Could JetBlue be next?

[scarlet]

WN best suited for Hawaiian....Asia routes ! Priceless

 

[Dan Roman]

WN best suited for Hawaiian....Asia routes ! Priceless

That's been thoroughly discounted elsewhere, but......given SWA's track record in mergers they wouldn't be allowed to try anything like that in Hawaii. In addition, having a relatively small Intl AirBus hub in the middle of the Pacific is about as far from their current business plan as you could get. The SWA model simply would not work trying to do what Hawaiian is successfully doing in Hawaii.

 

[waveflyer]

Nice flame Dan- what mechanism in Hawaii "wouldn't ALLOW it"?

 

[Dan Roman]

Nice flame Dan- what mechanism in Hawaii "wouldn't ALLOW it"?

Actually I was answering to scarlets "flame". The uproar in Hawaii if SWA thought they could "takeover" Hawaiian would be huge to say the least. They would have to battle a public and political sentiment that would be far beyond what you would expect. I'm just scratching the surface when I make that comment.
The biggest argument against it though is the fact that the Asia market doesn't fit SWA at all and having a relatively small AirBus hub in the middle of the Pacific flying to Asia, Australia and NZ would drain SWA so fast your head would spin. A lot of our traffic is a result of the many alliances we have and the fact that we are "Hawaiian" flying to Hawaii, that would all go away. Additionally, DAL and UAL would kill a SWA attempt at trying to break into Asia by buying Hawaiian. We can only compete in the market because we are "Hawaiian", SWA would have a much more difficult time here.

 

[Dan Roman]

Of course if you did try and pull the crap you did with AirTran and threatened to operate us seperately we would all certainly support that!

 

[waveflyer]

Haha-
Just know your history Dan-

I know it's different, but many, many employees have counted on community support that was loud, confident, boisterous, for a time, but ultimately not there-

So...you say more than that though- you say it wouldn't be "allowed"
By who? By what?

 

[Dan Roman]

Haha-
Just know your history Dan-

I know it's different, but many, many employees have counted on community support that was loud, confident, boisterous, for a time, but ultimately not there-

So...you say more than that though- you say it wouldn't be "allowed"
By who? By what?

Circumstances, trust me, the support against it would be here and no matter what the outcome, it simply would not be possible for SWA to takeover Hawaiian in any semblance of a smooth transition.
You guys are good at what you do, we are good at what we do. That doesn't mean our airlines are compatible. Along those lines, who would have thought combining USAir and Piedmont, when they both were two of the stronger US carriers would create what it did. Two money making airlines combined to start losing money. Mergers are tricky, ugly things ripe with all kinds of unintended consequences.

 

[waveflyer]

Can I ask a question?

IF airline A- lets say JetBlue bc I know you're a swa hater- were to buy Hawaiian- you could merge and your career would be relatively unfazed- OR not and the damage is lasting-

Which would you choose? Would you act in your own self interest or burn the place down even if it meant starting over somewhere else?

Such vague answers - I think you think we have more control than we do. A 'wisdom to know the difference' thing here

 

[Dan Roman]

Can I ask a question?

IF airline A- lets say JetBlue bc I know you're a swa hater- were to buy Hawaiian- you could merge and your career would be relatively unfazed- OR not and the damage is lasting-

Which would you choose? Would you act in your own self interest or burn the place down even if it meant starting over somewhere else?

Such vague answers - I think you think we have more control than we do. A 'wisdom to know the difference' thing here

Let me try a loaded answer for a loaded question. Let's say the merger with another airline scenario goes the career relatively unfazed scenario....I would accept it and actually enjoy the change. The scenario you are talking about would be like the DAL/NWA merger. I'm senior enough that I would stay as an A330 Captain no matter what, there is no scenario with that type of merger that would screw me, obviously they would be buying HA to have a hub in HNL. Scenario B, an airline displacing me, simply doesn't make sense. Why would any airline buy HA if they didn't want a hub in HNL? What you are talking about is the scenario that has only happened in the SWA/AirTran merger. It's unique to SWA. They are the only airline with the resources to buy smaller carriers and the unwillingness to truly merge them. But as you said, and as impossible as that scenario is for the reasons I stated (HA/SWA), if your little warriors tried to come over here and displace me and take all our flying...? You would inherit a group of employees that would have zero corporate loyalty. Would I try and "burn the house down" as you say. No, I'm more pragmatic than that. As you can probably tell, I like Hawaiian and so do most of our employees. In fact, we are probably more alike than different at our two airlines in having a highly motivated pro company employee group. But should the almost impossible to happen HA/SWA scenario actually take place, I would morph into an employee that would have zero loyalty and look for any angle that I could to benefit "me", regardless of the corporate well being. Not "burning the house down", but I would certainly see my sick leave through a different set of glasses.

Finally, I am NOT a SWA hater, if you read my posts, they are all focused on "hating" the type of merger that SWA/AirTran did. Buying a smaller airline, shafting many of the employees out of their domicle or seat, GK being deceitful, etc etc. THAT is what I have a problem with and for obvious reasons would not appreciate it. But I certainly respect SWA for all it's accomplished and really appreciate the fact that they have down a great job of setting an example that treating your employees well does in fact yield great benefits. (screwing them in merger does not!)

 

[dicko]

it simply would not be possible for SWA to takeover Hawaiian in any semblance of a smooth transition.

Since when does that matter to SWA ?

 

[Dan Roman]

Since when does that matter to SWA ?

Ha, that's the point, despite what some think, their track record would be a huge factor if they tried to takeover Hawaiian. That said, if SWA suddenly thought they want a A330/767 operation in the middle of the pacific, it would indicate they are really desperate to reinvent themselves. I really don't think they are in trouble and want to throw out what has been working for them the last 30 years.

 

[wscrj]

I'm curious Dan. Any thoughts on the Eskimo and HA joining forces? It's come up around here of late.

 

[Dan Roman]

I'm curious Dan. Any thoughts on the Eskimo and HA joining forces? It's come up around here of late.

Actually that rumor gets floated around ever since you guys started Hawaii service. I remember a couple years age some AK guys told some of our pilots that it was a done deal and our respective MEC's were meeting as they spoke. He said he knew one of the pilots in the meeting. It was totally false. You guys are very successful as a 737 operator with room to grow in a lot of places I would think. Seems to me an Airbus hub in HNL doesn't fit at all. We both have solid niches doing what we do, but they really don't seem to match up. An Alaska Airlines with a relatively small Intl hub in HNL seems like it would propel AK from a very successful 737 operation to a junior version of the old USAir, a too small "big" airline.

 

[canyonblue]

Let me try a loaded answer for a loaded question. Let's say the merger with another airline scenario goes the career relatively unfazed scenario....I would accept it and actually enjoy the change. The scenario you are talking about would be like the DAL/NWA merger.

That didn't go all that well for the Northwest pilots. Many of the guys I talked to were not all that happy about losing a couple years of seniority. Of course the Delto guys treat it like it was the best SLI ever, and think we screwed over the AAI guys. At least the Deltos got stock.

 

[Dan Roman]

That didn't go all that well for the Northwest pilots. Many of the guys I talked to were not all that happy about losing a couple years of seniority. Of course the Delto guys treat it like it was the best SLI ever, and think we screwed over the AAI guys. At least the Deltos got stock.

Well the reality is all mergers suck.