NPA shoots across AirTran (Leonards) Bow

[enigma]

Sure, I'll be glad to. When is the IPO?

I'll guess that the IPO will happen as soon as we get rid of the last MD80. That should happen second quarter 2007.

enigma

 

[Dave Benjamin]

Comparing Leonard with Lorenzo is pretty harsh. Either the individual quoted is uninformed about the kind of bastar_d Lorenzo was or things at AirTran are much different than they appear.

 

[thruthemurk]

Neelebarger has learned from past history not to be too piggish. That said, as long as the profits are fairly divided, you should have a majority of happy campers for the foreseeable future. Once a union gets a foothold, all bets are off.

Like at Southwest, right?

 

[FLB717]

Dave,
Things are different than they appear, while it is not as warm as it seems it is not so cold that nothing can grow, but if can be better. Joe can fix things he we need to communicate and work with all parties.

 

[Freight Dog]

Apparently you did! It's actually a little more complicated than that. Not to defend mgmt, but d a m n brother, don't give them more ammo than they already need.

Skip... the scuba dive shop that I go diving with raised their boat dive rates accordingly as gas prices went up. People b*tch, pay, and most forget about it... NO OTHER INDUSTRY that I know of passes the increased cost of doing business to the employee - they pass it to the consumer.

It's not our job to subsidize people who can't afford to fly. Once we figure that out, that's when the race to the bottom will be over. But until then....

 

[Ty Webb]

You guys are missing the point. Maybe it's not obvious to those on the outside, but this management team has squandered a lot of goodwill in the past two years.

AirTran had a great relationship with the pilot group. The company lost an arbitration issue, and pulled out a tattered old playbook called "Airline Management 101" that has destroyed much of that goodwill. Throw in some protracted negotiations and continued contract re-interpretation, and it will be amazing to watch them destroy the rest of that goodwill, and then what do they have?

Hope we don't find out.

 

[ForgedBlade]

Dave,
Things are different than they appear. Joe can fix things he just needs to stop the Lorenzo BS. And yes it is feeling more like Eastern every day, and it sucks.

Is this why they call him 'Forklift Joe'?

 

[FDJ2]

Is this why they call him 'Forklift Joe'?

Ouch!

The play book and story line seems all so familiar. I expect management to severely test the NPA's unity, resources and negotiating skills. All the best to the Airtran pilots.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

[QUOTE=FLB717][font=arial,helvetica,geneva,sans-serif]They say they've voted in extra dues to hire experts and bankroll what they expect to be protracted negotiations. [/font][/QUOTE]

What is the new dues rate? And who are the experts, ALPA?

 

[Stifler's Mom]

Pilot leaders say they're also angry about fat pay raises for AirTran's top executives last year, disclosed shortly after the airline asked for concessions in the next pilot contract.

I'd be pissed too.