Southwest buys AirTran

[buscap]

717s stays and first class goes per the press conference.

Yep, but you can quote me here, Southwest will find a way to lose the 717's. Even Airtran would've loved to trade them for 737s.


The new company will be a bit fat and Airtran guys will get stapled. In the long run it will work out for them, but the next five years will be awful.

Frontier pilots were stupid for saying no. Airtran guys would be stupid for saying yes when I believe Southwest wants this bad enough to buy their guys off on a DOH merger.

I stayed at a HI Express last night....yes, really....I did.

 

[Heavy Set]

I agree. The pilots of Airtran are doing quite well on their own. My money says they will demand DOH, at worst.

The southwest guys will demand staple and the whole thing will fall apart.

I have friends at Airtran and I would hate to see them become Southwest's furlough fodder when the 717s are scrapped.

No, the two boards already accepted the merger. And, the Bond/McCaskill ammendment does not allow for a staple anymore. That law was brought up by the Missouri Senators who saw the TWA people get the shaft. This merger was already completed and the SWA pilots were not asked by management if it was ok, rather it was already done. Nope, I see an interesting seniority list integration coming, without a staple.

 

[ePilot22]

Sucks to be Delta! Genny is going to need a mentor.





eP.

 

[ATR Pirate]

so long skywest.

haha really? god you are stupid..so 4 airplanes MIGHT go back to the united system..its not like skywest was making a huge profit on them anyways..if our entire future is hanging on those 4 airplanes, i quit..

 

[johnpeace]

My money is on DAL going into FULL COMPETE mode and using the RJs more...especially to/from ATL.

 

[bmpilot2003]

oh no... 4 jets gone... or just repainted back into United paint.

Theres a little more to it than just losing four airplanes. Skywest has lost an opportunity for growth. KB stated in a letter "those that want to upgrade will be able to in the near future". Well guess what it wont be because we get 70 seaters through airtran.

 

[CX880]

Will they keep the 717s and will aSa or Skywest pilots be able to fly them? More growth for Skywest or aSA FOs that R on reserve? Discuss

 

[buscap]

No, the two boards already accepted the merger. And, the Bond/McCaskill ammendment does not allow for a staple anymore. That law was brought up by the Missouri Senators who saw the TWA people get the shaft. This merger was already completed and the SWA pilots were not asked by management if it was ok, rather it was already done. Nope, I see an interesting seniority list integration coming, without a staple.

Honestly here, how does that explain what happened with the Frontier deal?

 

[flyingfool]

so long skywest.

More like so long Republic/Frontier. Southwest now huge in each of their bases. DEN and MKE. good luck with that...

 

[the palm]

Wow. Skywest may be losing the airtran feed, but they just struck gold in ATL. Delta will be forced to fly more 70's, 90's and 100 seat airplanes out of Atlanta to compete....all of which will be flown by ASA/XJT/SKYW.

In the meantime Genital Lee will be seen cowering in the fetal position over on concourse A mumbling things like, "we're takin it back, no more RJ's, now I'm starting to see double RJ's.....they're so beautiful. What does this mean?!"

 

[AntiJedi]

Thats the truth! Paint 'em generic and fly 'em everywhere!

Last I checked, they were already painted in a house livery (albiet, a tad Delta unfriendly, but that will be resolved in time.)

 

[flyboyzz1]

haha really? god you are stupid..so 4 airplanes MIGHT go back to the united system..its not like skywest was making a huge profit on them anyways..if our entire future is hanging on those 4 airplanes, i quit..

uggggghhhhhhh I was saying so long Airtran flights.... those crap trips won't be missed!

 

[damnflyboy]

Dear Southwest,

Buy Atlantic Southeast Airlines, park the RJ's, and let our pilots join your Borg-ish company. We agree that resistance is futile.

Love,
damnflyboy