Gary Kelly's ATN Comments at Message To The Field

[FlyinGuy]

Every now and then I sit down and read a little FI. Sometimes I think I just farted but then I realize I just read one of the General's posts!!!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Bob, not that I think you bring any good discussion to the table,

It's absolutely shocking to me to witness how blinded you guys are by greed. Shocking!

You're going to piss away probably the luckiest lottery ticket in the history of aviation all because you want more, more, more. AirTran to Southwest Airlines. Unreal.

I don't see the CEO of SWA offering up everything that you guys are getting without expecting you to start out at the new company where every other pilot on the list started out. I guess you think that you should get massive pay raises and benefit increases as well as jumping ahead of Southwest pilots who have worked there longer than you. Ain't gonna happen bro.

Oh yeah, keep listening to the bs that General Lee is feeding you. That's hilarious that all of the sudden he holds distinction with you Trannies.

Take the staple and count your blessings. Everybody knows that if it came down to a vote, you guys would vote in a staple with a majority. C'mon, think McFly, think!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Oh good, Bob "Swingline" Dylan is back.

How did that go again, Kharma? "Skip... skip... skip..." lol

I don't comment on these threads often, but if these comments from the CEO of SWA are true, I think that is a pretty big clue about what is going to happen.

I hope you guys are smart enough to see it, otherwise you will be blowing the opportunity of a lifetime and end up with nothing.

Just keep listening to General Lee though, I'm sure he knows.

 

[dh82dvr]

How is that some of you will say senoirity is everything, but hey you AAI guys should give up ALL of yours for a big paycheck.

 

[humveedriver]

Isn't it best for the employees at both airlines to be "combined" as soon as possible? What if GK decides having a second airline with cheaper costs is easier to grow? All this talk about about culture, but what what I'm hearing from several SWA pilots on this board is that SWA is becoming more "legacy" like every day. I sincerely hope that SWA management is still as touchy feely as some claim the are.

 

[Bill Nelson]

What if GK decides having a second airline with cheaper costs is easier to grow?

If AirTran can't grow I'll take my chances.

 

[texman]

Isn't it best for the employees at both airlines to be "combined" as soon as possible? What if GK decides having a second airline with cheaper costs is easier to grow? All this talk about about culture, but what what I'm hearing from several SWA pilots on this board is that SWA is becoming more "legacy" like every day. I sincerely hope that SWA management is still as touchy feely as some claim the are.

We all hope this goes good, but GK realy can't grow AT, per our contract. No whipsaw. The SWA pilot group has seeing what ALPA has done to the industry.

 

[texman]

Isn't it best for the employees at both airlines to be "combined" as soon as possible? What if GK decides having a second airline with cheaper costs is easier to grow? All this talk about about culture, but what what I'm hearing from several SWA pilots on this board is that SWA is becoming more "legacy" like every day. I sincerely hope that SWA management is still as touchy feely as some claim the are.

From a biz stand point, GK will use AT to grow the SWA side. Your cost are low and it will help.

 

[Lear70]

It's absolutely shocking to me to witness how blinded you guys are by greed. Shocking!

Greed? I'm simply expecting it to be a fair INTEGRATION. That does NOT equal a staple and almost every, single Southwest pilot on here has said so as well (with two notable exceptions). Two. That's it. Everyone else on the SOUTHWEST side isn't expecting a staple, either. So if we say the same thing, that's greed?

I don't comment on these threads often, but if these comments from the CEO of SWA are true, I think that is a pretty big clue about what is going to happen.

A week may go by before you post (I'm assuming because of your schedule), but by post count, you post just as much as any other, regular poster in these threads and you say the same thing, over and over again.

A staple isn't going to happen. The Merger Committees will come up with something fair and we'll vote on it. If it passes, we're in business. If it doesn't, it goes to arbitration. If it takes longer, it takes longer. WE aren't wound up about it, so why are YOU so wound up about something that doesn't even affect you?

I have my own opinions why you're being so caustic to the AAI pilots, and you're mildly amusing in your rants, but that's about it. Incidentally, you're already on almost every AAI pilot's ignore list so nothing you say is really changing anyone's mind...

It'll all be OK, man. Relax and let the process run its course.

 

[737tanker]

What if GK decides having a second airline with cheaper costs is easier to grow?

Per the SWAPA contract, SL6 to be specific, GK can't add 1 aircraft to AirTran unless he maintains a 3.61 to 1 of operational SWA aircraft to AirTran's total aircraft. Operational aircraft for SWA must be flying scheduled service and not maintenance spares or parked in the desert. The 3.61:1 ratio must be maintained until the 2 companies are combined. So basically GK can't grow AirTran unless he grows SWA at 3.61 times the rate.

 

[StopNTSing]

How is that some of you will say senoirity is everything, but hey you AAI guys should give up ALL of yours for a big paycheck.

...as opposed to SWA guys, who should presumably give up our seniority for nada?

 

[whoknows]

...as opposed to SWA guys, who should presumably give up our seniority for nada?

If you "gave" the AirTran pilot staight relative seniority you still have lost nothing as AirTran pilots are bring a 140 aircraft with them.

 

[Slug]

Actually, you gain a delayed upgrade. SWA F/Os will lose career earnings due to this. My loss is about 5% over my career for total earnings. Seeing that every AT pilot gains no less than 30% in career earnings my vote is against relative seniority.

 

[StopNTSing]

If you "gave" the AirTran pilot staight relative seniority you still have lost nothing as AirTran pilots are bring a 140 aircraft with them.

After more than a dozen threads and hundreds of posts on the subject, if you still can't (or won't) see the windfall a straight relative seniority integration would be for the AirTran pilots, I'm not going to try and educate you.

 

[On Your Six]

...as opposed to SWA guys, who should presumably give up our seniority for nada?

That is what happened here apparently. The Delta guys got a 5 percent raise initially and some stock. That was it.

OYS

 

[On Your Six]

Actually, you gain a delayed upgrade. SWA F/Os will lose career earnings due to this. My loss is about 5% over my career for total earnings. Seeing that every AT pilot gains no less than 30% in career earnings my vote is against relative seniority.

That didn't seem to matter in any of the recent arbitration hearings. Each losing side had that defense.


OYS

 

[Bwipilot]

That didn't seem to matter in any of the recent arbitration hearings. Each losing side had that defense.

Really, did the US pilots show that they'd have better career earnings than the AWA pilots--especially the furloughed US Air pilots? The US pilots' main point was that they'd put more years into the airline/their careers. Career expectations was a big factor. US pilots on the street stayed on the street, pilots getting high paying positions kept their high paying positions.

 

[Bwipilot]

Bobby, you're an idiot. Not even the most militant SWA guys think they are going to get a staple . . . but here's good ol' Bobby, looking about as "with it" as Dennis Kucinich.

Ty, I think you'd be surprised at how many SWA FOs are demanding a staple. Thankfully, they're polite enough to not rub it into others faces on a public forum. Those espousing relative seniority, keep pushing the rest of us towards the "Swingline" position.

Que sera, sera. It's all just a forum. Still, both sides will vote on the SLI if something happens before arbitration and then public opinion will be important. Hopefully, both sides won't be so poisoned that the USAPA fracture is guaranteed. That seems to be the goal of the outsiders.

 

[whoknows]

After more than a dozen threads and hundreds of posts on the subject, if you still can't (or won't) see the windfall a straight relative seniority integration would be for the AirTran pilots, I'm not going to try and educate you.

Try this again. What has a Southwest pilot lost, not what an AirTran pilot has gained.

 

[funnyman12]

I would bet there is a way to do a fair integration where every SW pilot increases their relative seniority by a little and every Airtran pilot loses a little relative seniority. That is better than DOH and less than straight relative. That is my guess on where the arbitrators may rule. I'm probably totally wrong, but..........sounds kinda fair to me.