Southwest/ATA Plan WOW....

[FarginDooshbahg]

Every one of these "offers" tries to put on the best "show". Yessirree, we're going to bend over backwards to help your failing company, no matter what the cost. Of course, our own company and employees matter, but we'll do whatever it takes to ensure that your company remains intact and no jobs are lost.

In my best Bill Clinton voice: "I will do everything in my power to create thousands of new jobs. And oh, by the way, I did not have sexual relations with that woman."

 

[rudderdog]

In my best Bill Clinton voice: "I will do everything in my power to create thousands of new jobs. And oh, by the way, I did not have sexual relations with that woman."

How about this one......

"Two Great Airlines, One Great Future"

Don Carty

 

[Dizel8]

"Not one nickel, not one job"

 

[tz800ca]

OK ATA, reality check time.

This was a defensive move by WN, period. Also, don't ever believe a third party when they say they are going to grow you. They won't. SWA pilots, flight attaendants and gate agents will crap their pants when that starts to happen. Then they're gonna do everything they can to make sure you don't make it and then they will really be in the driver's seat at MDW. Trust me, that is all they want. All you have to do is look at history to see how it will play out. SWA will get the gates and over time ATA will get be treated more and more as a step-child until one day it is dismantled by the "board Members" that WN plants on your board.

The best way out would have been for the FL deal to go through and keep your airline independent with the possibility of future growth, profitibility and recalls.

I'll bet my last dollar that this WN deal will not be good for TZ in the long run.

Boy, you sure do not give GK and CB any credit for thinking out of the box do you? I thought that is what made WN the great airline it is today.

Sure there would be issues, but I for one would think they would do the right thing and those issues would get worked out to everyone’s benefit.

This has the potential to be HUGE for both companies. Heck, WN has for all intensive purposes "conquered" the USA, why not the world?

 

[75M]

TZ,

I hope you're right. I really do.

 

[PHXFLYR]

To all you ATA guys and gals out there who think the Southwest offer is the way to go, I have just 2 words to say.... TRANS STAR!!!! Anybody remember them ?


PHXFLYR

 

[TZFO]

SWA's plan might not be the best one for us, however it is the lesser of two evils.
AirTran will keep only 400-500 crew members and SWA plans to keep up to 800 and 53 planes.
SWA wants to wipe out our current mgmt and place their own into office. SWA's mgmt is highly sucessful and they will do the same for us.
Both companies are presenting pref. interviews, but a pref interview at the most sucessful airline ever isnt too bad.
I think the bottom couple hundred pilots are screwed either way, but there will be less folks on the streets if SWA takes over.

 

[UALjan15]

It seems to me like if this deal goes through (doubtful) SWA keeps AirTran out of the picture, and with those expensive leases, high fuel prices without hedging, the money will only be a short-term fix. I say "doubtful" because not only would this have to pass muster with the bankruptcy court, but also with with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and it reeks of antitrust (monopoly) concerns to me.

I don't see antitrust concerns being much of a factor here. ATA and SWA, while they do together completely dominate MDW, they don't compete on many non-stop routes (8 or 9, I think). The consolidation of these 2 competitors is unlikely to force an exodus of the remaining airlines serving MDW. As for the MDW monopoly, it is the nature of airlines to have monopolies at certain airports--that is a natural by-product of our hub-happy system. The DOJ will be unconcerned with a MDW monopoly as long as competition in the region and across the country is not overly impacted. With ORD positioned as a direct alternative to Chicagoland O&D customers, there is more competition in this market than any other market I can think of.

 

[race#53]

http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/MM/epm3.html

See the link for the rest of the story;

To all you ATA guys and gals out there who think the Southwest offer is the way to go, I have just 2 words to say.... TRANS STAR!!!! Anybody remember them ?


PHXFLYR

 

[HalinTexas]

Thanks #53. Nice little summary.

I don't think there is as much similarity between TranStar and ATA.

No one's proved anything that implies SWA bought TranStar to screw the employees. I am not familiar enough with the story to know what happened to the employees of TranStar after Oct. 1987. Anyone care to enlighten me?