Southwest Airlines to Acquire AirTran; Spreading Low Fares Farther 6:55 am - PR Newsw

[Captzaahlie]

Congrats to AirTran pilots!

As a 3yr SWA F/O I can assure you this is the place to work. While I have no idea how SLI will be resolved I do know that the success or failure of our (SWA and AirTran) company will depend largely on how we as pilots, work together to make our combined company the best in the industry.

While a little nervous as to the news and not knowing what will happen, this I know:

1. SWA is a great company to work for. I trust my mngt. The people I work with are great and all share the vision.

2. I work hard but paid well. Last month I grossed over $14,000. (3yr pay).

3. Our benefits are excellent. Low cost medical, 4o1k, profit sharring. etc.

4. SWA has never furloughed. This won't change, its ingrained in our culture.

5. No bad attitudes. Sure there are some but I haven't seen it.

6. Company is profitable and will be here when I retire.

Let's work together and make it work!

Word!

 

[AirMorgan]

I was just reacting to your arrogant Delta attitude of ruling the world. Careful what you say in 'bold' there. Pan Am and Eastern said the same thing. SWA coming to ATL, no matter how you look at it, it's a good thing for Delta at all. I'm sure Delta management will come up with a pep rally saying Delta is 'god' like and protected by higher beings, but I caution you in believing that. Believe me, I'm not saying the new UAL will be all that....in fact, I think it's going to be a disaster that'll take 20 years to fix, but that's just me. You have to remember that ATL is a 'world hub', but only in the sense that it's a world 'connection' hub. Delta won't be able to charge a premium out of ATL anymore. With SWA flying to major destinations in the tropics, to NYC, DCA, MCO and others.....Delta loses the high yield market. Time will tell, just grab the popcorn and pep.

Perhaps my attempt to squash the SWA arrogance I've seen in here has bred even more arrogance on my part. I reread a couple of my posts and I can understand how one would presume I'm being arrogant. Sorry about that. I certainly don't think DAL is perfect or immune from the likes of SWA. Am I worried about them? No. Because DAL is more than handling them out of SLC.

But I do think this is a very good thing for us because, in my opinion, we (DAL) do have a customer service problem. It has been getting better but it is still nowhere near where it needs to be. Going up against SWA will force management to take a real look at this issue. I think SWA will end up raising the bar for DAL; and that's a good thing.

For me, the bottom line is this: there is good and bad at every airline. Even SWA has its issues. I just wish I could take SWA's employee culture, mix it with jetBlue's customer service, Fed Ex's pay, and DAL's route structure. That would be a kick-ass place to work.

 

[PRINCE AKEEM]

Akeem looks forward to sling'n some corndog gear!

 

[chase]

Dear Frustrated,

Interesting observation. Always looks different from the outside but so readers aren't unintentionally mislead I've corrected some of the statements below:

Southwest has a poor history with acquisitions. Never taking people, just gates and jets. (SWAPA added nearly 200 Morris Air pilots in 1994...they were placed on the seniority list as one large group...the airline was 10 yrs old, had 22 aircraft, SWA had 178 aicraft...all other Morris employees were employed also) Maybe this is to protect their most valuable asset, their employee culture. (Yes and no...culture is important but Morris and AirTran were not in bankruptcy, Frontier and ATA was...with Frontier a bankruptcy judge setting deadlines, parties couldn't find agreement, with ATA it was open to others to bid on assets that were up for sale.....not the case now...airlines are employment agencies...they are in the business of making profits which in the case of SWA some of which flow into the pockets of the employees) Their corporate culture of "Our way is the only way" did, however, cause them to lose the bid for Frontier. (What corporate culture doesn't believe "its culture" is the best? otherwise it isn't a culture, it is a constant polling of "which way do we go"....it is called leadership and SWA is blessed to have had good leadership in the past and present...we aren't saying others are bad or we're superior, we're just happy with what SWA has in terms of culture. We didn't lose the bid for culture....see note above, bankruptcy judge timetables without enough time to sort out details.) I would be surprised if SW's union started from anywhere but a Staple position. (I won't go into what opening positions are but I would suspect that AirTran will request the best deal for their pilots for their opener and SWAPA would do the same thing...wouldn't your union do the same? This is a business decision, not personal....I have friends at AirTran and I wouldn't want to try to tell them what is best for their pilots nor would I suspect they would tell me what is best for SWA pilots either...trying to put "personalities" to negotiations clouds the issue IMHO.) They started with great attitudes but lately I've felt like they are getting a little too arrogant for the AW Schucks were just good ol texas boys they started as. (Fine line between confidence and bravado...forums are terrible places to make that determination....riding jumpseat, how airlines treat your families when they non-rev and other first hand experiences are the best indicators I think) I wouldn't be surprised to hear that their hiring process is less "lets have a beer and get to know each other" that is was and more "why do you think you are good enough to work here". (Interview process is being tweaked but not as you described....pleased don't prejudge SWA but talk to those first attendees and see what they have to say) I'm a little sad that I feel that is accurate to say. (Don't be sad...SWA is still a great place to work, it isn't for everyone but for most who are hired, they find it an enjoyable work environment and are glad to be working for SWA...hope that doesn't come off as bravado but simply observations from the inside) It amazes me that every group that starts to do well seems to forget that they are not gods gift the the cockpit and in fact are just another pilot like the rest of us. Maybe time will show that I'm wrong. That would be good news. Good luck Airtran guys and gals.

I agree with your last statement....good luck to my friends at AirTran....they have a great spirit and have persevered under very trying conditions and still make profits....when it is all said and done, we will all be one and it will be very good for all.

cheers

 

[turn&pull]

The most important thing about this seniority integration is that the majority of the pilots of both sides come out willing to work together to do what is best for the combined company.

There will most likely be a minority on both sides who get screwed or at least feel that they did but at the end of the day I hope we can all keep in mind the long term success of the new combined airline.

Best of luck to all and I will try to remind myself of this when I am the guy that gets screwed.

 

[400A]

Akeem looks forward to sling'n some corndog gear!

Too funny!

 

[Noserider76]

I think this is going to be a win for everyone involved.
-SWA gets rid of a competitor and gets access to ATL and DCA.
- Airtran employees get to work for a stronger company with better compensation.
- Delta gets rids of a major competitor with business class service and gets it replaced with a one class service airline they compete very well with who now has much more debt.
- One less airline in this industry is good.

There may be hope for a profitable industry for all of us with recent mergers and acquisitions.

 

[Full of LUV]

Congrats to all involved.

I hate to rain on the "we will snuff the other one out" contest, but the truth is that the single carrier fantasy will never work in Atlanta. Delta did not snuff Airtran because the consumer will not allow it. I ride on both airlines and have always chosen Airtran when possible. Rates are always comparable on my routes, but the Airtran employees have always been more pleasant. I hear the same thing about Southwest so I am excited. I am however NOT looking forward to no seat selection. Hopefully this will give Delta a reality check on attitude an bag fee's. The removal of business class will send a percentage of business customers right back to Delta, so like I said, both will not only survive, but thrive.

Truth is SWA has to have a higher CSM than Airtran. There would never be allowed to "snuff" out a competing carrier in a city as large as ATL without a suit. Last one successful was AA with some LCC airline in the 90's out of DFW (name escapes me) and even though they put them out of business, they were sued for $1million by the feds and lost. Granted the competition going out of business was worth that price to AA.
Overall one less LCC competing to be the ultimate lowest fares cross country will be better for everyone. Besides with the press's "SWA effect" we should see a doubling of the O&D traffic out of ATL almost overnight.
LUV

 

[waveflyer]

Yeah MDW.

Gup

Go spend some time in the penalty box in ohare and those rampers in MDW will start to look pretty good-
Bad rampers at SW are better than most

 

[waveflyer]

Luv- AA snuffing out an Lcc in their hub fortress, is a lot different than Swa buying a lcc in an airport where the hub airline has used all their political will to keep us out.

 

[Full of LUV]

Luv- AA snuffing out an Lcc in their hub fortress, is a lot different than Swa buying a lcc in an airport where the hub airline has used all their political will to keep us out.

Wave,
I don't know what political will you refer too except to get the DCA/LGA slot swap done without benefiting SWA, but to have SWA and Airtran in ATL would have been more of a disaster for DAL than what has happened. In that case you would have had to LCC's slugging it out in your hub with unreasonably low airfares to any destination they compete on. Now, SWA can be practical in it's pricing, I don't believe they want to take all of DAL's business, just capture what AAI had and expand on it with the additional destinations.

The reference to AA in the 90's was to address the people asking why DAL hadn't "squeezed out" AAI earlier, and at first I believe it was to have another carrier instead of SWA at their hub. Had DAL made it a priority and squeezed out AAI (assuming it could be done a decade ago) that would have just left a gaping hole for SWA or some other LCC to fill.

AAI has grown to a size that it probably makes much less difference than a decade ago. In fact as I said, SWA's costs are probably higher than AAI's.

Who knows, many on here think that SWA is going to "eat DAL's lunch" and "push them out of ATL". I don't even believe that is in SWA's interest, even though their pilots will think so. All I can say is the competition you know is sometimes better than the alternative. All you need is an upstart skybus or VA well funded upstart with very low overhead to cause all kinds of headaches.
LUV

 

[Full of LUV]

Luv- AA snuffing out an Lcc in their hub fortress, is a lot different than Swa buying a lcc in an airport where the hub airline has used all their political will to keep us out.

I know you think DAL has used it's will to keep SWA out, but I doubt that AAI was waving the "lets bring the corndogs to town" flag any harder prior to this merger.

 

[scoreboardII]

Delta gets rids of a major competitor with business class service and gets it replaced with a one class service airline they compete very well with who now has much more debt.

Uhh, I think we are paying cash, trading stock, etc, end result, gain in value with similar debt ratios and a 20% larger company.

 

[Regul8r]

Looking forward to flying with you!

Best of all, you'll have your chance to tell the interview panel what you really think of SWAPA. Get ready to turn in your shiny new ALPA ID!

 

[Lear70]

Best of all, you'll have your chance to tell the interview panel what you really think of SWAPA. Get ready to turn in your shiny new ALPA ID!

What interview panel?

Did you miss the part of the press release where Gary Kelly said "If keeping their same job, no AirTran employee will have to re-interview"?

Or did you miss the part of Federal Law called Bond-McCaskill requiring EVERYONE being integrated?

Just curious...

 

[The Prussian]

Uhh, I think we are paying cash, trading stock, etc, end result, gain in value with similar debt ratios and a 20% larger company.

...and $2 billion more debt...

 

[Regul8r]

What interview panel?

The one you might get to meet in your preferential interview.

Did you miss the part of the press release where Gary Kelly said "If keeping their same job, no AirTran employee will have to re-interview"?

Or did you miss the part of Federal Law called Bond-McCaskill requiring EVERYONE being integrated?

Just curious...

Yeah...I read it. But I don't believe everything airline CEO's tell me. Do you???

 

[Whataburger]

What interview panel?

Did you miss the part of the press release where Gary Kelly said "If keeping their same job, no AirTran employee will have to re-interview"?

Or did you miss the part of Federal Law called Bond-McCaskill requiring EVERYONE being integrated?

Just curious...

Are the smarta$$ comments "Mod hat on" or "Mod hat off?"

 

[BoilerUP]

Are the smarta$$ comments "Mod hat on" or "Mod hat off?"

Those comments didn't look at all flippant or "smartass" to me, and I'm not even talking FI standards...

 

[spitfire1500]

Can someone clarify something for me. With the new laws, I don't think SWA can just staple us to the bottom. I believe there has to be some kind of integration, even if its not favorable to the AAI guys. Is that correct? I know the Frontier situation was a little different, but now that SWA and AAI have agreed to the merger, I believe things are a little different. Looks like SWA and AAI have learned their lessons from past failed mergers.. HOPEFULLY!

The catch though is...its not a merger..its a buy. I hope all the Air Tran guys do well with this deal..I have quite a few friends there.