Super Wal-air

[crashpad]

With the inevitability of airline mergers, comes the threat of airline acquisitions by legacy carriers. Any buyout of an LCC by a legacy carrier is as good as a pink slip for the smaller pilot group, flight crews and corporate executives. Now, there's talk of the LCCs' planning a super merger as it's only recourse to ensure survivability and compete profitably against the legacys'. It appears to be an all or nothing gamble, but the alternative is the risk of a buyout and the subsequent selling of assets and acquisition of dwindling gate space at key airports. The political arm twisting and abuse of the bankruptcy laws would surely follow.

The Super Merger would be, in essence, a new Super Carrier free from the bureaucratic quagmire of restructuring. Built on the proven model for airline profitability through maximum efficiency, customer care and lower cost structure, this carrier would become the Super WalAir of the industry. It's feeder structure will be built from within, incorporating it's own aircraft (E190s') as well a seperate and wholly-owned commuter pilot division.
The LCCs' included at this time are: Air Tran, Jet Blue, Alaska, Frontier, Spirit and Midwest. DiCaprio said it best, "The way of the future..."

 

[Ty Webb]

Did you just cook this up, or are you actually basing this on something substantive? The AirTran-Midex-Alaska has been floated around before, but I think what you are proposing is unlikey. Maybe a codeshare.

Second, exactly which "Legacy" has the money to buy a LCC?

As was recently stated on the financial channels, AirTran's market capitalization is almost a billion dollars . . who is going to come up with the money to buy us? Delta's market cap is only $262 million. UAL, USAirways are out. Northwest? Headed down the same road as DAL. AMR or CAL? Not likely.

 

[English]

Wow. Alaska is an LCC? I had no idea.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Note: Indy Air isn't invited.

I suppose the Wal Mart version of labor practices is just fine for Wal Air; part of the merger deal is to oust the unions. Then The FARs will be the work rules, followed by the ATA PAC and other political contributions to change the FARs to make hourly workers (i.e. pilots) more effective. W. ready to sign the bill.

The Wal Mart advocates who are indifferent to WM labor practices are making thier own bed. Get ready....

Two types of travel in the New World Order of the Airline Industry; narrowbody and widebody.

Narrowbody will all be LCC style. Whether it be SWA, jB or Wal Air. At the same time the legacy carriers will go full throttle to create, expand thier Song and Ted operations. 20 years from now a new hire pilot will look at you and say "You fought in the Clone Wars?"

Widebody will remain as is. Pax are still willing to pay a premium. Afterall traveling overseas is "still a big deal."

and of course the freight guys will be laughing at all of us...

 

[Birdstrike]

...The LCCs' included at this time are: Air Tran, Jet Blue, Alaska, Frontier, Spirit and Midwest...

Purely academic, but should six become one, how would existing gate space, for example, be apportioned? Everybody keeps what they had or reallocate since the "former" no longer exists as a result of the merger?

 

[Marko Ramius]

Hmmm.....

I know history isn't worth remembering and all, but why not just call it Republic II or SuperRepublic instead of WalAir?