Look for SWA to aquire AAI

[Lear70]

You are absolutly right. KARMA IS A b!TCH. except you are on the wrong end of that statement.

What an absolutely LOVELY sentiment. So you think you're just untouchable to *EVER* be on the other end of that pendulum? Wow. I mean... just... WOW.

southwest became what it is today in aprt due to their corporate culture if you remember anything then you will recall both herb and SW saying they will never merge another company again because of too many culture issues.

That's fine. I already said I thought it was doubtful, that wasn't the point. The *POINT* was that one group of pilots (or individual pilot) has ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT to tell another group of pilots who are being acquired/merged that they should have to jump through hoops just to KEEP their own jobs.

If you don't understand the ethical issues with that, I'm not going to try to educate you; your parents should have done that.

you want to think i am self righteous go ahead and think that i could care less.

Case in point. Thanks for making my argument for me.

Personally I don't think wee will buy anyone unless forced to do so by the industry in the mean why don;t you concentrate on your recall efforts at home.

Ummm... this thread was about AAI and SWA. I think I might have just a *wee* little bit of a right to post my opinion of your virulent stream of elitist bullsh*t, since it directly concerns me.

But yes, I'm concentrating there, too. Thanks for caring.

 

[PCL_128]

You are absolutly right. KARMA IS A b!TCH. except you are on the wrong end of that statement. southwest became what it is today in aprt due to their corporate culture if you remember anything then you will recall both herb and SW saying they will never merge another company again because of too many culture issues. you want to think i am self righteous go ahead and think that i could care less. Personally I don't think wee will buy anyone unless forced to do so by the industry in the mean why don;t you concentrate on your recall efforts at home.

What a d0uchebag. You can take your "reinterview" and shove it. I'd rather go back to work at the regionals than have to share a cockpit with a self-righteous jerk like yourself. I hope your attitude isn't representative of the entire SWA pilot group.

 

[Lear70]

You know it's not...

Two of my best friends are pilots there. GREAT guys, had a great time at the interview a few years ago, so I know this guy isn't representative of the entire group.

Somebody p*ssed in his wheaties over something, just glad it will likely not come to pass that we have to fly together...

 

[Benjamin Dover]

There is no way FL and WN will ever merge.

This is actually an accurate statement that you made. It would be a buyout.

Claim all you want about ATL Hartsfield-Jackson-Franklin-Vick Int'l Airport scaring off WN, but they would love to get the gates in Atlanta, and pax would jump for joy. I live here and you would not belive how many people drive to BHM to fly SWA.

PHL is worse than ATL, especially now after new rwy and taxiways in ATL, you really think WN head-shed is afraid of ATL? Word is that LGA or JFK is on the wish list too.

 

[puddlejumper101]

correct me if i am wrong but Morris guys did not have to re-interview...they were, however placed on probation...just in case. I did hear a few did not make it past that probationary year. Either way...I think it's a long shot...but know plenty of Airtran guys and except for a few (very few...actually just a couple), those guys would fit very nicely here. If SWA ever did this buyout thing again, believe me they would cover their bases...and do everything possible to intergrate their culture on Airtran instead of abolishing employees. (I will say the couple I mentioned earlier hopefully don't end up here...but there are bad apples everywhere...just would hate to see these individuals here. They were a cancer at my previous job...are (unfortunately) a cancer at airtran...and will be a cancer to SWA if they end up here.

 

[Benjamin Dover]

correct me if i am wrong but Morris guys did not have to re-interview...they were, however placed on probation...just in case. I did hear a few did not make it past that probationary year. Either way...I think it's a long shot...but know plenty of Airtran guys and except for a few (very few...actually just a couple), those guys would fit very nicely here. If SWA ever did this buyout thing again, believe me they would cover their bases...and do everything possible to intergrate their culture on Airtran instead of abolishing employees. (I will say the couple I mentioned earlier hopefully don't end up here...but there are bad apples everywhere...just would hate to see these individuals here. They were a cancer at my previous job...are (unfortunately) a cancer at airtran...and will be a cancer to SWA if they end up here.

So, I guess there aren't any "bad apples" at SWA?

 

[NuGuy]

You are absolutly right. KARMA IS A b!TCH. except you are on the wrong end of that statement. southwest became what it is today in aprt due to their corporate culture if you remember anything then you will recall both herb and SW saying they will never merge another company again because of too many culture issues. you want to think i am self righteous go ahead and think that i could care less. Personally I don't think wee will buy anyone unless forced to do so by the industry in the mean why don;t you concentrate on your recall efforts at home.

Ohhh, man, you shouldn't tempt the aviation gods like that with such statements. They are capricious and cruel deities, and you will anger them.

The JetBlue guys tried that and man, they got wacked, so I'd eat a little more humble pie if I were you.

Nu

 

[klr1395]

correct me if i am wrong but Morris guys did not have to re-interview...they were, however placed on probation...just in case. I did hear a few did not make it past that probationary year. Either way...I think it's a long shot...but know plenty of Airtran guys and except for a few (very few...actually just a couple), those guys would fit very nicely here. If SWA ever did this buyout thing again, believe me they would cover their bases...and do everything possible to intergrate their culture on Airtran instead of abolishing employees. (I will say the couple I mentioned earlier hopefully don't end up here...but there are bad apples everywhere...just would hate to see these individuals here. They were a cancer at my previous job...are (unfortunately) a cancer at airtran...and will be a cancer to SWA if they end up here.

You are right, the Morris guys DID NOT re-interview, they were placed on probation. They were pay protected and stapled as well.

 

[ngsp]

sign me up today. swa contract, growth, bennies. even with a staple, i would make more than airtran in the long run.

 

[bravodude]

Ohhh, man, you shouldn't tempt the aviation gods like that with such statements. They are capricious and cruel deities, and you will anger them.

The JetBlue guys tried that and man, they got wacked, so I'd eat a little more humble pie if I were you.

Nu

What in the world are you people talking about. All i said was that we should reinterview and then merge the list of those that get hired. all one has to do is look at the fiasco going on at usair/america west to realize that just trying to integrate two pilot groups does not work. SWA was built on corporate/employee cultutre and all I am saying is I would wan't to protect that. If this sounds like I need to eat mure "humble pie" than great were do i get some! This has nothing to do with beeing better than anyone or feeling above everyone else.

 

[LeonPhelps]

Not!!!

Seems like Mr. Pennekamp just doesn't WANT this to happen...because your list of why it should NOT happen was really bad. You think the feds wouldn't see some consolidation in the industry as a good thing? After the most congested summer on record? Au contrair bonjur!! There is one big reason that it probably won't happen...culture. This is not a SWA pilot talking smack here, because I've got buddies at both airlines...I think the Airtran pilots would integrate quite well actually, maybe even enthusiastic? I mean, the seniority might sting for a while, but better pay, benefits, schedule, and a management team that has shown to be superior? Naw, I think the pilots would be okay...my concern for culture would be in the grumpy ass gate agents, etc. I know...i used to commute on Airtran. Great pilots and flight crew, but holy cow, some of the ground team were just down right unhappy with life.

Culture arguement aside, this would make sense on so many levels from a business standpoint it is ridiculous!! So, I'll do a number list just like my friend Mr. Pennekamp: 1.) Gates at the busiest airport in the world 2.) IMMEDIATE entry into Carribbean/Mexico (which SWA needs really bad in my humble, courvosier filled opinion) 3.) 717s would complement the 737s quite nicely and give SWA a smaller plane to work some of the smaller markets 4.) 737s...need I say more? 5.) Reduction of some route overlay 6.) Additional in flight entertainment for SWA (XM Radio) 7.) And mexican overnights so that Leon can buy his favorite box of mexican wine

There are more, but I need to get back to my bottle of courvosier. IMHO...culture discussion aside, this makes so much sense that it is SILLY. Besides, I need a new group of flight attendants, because good ole' Leon is needing some new Ladies!!!!

 

[funnyman12]

Oh i see....We take an unpaid leave to interview with Southwest. We can just park our 137 planes for a few weeks while we plead for our jobs. I sure hope I fit the profile of the perfect Southwest pilot. We'll also need a few weeks to get our type rating too, right? Will there be second or third interviews offered if I can't adequately solve an inflight problem within 12 minutes or whatever they have ya do at the interview?

 

[LeonPhelps]

Oh i see....We take an unpaid leave to interview with Southwest. We can just park our 137 planes for a few weeks while we plead for our jobs. I sure hope I fit the profile of the perfect Southwest pilot. We'll also need a few weeks to get our type rating too, right? Will there be second or third interviews offered if I can't adequately solve an inflight problem within 12 minutes or whatever they have ya do at the interview?

Yeah, um...on second thought...maybe not.

 

[Benjamin Dover]

Seems like Mr. Pennekamp just doesn't WANT this to happen...because your list of why it should NOT happen was really bad. You think the feds wouldn't see some consolidation in the industry as a good thing? After the most congested summer on record? Au contrair bonjur!! There is one big reason that it probably won't happen...culture. This is not a SWA pilot talking smack here, because I've got buddies at both airlines...I think the Airtran pilots would integrate quite well actually, maybe even enthusiastic? I mean, the seniority might sting for a while, but better pay, benefits, schedule, and a management team that has shown to be superior? Naw, I think the pilots would be okay...my concern for culture would be in the grumpy ass gate agents, etc. I know...i used to commute on Airtran. Great pilots and flight crew, but holy cow, some of the ground team were just down right unhappy with life.

Culture arguement aside, this would make sense on so many levels from a business standpoint it is ridiculous!! So, I'll do a number list just like my friend Mr. Pennekamp: 1.) Gates at the busiest airport in the world 2.) IMMEDIATE entry into Carribbean/Mexico (which SWA needs really bad in my humble, courvosier filled opinion) 3.) 717s would complement the 737s quite nicely and give SWA a smaller plane to work some of the smaller markets 4.) 737s...need I say more? 5.) Reduction of some route overlay 6.) Additional in flight entertainment for SWA (XM Radio) 7.) And mexican overnights so that Leon can buy his favorite box of mexican wine

There are more, but I need to get back to my bottle of courvosier. IMHO...culture discussion aside, this makes so much sense that it is SILLY. Besides, I need a new group of flight attendants, because good ole' Leon is needing some new Ladies!!!!

Ladies Man,

Word up brotha'

I can't find anything in your post that I'm not down with. And you're right -culture issues would not be in the cockpit, or in the cabin from my observations, but at the gates.

BD

 

[CHQ Pilot]

I don't think there will be any type of SWA-AAI deal since it would be a culture nightmare on a large scale. When I talk about culture, I'm not talking about pilots...I'm talking about the company as a whole. How the company is run, how they deal with planning, scheduling, dispatch, ramp, gate agents, and even training. The Morris deal was much smaller during a time when we were a much smaller company. Morris had not been around in a scheduled capacity very long and did not have years to develop their own culture. The culture they did have was similar to SWA. Now if there was some type of deal with AAI I think it would be an asset acquisition.

IMO, SWA would want the gates and the 737s (plus the options and orders) the most.

I don't think they want the 717s. I don't think it is because it is a different type, but rather the seating is not good for swapping. The SWA system is somewhat based on the fact that you can pull any 737 at any city to cover a swap without an impact (with the exception of the few -500s). I think there would be a third party deal to offload the 717s (possibly MEH?) which would also take care of a lot of anti-trust issues.

Southwest has a very specific and somewhat different system of getting a flight out. It would probably be easier to take over gates and staff with Southwest employees to make the system work. You wouldn't be able to take a ramp agent from an AAI gate and have them go work a SWA flight since the systems aren't the same.

I have no idea how they would work pilots, but that is for people that have a lot more expertise in the matter. We all know there are a lot of legal matters that would be worked out, so I can't even fathom what could happen. There are so many variables, but it would all be tied into how the deal was brokered from the two companies standpoint and the unions. You can bet SWA (the company, not pilots) would have a solid gameplan decided upon before they ever launch into something.

In the end, I don't think anything will happen with AAI-SWA. You can look at 3 pages on FI and get a glimpse of how things would turn out.