New CEO at Alaska

[CesnaCaptn]

Brad Tilden is replacing Bill Ayer as CEO of AAG. Is this good, bad or neutral? It seems to me, he's the reason we got our contract hammered out sooner rather than later.

I've also heard Brad is pro-growth.

 

[Fubijaakr]

Its good. Whatever else you say, you have to agree Tilden is a financial genius.

 

[Ocity]

Tilden is a good thing. Hopefully the next contract gets hammered out quickly and equitably. Tilden seems to work that way.

 

[AK737FO]

This is good. Brad is a good man. I would not be surprised if we have a new contract done before we ever even get to openers next spring.

 

[NWaviator]

I've met BT before and I am actually excited, for once. Now we still have the BOD to deal with, but i think that BT will be alot better. In his interal release today he spoke about how we have to be aggressive. Hopefully, he won't cast the doom and gloom shadow as much as others.

 

[Mookie]

Congrats to B-Rad. New CEO, new system chief (who should b very pro-pilot), and new planes coming. Hopefully the stock split isn't an indication of something sinister about to happen.

Good day to b an Eskimo pilot!

Mookie

 

[Fubijaakr]

Just a reminder...the last two pro-pilot CPs...one lasted 6 months, the other lasted 6 weeks. Don't get your hopes up.

 

[Hpilot]

Just a reminder...the last two pro-pilot CPs...one lasted 6 months, the other lasted 6 weeks. Don't get your hopes up.

Sound familiar, we lost our best Asst. CP, because he stood up for a pilot. Luckily our current base CP, who is a good guy, has learned to walk the fine line.

 

[suupah]

cool hopefully he sees my application and is struck by how washingtonian i am!

 

[Boxboy]

Cautiously optimistic here. I hope he doesn't turn on us like the rest of the goons normally do; I don't think BT is one of them, but never know. We will really know by what fruit he bears.... keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[Bill Nelson]

Ayers left after the decision was made to take the prayer cards off the airplane. I hear the BOD is making decisions that management doesn't support including an aggressive growth plan that isn't supportable.
I wouldn't be so sure this is a positive move for your company.

 

[wscrj]

Our Board is conservative to a fault. Convincing them to grow has been an issue for past and current management teams.

 

[Green Banana]

. I hear the BOD is making decisions that management doesn't support including an aggressive growth plan that isn't supportable.
I wouldn't be so sure this is a positive move for your company.

Do share this AGGRESSIVE growth plan that isn't supportable. We can't Handel the rise in available seats by swapping old 400's for 900's?

 

[Green Banana]

Ayers left after the decision was made to take the prayer cards off the airplane.

??? And Herb Kelleher left Southwest after they started painting airplanes blue...? The two have nothing to do with each other.

 

[mrnolmts]

..Hopefully the stock split isn't an indication of something sinister about to happen...

My exact thoughts when I saw the news. Delta looking to buy? Let's hope not.

 

[becket]

My exact thoughts when I saw the news. Delta looking to buy? Let's hope not.

That's absurd. How does halving the price and doubling the available shares give anyone an advantage?

It's a mathematical wash no matter how you look at it.

 

[mrnolmts]

Indeed. However, there might be a psychological part of that? Easier to convince your board to buy at $35/share than $70/share? Just because you're a member of the board at Delta doesn't mean you're smart.. Anyhow, I'm crossing my fingers there's no sale in the foreseeable future.

 

[igneousy2]

Indeed. However, there might be a psychological part of that? Easier to convince your board to buy at $35/share than $70/share? Just because you're a member of the board at Delta doesn't mean you're smart.. Anyhow, I'm crossing my fingers there's no sale in the foreseeable future.

Yeah, People on BOD's of major companies have the financial knowledge of undergraduate students!

I don't always agree with a lot of what the various boards do but I am confident they understand the difference (or the non-difference) of having 36 million shares outstanding at $76 and 72 million shares at $36. There is a difference...it is psychological...but it's the "home-gamers" with Scott Trade accounts that is the concern...not boards of directors, I can assure you.

The important number is not $36 or $72 but $3.6 Billion.

If Delta or anyone else didn't buy Alaska when we could be had for $800 million only a few years ago...i'm pretty sure it's not being seriously considered for approaching 5 times that amount.

 

[On Your Six]

Yeah, People on BOD's of major companies have the financial knowledge of undergraduate students!

I don't always agree with a lot of what the various boards do but I am confident they understand the difference (or the non-difference) of having 36 million shares outstanding at $76 and 72 million shares at $36. There is a difference...it is psychological...but it's the "home-gamers" with Scott Trade accounts that is the concern...not boards of directors, I can assure you.

The important number is not $36 or $72 but $3.6 Billion.

If Delta or anyone else didn't buy Alaska when we could be had for $800 million only a few years ago...i'm pretty sure it's not being seriously considered for approaching 5 times that amount.

Did you ever think about an airline buying you and then using your cash on hand to help pay for it? It happens a lot in other industries. To thwart mergers, companies also often have some debt on the books. Does AK have a lot of debt?


Godspeed!


The OYSter

 

[n757st]

Did you ever think about an airline buying you and then using your cash on hand to help pay for it? It happens a lot in other industries. To thwart mergers, companies also often have some debt on the books. Does AK have a lot of debt?


Godspeed!


The OYSter

1.1 billion debt, 1.1 billion cash

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

Where are these mentions of aggressiveness by Tilden?

 

[NWaviator]

Last paragraph

What’s your vision for Air Group, and how do we get there?
I think we have a destiny – to be the first airlines to truly transform ourselves and break the malicious cycle of boom and bust that has plagued the industry. We’ve done a lot of great things in our history, but this is something that hasn’t yet been accomplished.
Our future should be one where we continue to grow and prosper and provide terrific service to our customers and great jobs for our people. We should do this in a way where good begets good and we get stronger as we go – reinvesting in our business, enhancing our product, making ourselves more competitive, and further reducing our vulnerability. It has to be earned through performance, but we should have a future where we are a strong, independent, Seattle-based company. And very importantly, our people should feel like this is a great place for them to use their talents. They should feel like this is fundamentally a good company and that they’re in an environment where they can do well and have rewarding and fulfilling careers. I have every confidence in the people that make up Alaska Air Group and I believe we will make this future vision a reality.
With respect to the ‘how do we get there’ part of the question, we’ll do a lot of what we’ve been doing. First, we’ll work hard and be aggressive. Second, we need to understand what it takes to win: work together, believe in each other and push Air Group to new heights. In terms of specific actions, we’ve put a lot of thought into the Five Focus Areas, and they will be a good road map for us.

 

[Dash8don]

Where are these mentions of aggressiveness by Tilden?

I wouldn't read too much into that sentence. I don't think he was necessarily referring to growth. Aggressive cost cutting? Aggressive change? Aggressively defending our routes and company? Could have lots of meanings in that context.

 

[onewithwings]

This is good. Brad is a good man. I would not be surprised if we have a new contract done before we ever even get to openers next spring.

I'm wondering how he will treat "the red headed step child" QX?