Who wants Airtran?

[The Victors]

Still gotta feeling it'll be Swa, but only if the DAL/NWA and a UAL/CAL mergers happen. Seems like the tranny guys no likey swa, but at least swapa will get you the raises you've been looking for......

 

[scrub]

No One!!!!!!!

 

[FlyFastLiveSlow]

..... I fully expect them to start asking for Leaves of Absence pretty soon, followed shortly by a request for the pilots to take paycuts.....

Seems like you've "fully expected" a lot of crap to happen that hasn't.

 

[PCL_128]

I actually wish they would offer some voluntary LOAs. I could make more money working my other gig for a while full time.

 

[gearup5]

Turns out we are for sale.....
from the Orlando Sentinel
Could AirTran Airways be sold? Bob Fornaro, chief executive of Orlando-based AirTran Holdings Inc., said last week that management would be willing to consider it. "Our board is focused on the shareholder, and if we received an offer at AirTran, we'd take it to the board and we would be very open-minded about it," Fornaro said in response to a question from an analyst. AirTran stock hit a 52-week low Friday before closing up two cents at $3.22 a share. Of course, shares of most other U.S. airlines have also tanked recently, so it's not at all clear whether another carrier could find the cash to make an offer.

 

[Draginass]

Of course it's for sale. The execs probably get a huge bonus if it is. Follow the money. It's all about how much the senior execs can stuff their pockets with.

 

[twepilot]

everything is for sale...at the right price.

RV

 

[Lear70]

Seems like you've "fully expected" a lot of crap to happen that hasn't.

Patience, oh baiter of the flame...

p.s. You, like one or two others, seem to have this misguided impression that you can offend me. When you aren't seen as a constructive member of the board, i.e. you can't debate topics without resorting to childish retorts and insults, no one takes you seriously.

Keep slinging mud from behind the cover of anonymity... I hope its therapeutic for you in some way.

 

[Ty Webb]

Seems like you've "fully expected" a lot of crap to happen that hasn't.

Hold on a minute, Princess . . .

Lear has a lot of insight as to what has been going on . . . In case you forgot, he is a "Contract Hostage" because of all the excellent work he did in exposing the huge flaws in TA1 and TA2.

His analytical abilities obviously made someone in MCO uncomfortable enough to want him "on the outside looking in" for the rest of negotiations.

You, on the other hand, well, not so much.:laugh:

 

[Fubijaakr]

I think we need Alaska too to get close to SWA size

Personally, I've always thought and Air Tran/Alaska deal would be outstanding. Similar equipment (except the 717s). SLI wouldn't be much of a problem, even with DoH since hardly anyone would switch coasts. Good route overlap. Through Frontier into the mix and you'd really have something.

Of course, you'd have to get rid of the nincompoops who are running Alaska.

 

[LeonPhelps]

I actually wish they would offer some voluntary LOAs. I could make more money working my other gig for a while full time.

Gonna break out your man thong, and fire up that cash based business?

 

[j41driver]

Of course, you'd have to get rid of the nincompoops who are running Alaska.

What do you do with the nincompoops running Frontier and AirTran?

 

[Ty Webb]

What do you do with the nincompoops running Frontier and AirTran?

"They bought their tickets, they got on that airplane . . . I say, 'let 'em crash' . .. . . . over to you, Jane".

[With apologies to "Airplane"]

TW

 

[400ADude]

Continental and Airtran would make a great combo.

 

[AFcitrus]

Continental and Airtran would make a great combo.

You know, I was thinking that the other day. This would be a great combo. Very little overlap, except EWR-ATL. Airtran could feed more Continental international stuff, both companies have been hiring recently so integrating labor groups wouldn't be too bad.

I'm sure AAI management has looked this over before but with Continental out of the UAL game, this combo might get more interest.

 

[pipejockey]

$280 million will buy you airtran. You might get a couple of hundred million in cash with the deal. The convertable notes aren't due for years to come.

Any bidders?

For that price it would be worth it for DAL, AA and the like to just buy them and shut them down just to get rid of the LCC competition. With the air fares these days we really do not need LCC's anymore.

 

[Yuppyguppy]

You know, I was thinking that the other day. This would be a great combo. Very little overlap, except EWR-ATL. Airtran could feed more Continental international stuff, both companies have been hiring recently so integrating labor groups wouldn't be too bad.

I'm sure AAI management has looked this over before but with Continental out of the UAL game, this combo might get more interest.

Time for some more PBRs

 

[BSkin]

For that price it would be worth it for DAL, AA and the like to just buy them and shut them down just to get rid of the LCC competition. With the air fares these days we really do not need LCC's anymore.

You're a ****************************** -- wish the best to you too!

 

[SkiFishFly]

For that price it would be worth it for DAL, AA and the like to just buy them and shut them down just to get rid of the LCC competition. With the air fares these days we really do not need LCC's anymore.

Thanks. My wife and kids appreciate your good wishes for our future success...

 

[Max Powers]

For that price it would be worth it for DAL, AA and the like to just buy them and shut them down just to get rid of the LCC competition. With the air fares these days we really do not need LCC's anymore.

Good thing we don't live in China or that could actually happen. DOJ hasn't lost all their teeth in the bush admin. .....yet

 

[Lear70]

For that price it would be worth it for DAL, AA and the like to just buy them and shut them down just to get rid of the LCC competition. With the air fares these days we really do not need LCC's anymore.

And just shy of $1 Billion in debt... Nice try, pipe

Too bad it doesn't work like that... or maybe I should say "Good thing it doesn't work like that".

 

[Wesb737fo]

For that price it would be worth it for DAL, AA and the like to just buy them and shut them down just to get rid of the LCC competition. With the air fares these days we really do not need LCC's anymore.

Dude.....you are quite the flame baiter......or you live on some other planet.

 

[Ty Webb]

Crack Pipe Jockey!

For that price it would be worth it for DAL, AA and the like to just buy them and shut them down just to get rid of the LCC competition. With the air fares these days we really do not need LCC's anymore.

Au Contraire, mon frere . . .

What the traveling public is saying is, "We are digging the LCC thang . . . . .".

Look around you, Chief. How many Macy's, versus how many Wal-marts?

Don't worry, though . . . . we LCC pilots are made of better stuff than you . . . . we don't wish ill will upon you. . . . we hope you make it, Pole JOckey . . . . err . . . CrackPipejockey .:laugh:

 

[Max Powers]

Au Contraire, mon frere . . .

What the traveling public is saying is, "We are digging the LCC thang . . . . .".

Look around you, Chief. How many Macy's, versus how many Wal-marts?

Don't worry, though . . . . we LCC pilots are made of better stuff than you . . . . we don't wish ill will upon you. . . . we hope you make it, Pole JOckey . . . . err . . . CrackPipejockey .:laugh:

Wal-Mart? Naw dawg the Tranny is at least a Target.....dem boys gots da leather in da front of dat nice beyatch

 

[Lear70]

Dayum, Ty,,, I didn't know you spoke French.

Must be that part-cajun thing you got going...

 

[Ty Webb]

Dayum, Ty,,, I didn't know you spoke French.

Must be that part-cajun thing you got going...

Heh-heh . . . . I've been accused of being a lot of things before, but being called "Cay-jone" is a first!

What's next . . . . . being called a "Canuck"?

TW

 

[pipejockey]

Can anyone tell me that they disagree with my comment about not needing LCC's? I mean come on, look at the air fares. Everyone is an LCC thanks to our governments protection of everything and anything that even smells of LCC.

 

[fletch717]

Can anyone tell me that they disagree with my comment about not needing LCC's? I mean come on, look at the air fares. Everyone is an LCC thanks to our governments protection of everything and anything that even smells of LCC.

Yes, thanks to our government for keeping USAIR and UAL in business after 9/11?

 

[Just thinking]

Can anyone tell me that they disagree with my comment about not needing LCC's? I mean come on, look at the air fares. Everyone is an LCC thanks to our governments protection of everything and anything that even smells of LCC.

Sorry pal,
Ask the kind people traveling out of Charleston what kind of ticket prices they were paying before AirTran stared service and what kind of prices they are paying today? Ask the traveling public what kind of prices they are paying out of Cincinnati? DAL execs have been quoted that they will raise their fares in all markets except those where they face competition from LCC's.
A Low Cost Carrier has low costs thereby allowing them to charge less for their seats. A legacy carrier that charges the same (or less) than the competition's fare is throwing away money trying to hold on to market share. An RJ company would have a difficult time making money if their fuel costs were not paid for or augmented by the legacy carrier they are working for.
Bailouts, PBGC, tax breaks on fuel, etc.... protection of the legacy carriers has been well documented. The incentive money that some of the LCC's receive to provide service pales in comparison.

 

[Ty Webb]

It's also a two-edged sword. LCC's offer lower fares, but Legacies respond by "dumping seats" into the marketplace to try to "hold on to market share". That keeps the price low.

Pensacola (FL) is a textbook example. Before AirTran began service, Delta offered 4 or 5 flights a day, half of them RJ, the rest DC9 or MD80.

Now, Delta has 8 flights a day; a 757, MD88, 737-800's and maybe one RJ . . . .

I think AirTran could probably raise their fares out of Pensacola, except for all the "excess capacity" in that market, courtesy of Delta trying to "holf on to market share".

If you can't serve that passenger at the going price, and still make a profit, it ain't your market to keep.