Pre Acquisition Applicants

[LearLove]

This has to be the weakest arguement ever posted on FI. "staple because x number have an app on file with the merging airline" - really? You cant be serious with this crap.

 

[fiel12]

Bob Jordan was in our crew room the other day talking to pilots. He said that he was obviously disappointed with our MEC, but he said we are family now and we will get this thing worked out. I wanted to tell him of some of the threats on here, but I decided not to go there.

Well... What did you expect him to say?

 

[Andy]

Andy, FWIW, the M-B trigger isn't 51% of the airframes. . . It's based on assets. Not sure that the leased 717s would pass that threshold. That info might appear on the Balance Sheet, not sure if it's in sufficient detail to form a clear opinion.

I think its all a moot point anyway. The airlines will be combined. It's alrrady happening.

You're absolutely correct; it's total assets, not simply airframes. But I'm sure that there are other things beside the 717s that can be sold. Such as AirTran's ATL offices, simulators, ground equipment, etc.

I hope that this does work out and both pilot groups are integrated. But I doubt that SWAPA's going to accept much more than DOH minus ~4 and GK's already hinting that he doesn't want to go to arbitration. Just like the rest of us, GK's aware that screwy things can happen in arbitration.
I hope that in private you guys are lowering your integration expections.

Good luck to all of you at AirTran; I hope things work out well for you. Just be aware of the risk if you try to push too hard.

Once the dust settles on this, you can have a good laugh at the histrionics over the CAL/UAL integration. I'm fortunate. I'm halfway up the furloughee list so I've already lowered my expectations to a full staple. At best, if CAL's furloughees were integrated by relative seniority, that would only add 70 numbers or so below me.
It's all about understanding every possible outcome and managing expectations appropriately.

 

[CaptWidgeon]

You're absolutely correct; it's total assets, not simply airframes. But I'm sure that there are other things beside the 717s that can be sold. Such as AirTran's ATL offices, simulators, ground equipment, etc.

it seems to me that if you are concerned about the requirement to get rid of 51% you'd actually want as much on list of assets as possible. take the 717's away and that's less that you have to get rid of.

 

[Andy]

it seems to me that if you are concerned about the requirement to get rid of 51% you'd actually want as much on list of assets as possible. take the 717's away and that's less that you have to get rid of.

The acquisition has already occurred. It closed on 2 May 2011. A strong case could be made for the individual asset valuations on that date.
The tricky part of this is that asset sales can be structured to make it appear that most of the assets have been sold. For instance, the 717 leases could be sold at an inflated price but with monthly 'subsidies' from Southwest. It gets a lot more complicated than that but GK's an accountant; he knows how to play the asset valuation game.

I'm not saying that any of this is going to happen but there are some nuclear options available. This interview makes that rather clear: http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/08/gary-kelly-talks-about-airtran-1.html

So at this point we'll move forward. There is a process agreement in place that allows for mediated sessions and then ultimately binding arbitration if we merge the two airlines. We're going to take a step back and evaluate all of our operations.

 

[Fubijaakr]

The whole premise of this thread is flawed. It doesn't matter how many AAI pilots have apps at SWA.

When SWA and AAI MERGED, each pilot group bought their seniority to the merge with them.

So, DoH or a post-93 ratio becomes the only fair way to merge the lists.

 

[redflyer65]

Fubi,

Why don't you reign it in a little dude. I'm sorry you have such a hard*ne for SW. You've actually eclisped the General in my book as the most annoying anti-SW poster.

RF

 

[Fubijaakr]

Fubi,

Why don't you reign it in a little dude. I'm sorry you have such a hard*ne for SW. You've actually eclisped the General in my book as the most annoying anti-SW poster.

RF

I'm not anti-SWA. I'm anti-SWA f/o SLI arrogance. Check the mirror, Sonny.

 

[redflyer65]

I'm not anti-SWA..

Whatever Fubag.

 

[MILF Hunter]

I think we should leave it up to our NCs to decide what is fair.

Nope. Already tried that. Didn't work so well the first time. Next...