Not even close. AWA's offer was nowhere close to the bids offered by SWA and AirTran. SWA was the only offer that would leave ATA as ATA, maybe that was the problem.
Of course that was the problem.
ATA wasn't going to survive on its own. They *NEEDED* to merge with someone else.
Unfortunately, that merger with AWA or airTran would have kept their employees gainfully employed, the Southwest "asset purchase" obviously did not, and the company took the money option.
Wrong choice, obviously, as there were a couple payouts for senior management but, for the most part, it eliminated the ATA employee's jobs in short order.
Certainly not the fault of Southwest's pilots, but I believe SWA management knew EXACTLY what it was doing, what the long-term outcome would be, and simply did what was good for SWA employees and SWA shareholders, regardless of whether it would have caused ATA's demise or not.
It's business, just sucks for the employees.
p.s. I can see the same thing happening with Midwest. Purchased by Northwest to keep other airlines from getting a sudden foothold in their territory, hold it separately, then let it die on the vine.
Unfortunately, airTran is continuing their growth in MKE anyway (successfully I might add), the NWA/DAL deal will probably require them to divest some routes and gates, and they'll probably whittle it away until it's almost nothing, then shut it down, just like Champion.
The employees will lose in the end; given Northwest's and Delta's history, I doubt they'll incorporate the employee groups, just like SWA didn't.
