A good business decision will always be a good pilot decision, in the long run. That part of it even you should be able to understand. If you don't understand the obvious advantadges of issuing stock vs laying cold hard cash I can't help you. I'm sorry that SWAPA didn't deliver on the expectation to staple all of our group, it must be very painful for the first year FO's. You, and the rest of the SWAPA posters here who feel our group got a "good deal" is the only thing I post "contrary" opinions about. Outside of your pilot group your version of the good deal is not viewed in the same light by anyone.
Dear Knucklehead.... I mean "Reading comprehension-challenged individual,"
I have already agreed that buying AirTran was a business decision, and ultimately most probably a good one. Okay? Get it? I.....AGREED.....WITH......YOU. In fact, we are
still in agreement about this. You can stop arguing with me (and yourself) about that.
By the way, I never said that issuing stock was the same as "laying cold hard cash," now did I? Can you show where I said that? What I did was to refute your stated notion, that using stock to partially buy a company somehow cost
nothing. That was all. You can probably stop arguing about that as well.
Now...to your first statement: "A good business decision will
always be a good pilot decision, in the long run." Here, I'm gonna' call BS. And I only need one word to make my case, and that word is "outsourcing." Any questions on that?
Good God,
your former company even engaged in this (via codeshare, to save money), and yet you still can't help yourself being contrary to
anything a Southwest guys says. Why don't you ask all the ALPA carriers who outsource up to 50% of their ASMs (saving the company tons of money by using cheaper labor--clearly a "good" business decision) if THEY think that that's "good" for the pilots, now or in the long run.
My point in
our case was that this is causing pain for the pilots, both at Southwest and at AirTran. That's all I meant. And personal pain and trouble usually outweighs (in individuals' minds) the future good of the whole. Southwest pilots would rather have spent whatever amount of money on organic growth instead of this, and clearly all the FAT posters on here would have preferred never to have been acquired in the first place. See? We're in perfect agreement. No need to argue.
On the other hand, if you want to stick with your "must be good for the pilots" mantra, then please tell us how happy you are right now. Because with your logic,
clearly GK's decision to buy AirTran must be good for
you, since you're a pilot. Hell, you must be freakin' ecstatic! I mean, sure there's pain and heartache for you now, but keep your chin up and enjoy--
in the long run, it'll be good for everyone! Including you!
On the third hand, keep arguing with me, even when I'm agreeing with you--because I'm an OSW guy. Whatever.
Bubba
