Who will be Southwest's merger partner?

[Lear70]

You'd be surprised. Not that they aren't happy about their job today.... just still carrying a grudge about past actions. Not the majority, but a vocal few.

True.

I know a couple of them through some 727 CA friends I made when I was at Express One. Happy for the paycheck and stability years later, but NOT happy for the way it went down and some are still irritated about it.

Some people find SWA to be as benevolent as they claim. Some don't. At the end of the day, SWA is a BUSINESS and is operated like one, for THEIR OWN bottom line. They may not deliberately go out of their way to hose someone, but I doubt seriously they'll let a few pilots on the street at another airline get in the way of profitability or stock performance.

Just like any other business. Plan accordingly.

 

[DesertFalcon]

Here's one really out there.

Maybe Southwest will buy the dying Virgin America and make an offer for Virgin Atlantic.

I told you it was way out there!

 

[DesertFalcon]

I actually think Alaska would be too expensive to aquire or merge with in my humble opinion. Lot's of baggage.

In what way, would it be too expensive?

 

[DesertFalcon]

So, more indications something going on at Southwest.
What are they doing?

Are they going to merge with someone?
Are they going to beat up on someone?

Or, are they just going to blow away in the wind?

 

[FL_Jumpseat]

Perhaps LUV could buy the ETOPS cert. from ATA and maybe even the 737-800's. And not have to "merge" with anyone...

 

[swa737-700]

Could it be that SWA will buy Westjet?

 

[bravodude]

Do yourself a favor.

When it comes from doing anything with SWA,

R U N A W A Y F A S T ! !

SWA is a shark and will devour or destroy your company if you have anything to do with it. SWA will only get what they want from you, eat the meat from the bone and then discard your dry dead bones.

They will smile and call you friend every step of the way and when they are done doing you in every conceivable position you will be shunned like the fat girl they don't want to be seen with later.

I don't wish a SWA affiliation on my worse enemy.

Have a nice day and Good Luck!

We are so bad, maybee you should go and talk with some TWA pilots and see how AA treated them.

 

[StopNTSing]

Fatespawn, I know about a dozen ATA Pilots that tried to ride on Southwest this weekend to attend the Jetblue seminar in Orlando, all denied cabin seats. Don't know if it was a gate agent thing or a new policy thing, either way there were a bunch of us that didn't make it. Guess I was naive to think that all those years bending over backwards to get you guys back and forth from work and to Hawaii would pay off. As far as the America West deal, it came after Airtran's offer. It was almost a done deal until SWA stepped in and screwed it up. Unfortunately none of the employee groups got a say in the matter.

Personally, I don't know how any of the ******************************bags in ATA or WN management can sleep at nite.


ESPRIT

ESPRIT, I personally helped three ATA guys get home on my flights in the days immediately following Ch11. But we're coming up on, what, three weeks since the shutdown? What are you expecting, lifetime J/S privileges because you were once an employee of an airline that doesn't exist anymore? I feel your pain, but come-to, my friend! I really doubt your ATA ID will get you a jumpseat on any 121 carrier anymore--cockpit or cabin. If it does, I'm sure the Feds and TSA wouldn't be real happy about it.

All that said, I always carry a few buddy passes with me in case I run into a hard-luck situation like you guys are going through now. If there is a seat, I'll get any of you ATA, Aloha, Champion, or SkyBus dudes on my flight. Best of luck to you.

 

[StopNTSing]

Here's one really out there.

Maybe Southwest will buy the dying Virgin America and make an offer for Virgin Atlantic.

I told you it was way out there!

JMHO, but it's WAY too early to be referring to Virgin America as dying. I think Sir Richard's ego would not allow the airline to fold this soon, and he would personally fund it's operations if need be to get it in the black.

Though I'd love to be wrong...

 

[PCL_128]

I think a lot of people would be surprised at the number of failed ventures Sir Richard has had. He's known for a few big hits, but he's had dozens of failed businesses. I'm not sure that he would keep pouring money into a failing business plan.

 

[Whine Lover]

" I really doubt your ATA ID will get you a jumpseat on any 121 carrier anymore..."

Yes...But that, and a 5 dollar bill, will get us a cup of crappy StarF*cks Fag coffee.

So we have that going for us...

YKMKR

 

[Jeff Helgeson]

No ETOPS ala carte.....

....you can't just buy a certificate with ETOPS. It comes with employees that have experience with the MX of the airplanes and the flying routes. It takes a track record over time to build up the ETOPS limitations in terms of time away from land. It would be like a student trying to buy somebody's report card or transcript.

Perhaps LUV could buy the ETOPS cert. from ATA and maybe even the 737-800's. And not have to "merge" with anyone...

 

[Fubijaakr]

Couple of points:

1. Alaska has enough cash and cash equivalents in the bank that you could buy EVERY outstanding share of Alaska stock and still have $350M left over. That makes them a buyout target.

2. SWA would get an ETOPS certificate, certified maintenance program and ETOPS 737s from Alaska.

3. Richard Branson failed with Virgin Blue (the Aussie version). He had to sell it off. VA is looking like its going the same way. Way higher fuel prices than forecast, operating out of one of the MOST expensive airports in the U.S. and low load factors. Its teetering.

 

[RedDogC130]

....you can't just buy a certificate with ETOPS. It comes with employees that have experience with the MX of the airplanes and the flying routes. It takes a track record over time to build up the ETOPS limitations in terms of time away from land. It would be like a student trying to buy somebody's report card or transcript.

you have to remember that a lot of people at SWA came from carriers and other places that have the experience of flying over the water...the experience is there and remember it is not that hard. A little more writing but not hard.

 

[CitationUltra]

When I was in Dallas for training a couple of months ago we were told that if we ACQUIRE another airline it would not be Frontier. The opinion of the company leadership was that Frontier had only 90 cash on hand and would be in BK soon. The leadership said why pay for something when you can pickup the part you want (gates) in a fire sale. They also said "use your head", it's not going to be a legacy. It's going to be a LCC that would be like us and get us into ATL, MSP, LGA, etc......sorta pointed to Air Tran. I would not be surprised if our leadership just waited around to see who has $$$ problems which would make it easier and cheaper to acquire.

as for you Unltrarunner.......your posts speaks volumes about your knowledge and understand of SWA and the industry as a whole

This makes total sense, and is congruent with the pressure that SWA has put on Frontier in Denver over the past year and a half. They're too savvy to "buy" Frontier, when they can acquire the pieces that they want or need at more opportune time.