SWA/Airtran pilot integration thoughts, what will the new list look like?

[400ADude]

Dude. Really? I hope the SWA M&A team fights tooth and nail to get me (and you) every number they can, but something tells me they don't have a direct line to GK to turn this off in case we don't sing kumbaya with our Tranny brethren and brethrenettes.

Something doesn't smell right here and it is not Ty's breath... although his breath does stink. Critter can't make money with their low wages in ATL but were going to give them a raise and artificially grow and exponetially raise our costs. I sense a pump and dump and I don't mean the kind Ty's wife takes while he is on a four day. How is that wit Mr. Webb??

 

[GhettoBeechjet]

400A dude please stop. What you are doing here isn't in anyones best interest long or short term. Please let you NC speak for you if you are in fact an SWA or AAI pilot.

 

[Lear70]

Something doesn't smell right here and it is not Ty's breath... although his breath does stink. Critter can't make money with their low wages in ATL but were going to give them a raise and artificially grow and exponetially raise our costs. I sense a pump and dump and I don't mean the kind Ty's wife takes while he is on a four day. How is that wit Mr. Webb??

Can you say "anti-trust"? I knew you could...

400A dude please stop.

He can't. He's been like this for a long time, with reincarnated screen names for years. He's very good at it though, always tiptoes right at the edge of something I could permanently shelve yet another screen name for.

What you are doing here isn't in anyones best interest long or short term. Please let you NC speak for you if you are in fact an SWA or AAI pilot.

He's not.

 

[Nindiri]

He's not the same as InstructorDude, is he? ID use to make me laugh; 400A is kind of boring.

 

[400ADude]

Can you say "anti-trust"? I knew you could...


He can't. He's been like this for a long time, with reincarnated screen names for years. He's very good at it though, always tiptoes right at the edge of something I could permanently shelve yet another screen name for.

He's not.

Nothing antitrust about dumping a money losing operation.

I am. 2XXXX.

The snake is outta here!

 

[Kharma Police]

I'm sure you will little man. You're going to throw a fit going back to the right seat.

Say what you want about my last post but I'd believe it before all this relavtive seniority garbage or even staple. BTW, there is nothing saying you guys couldn't be shut down and liquidated if you don't play well. I'd take what you can get.

It really doesn't matter if Ty or I go back to the right seat, we will always be senior to you for the rest of your career.

 

[Britpilot]

BTW, there is nothing saying you guys couldn't be shut down and liquidated if you don't play well.

That would be illegal.

 

[Moon-dog]

I am not sure it's illegal, not nice maybe, but not illegal. If I have the money, I can buy any comapny I want and liquidate it because I want to. NOT saying that is what should or will happen, just making a point.

 

[Lear70]

Nothing antitrust about dumping a money losing operation.

Ummm... we've been consistently profitable for over a decade during some of the worst economic times in history. Again, what are you smoking over there?

I am. 2XXXX.

Mmm hmmm... Keep selling it.

 

[Lear70]

I am not sure it's illegal, not nice maybe, but not illegal. If I have the money, I can buy any comapny I want and liquidate it because I want to. NOT saying that is what should or will happen, just making a point.

Well, you actually have two issues here. Anti-trust and Bond-McCaskill.

Aviation doesn't work like regular businesses in the U.S., we are the most highly-regulated DE-regulated industry known to man. Bond-McCaskill actually DOES prevent the wholesale purchase and liquidation of airlines by law. It's specifically designed to prevent a TWA type of transaction again by requiring that when a majority of a company or its assets are purchased (51% or more), they must take the entire operation with it and integrate the employees.

In this case, sure, they could liquidate large portions of AirTran's fleet, route structure, etc, but it would:

1. Defeat the purpose of the purchase, which is to artificially increase market share and create NEW GROWTH opportunities into new markets, specifically near-International and east coast feed out of Atlanta into the Southwest system, and

2. Require the integration of ALL employees and THEN you would have to furlough from a COMBINED list to satisfy the legal requirements of Bond-McCaskill. Somehow, I don't think Southwest plans to buy a company just to furlough large numbers of then-Southwest employees. Just doesn't make any sense, from a business OR company culture perspective.

Second, you'd open both boards up to anti-trust inquiries from the Dept of Justice (and those kinds of things put people in jail). Announcing the purchase of a company just to drive up the stock price then subsequently dumping the offer (such as A-dude inferred), would subject a LOT of people to inquiry on their stock trading choices just subsequent to both announcements.

Not to mention there's a $39 Million dollar "poison pill" for either side to walk away from the deal. You're telling me Southwest is somehow going to make almost $40 Million just from a "pump and dump"? Doesn't make ANY kind of business sense,,,

A-dude likely knows this; he's simply posting flame bait and seeing who takes the bait.