Southwest CEO: Atlanta Market Ripe for Expansion

[clippyrip]

Absolutely nothing in that new contract will have any bearing on the degree of the windfall they will receive.

The "look what they used to make in their old contract" argument holds zero water in an arbiters mind. They can only look at their current contract.


Are you willing to gamble that an arbiter agrees with you? If so, you'll end up betting more than you can afford to lose. I recommend not wasting the small amount of presentation time in front of the arbitration board with meritless arguments.

 

[texman]

The "look what they used to make in their old contract" argument holds zero water in an arbiters mind. They can only look at their current contract.


Are you willing to gamble that an arbiter agrees with you? If so, you'll end up betting more than you can afford to lose. I recommend not wasting the small amount of presentation time in front of the arbitration board with meritless arguments.

Actually not true. It is going to be the big picture. Don't forget about the career expectations the furloughed pilots have at AT. I think you will see past and present will be used. If it go's to arbitration, we will see a historical event take place. I just hope it is the good for all.

 

[clippyrip]

Actually not true. It is going to be the big picture. Don't forget about the career expectations the furloughed pilots have at AT. I think you will see past and present will be used. If it go's to arbitration, we will see a historical event take place. I just hope it is the good for all.

You guys will hand AT a bigger piece of the pie if you insist on arguing intangibles. Hopefully smarter minds will prevail at SWA before presentation time. Otherwise you'll give up a whole lot more than is necessary.

FYI, the arbiter is not going to drop AT pants and staple the airline just because there are some guys on furlough. Again, you better tune in your arguments.

Also, it's going to arbitration.

 

[Skyboy722]

The "look what they used to make in their old contract" argument holds zero water in an arbiters mind. They can only look at their current contract.

Ever heard of a snapshot?

 

[RIDETHELIGHTING]

we have nobody on furlough. We have people that bypassed, and have been hiring most of the year. I don't get why the bypass thing is so hard to understand.

 

[MILPILOT17]

Sure are a lot of dumbazzez posting of FI these days!

 

[Max Powers]

Don't forget the additional 221 orders and -800's in the largest domestic network. I think that pretty much covers their 50 orders and 86 717's.

Not when you take size into consideration....In fact your orders are replacement orders whilst our are for growth. Big difference my friend and the arbiter will see it that way.

 

[vixin]

Who says my friend plans change. Yes Gary has stated that. Are you telling me he didnt give you his business plan. Just like your deliveries could have stopped tomorrow. Your CEO as I have shown before several times, stated Airtran was running into tough times and wasnt going to be growing. Who the heck knows what either company was/is going to do with future deliveries. PLANS CHANGE often. Why are you guys so bent on thinking your whopping 50 planes means diddly? Until they are on property they mean NOTHING!

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AirTran CEO Bob Fornaro stressed in a conference call with reporters on Monday that AirTran had "done a lot with not much" in terms of financial resources, but that it was becoming less clear that AirTran had the ability to grow and remain competitive in an industry where the size of a carrier's route network is increasingly important.
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"Southwest has, relative to AirTran, vast resources," Fornaro said. It became clear that "we could do more with Southwest resources" than AirTran could do on its own.
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"The Southwest culture is unbelievable, and its employees have the highest passion I've ever seen in the industry," says Don Schmincke, a Baltimore-based author and speaker. "Can they convert AirTran employees
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“This agreement is great news for our Crew Members, our shareholders, our customers and the communities we serve. Joining Southwest Airlines will give us opportunities to grow, both professionally as individuals and as a group, in ways that simply would not be possible without this agreement,” said Bob Fornaro
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“We have evolved our company to be able to take on a growth opportunity like this,” Kelly said.
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At the request of Hartsfield-Jackson, Delta and AirTran began working together on a new lease agreement as far back as a year ago. The major terms of the lease, agreed to months before AirTran began talking to Southwest, would have the net effect to "keep Southwest out" by limiting the number of open gates available for the Dallas-based airline.​

“Delta and AirTran used each other to get the best deal they could at the airport,” said someone familiar with the negotiations. “But when Delta started throwing AirTran under the bus, AirTran had an alternative. AirTran had outsmarted Delta.”​

“Delta is going to feel pain like never before,” he said. “It is totally unavoidable.”

The real reason is that Southwest will “erode Delta’s pricing power” in the domestic market, where Delta already is at a disadvantage because of higher per-person operating costs. ​

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01/27/2010 CEO Robert Fornaro addressed the issue during a conference call Wednesday to discuss the airline's fourth-quarter financial results. QUESTION: How do you view the industry landscape and your prospects for growth in an improving economy?
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RESPONSE: "It's not our plan to scour the market and look for new planes. ... Right now, it's financial success first for us."

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2010-04-22
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ATLANTA -- AirTran Airways isn't putting up a for-sale sign, but the CEO of the discount carrier said Wednesday it would consider a combination with another carrier if approached and if such a deal made sense for the company and shareholders. CEO Robert Fornaro made the comments during a conference call with investors to discuss the airline's first-quarter financial results. Higher fuel prices stung AirTran, causing the usually profitable airline to post a $12 million loss for the first three months of the year.​

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2009-02-06
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Quote:

Comments ATLANTA (Map, News) - Discount carrier AirTran Airways doesn't expect any overall growth for two years as it tries to weather the severe downturn in the U.S. economy, though it will add service in Milwaukee in a renewed effort to gain market share there, Chief Executive Robert Fornaro said Thursday. Fornaro told a gathering of analysts at the Raymond James & Associates Growth Airline Conference that AirTran will cut capacity in 2009 and likely will be flat in terms of capacity in 2010, but in 2011 it could (doesnt mean it would) grow at least 5 percent. In the meantime, it will make a push in Milwaukee.​

Quote:

AirTran pilots to picket outside annual meeting

Originally published: May 17, 2010 4:37 PM
By The Associated Press HARRY R. WEBER (AP Airlines Writer)
ATLANTA - (AP) — AirTran Airways' pilots plan to picket outside the discount carrier's annual meeting to step up pressure on management over the workers' more than five-year effort to secure a new contract with better wages and quality-of-life improvements.
They also expect to announce during Tuesday's shareholders' meeting in Milwaukee that rank-and-file pilots have authorized the union to call a strike if it chooses.
At stake is AirTran's low-cost advantage over larger rivals that has allowed it to lead the way on fare sales and usually still turn a profit. AirTran posted a small loss for the first quarter but said it expects future cost pressures from fuel and maintenance. Additional labor costs could further affect its bottom line.


AirTran captains in their 10th year of service who fly 75 hours a month on small narrowbody aircraft earn on average $129,000 a year, compared with $143,000 at American and $197,000 at Southwest Airlines, according to aviation consultant Kit Darby, who tracks pilot pay across the industry.​

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[johnsonrod]

Please tell me you're joking! As I've said on another thread, the AT pilots really should understand that without this ACQUISITION, there would be nothing more than a crappy 9 year old contract and a big NO from the NMB following their request for release.

Absolutely nothing in that new contract will have any bearing on the degree of the windfall they will receive.

That doesn't matter. The arbitrator doesn't look at what "could have been" when it comes to pay and benefits. AT has a new contract that is closer to yours. The DL/NWA SLI had a 30 percent pay difference per hour, and DL Was technically the "aquirer", and it was still close to relative seniority. You SWA guys think you know what will happen, but you only need to look at recent mergers to see what will likely occur. It probably won't be one for one, and DOH also won't happen, either. Unfortunately for you, AT is not doing poorly like Frontier was, which is huge for the AT guys. But, keep thinking about your grandiose ideas that just won't happen.

 

[texman]

You guys will hand AT a bigger piece of the pie if you insist on arguing intangibles. Hopefully smarter minds will prevail at SWA before presentation time. Otherwise you'll give up a whole lot more than is necessary.

FYI, the arbiter is not going to drop AT pants and staple the airline just because there are some guys on furlough. Again, you better tune in your arguments.

Also, it's going to arbitration.

I am assuming that you work for delta or the former NWA. If so you are real lucky that your airline didn't shut down. I think your post are to just stir the pot. You think SWAPA is not prepared? What is really going to suck is when this integration is over and the two synergies coming together, and the only pants that will be dropping is you and your management's when ATL and MSP start to become SWA's. Get ready! I think Wall Mart has a KY special going on right now.

Plus this is the internet chill bro, It's all good.