run UAL and be better off!!) If Tilton was serious about sqwaking 1200 completely to get this deal done, then I wish Larry would have gone ahead with it for that reason alone. I do wish this merger would have been a good thing. I hope Larry knows what he's doing, and I hope UAL goes on to do very well, like it rightfully should. I must insist on some credit for CAL ALPA, however. They did a pretty good job and didn't try to pull any stunts. That's all.

 

[Skank]

Andy,
I usually agree with much of what you post here, but big bad ACA ganging up on UAL? What about UAL soliciting Mesa for a nice lowball price to do the UEX flying?

...just another point of view.

 

[atrdriver]

You got that right. CAL pilots are the most underpaid in the industry besides Mesa maybe. That's why I turned them down. I couldn't lower myself to working for no insurance for a year either.

I have to say that I really do think that CAL pilots are probably screwed for the next few years or probably even longer. Maybe they won't be stapled to the bottom, but they will be working under a crappy contract and no work rules besides FARs.

But at least we got rid of the flowback to Express. LOL

Yeah, you turned them down. If you keep telling that to yourself maybe it will really be true. As to the flowback, I would rather roll naked over broken glass than take a CHANCE I might have to fly next to you.

 

[Andy]

Andy,
I usually agree with much of what you post here, but big bad ACA ganging up on UAL? What about UAL soliciting Mesa for a nice lowball price to do the UEX flying?

...just another point of view.

I worked zone control at Dulles during that time. I guess that you didn't hear about the rollout party for Indy Air. I don't remember the exact quotes, but it went something along the lines of killing United. Indy increased the number of flights out of IAD significantly and had lowball ticket prices.
Losing the A gates hurt quite a bit. The regional operation was moved to some temporary gates; either G or H - I can't remember. Many an Indy Air employee remarked that those gates were nasty - I agree with them; the difference between A and G (or H) was significant.

 

[BigMeat]

Dude, I've gone off before and will again with anything to do with ALPA National, or Piss ant Prater, but that's kind of scary, psychotic. If you're drinking and posting, OK, but if that's sober, you might want to go jogging or go see a Disney movie, or something a little less stressful. It's cool, he's got his opinion, and it doesn't sit well with most others, but that scenario, is honestly a little demented. No troubles, we're all just cruising by, but that was a little troubling.

Yeah that was a little much sorry T-bags. On another note. I can understand how a merger with CAL would have been beneficial to UAL. It might have been a glimmer of hope with the likes of Tilton commanding the ship. I wish there was a way to put pressure on the shareholder legally or illegally to can this guy. You guys should do what NW did last summer send a message that since this ship is going down anyhow with Tilton, we will help you. Have we lost that much backbone in this profession. What are we scared of losing? When does it get to the point that the few thousand that you make extra as a pilot is not worth the hassle of being away from friends, family, life....etc. We can sit here all we want and pick at each other. We can complain to our hearts desire. But I hope that there is a grass roots campaign to do this and I hope this it will get all of United pilots support. I wish the best for you guys.

 

[T-Bags]

Meat,
No worries! We're talking about our careers here, so of course it's easy to get spun up.
The $10's of thousands of dollars LESS I make as a pilot is definitely not worth it.....

 

[hagen]

Yeah, you turned them down. If you keep telling that to yourself maybe it will really be true. As to the flowback, I would rather roll naked over broken glass than take a CHANCE I might have to fly next to you.

don't worry she wasn't even there when there were flowbacks.