SWA GK talks about the industry

[Kharma Police]

I can't imagine a worse scenario for the pilots at our airline. Pretty much any other merger would end up better for our pilots. Can you say "15-year upgrade?"

I think we would be lucky just to keep our jobs, SWA doesn't like to merge only acquire.

 

[momalley81]

Can you say "15-year upgrade?"

What are you talking about?

 

[BILL LUMBERG]

No dig here...

Why the change of heart about mergers on the Airtran side of the house....suddenly being the airline that is bought makes things not so happy???

Now you sorta get a feeling of what the people at Midwest went through...

 

[FDJ2]

I think we would be lucky just to keep our jobs, SWA doesn't like to merge only acquire.

Whether or not you keep your job depends on what is in your PWA at the time of the merger/acquisition.

 

[vixin]

I can't imagine a worse scenario for the pilots at our airline. Pretty much any other merger would end up better for our pilots. Can you say "15-year upgrade?"

You would make as much/more as an FO then a CA.

 

[PCL_128]

I think we would be lucky just to keep our jobs, SWA doesn't like to merge only acquire.

Very true.

 

[PCL_128]

What are you talking about?

Current 7 year upgrade at SWA + new age 65 rule + stapled to the bottom of the SWA list = lucky to upgrade in the next two decades. No thanks.

 

[Kharma Police]

No dig here...

Why the change of heart about mergers on the Airtran side of the house....suddenly being the airline that is bought makes things not so happy???

Now you sorta get a feeling of what the people at Midwest went through...

I have no problem with a merger (CAL, Spirit), however SWA has stated that they would never merge with another airline, they would much rather acquire assets than deal with disparate employee groups, something about maintaining their unique culture. SWA might acquire only the 737 side of AirTran kinda like the 727s and A-300s that Delta acquired from PAN-AM.

As far as how Midwest feels; they will be furlouging in January, we (as well as Delta) will be hiring. I don't want to go "through" what they are going through right now, best of luck to them.

 

[PCL_128]

No dig here...

Why the change of heart about mergers on the Airtran side of the house....suddenly being the airline that is bought makes things not so happy???

Now you sorta get a feeling of what the people at Midwest went through...

Go back and take a look at some of the previous threads that dealt with this subject. SWA pilots were advocating making us "reinterview" for our jobs after a merger, just stapling us, etc... We were talking about ratio or DOH integration with MEH. Big difference. I just get the feeling that we'll end up getting raped in a merger with SWA.

 

[Mr.B]

My source has been telling me SWA + Air Tran for a while now. And you guys called me crazy.

There would be no reason Southwest would need to buy AirTran. GK said the goal is revenue enhancement. SW could easily muscle its way into any AT market and do fine.

What they want is an acquisition of somebody with extensive international exposure. THATS where the revenue is.

To do otherwise is a waste of money.