Wn/fl!!?!

[Kharma Police]

I wonder if Kelly will be able to fool the regulators by offering us 'trannies "preferential" interviews a'la ATA?

 

[Noserider76]

Probably be good for DL if SWA did buy Airtran. DL would be competing with a company that has much higher costs than Airtran and there would be lots of overlap to trim. Anything can happen in this business though. SWA may surprise everyone and buy a legacy to get an instant international operation.

 

[bravodude]

I wonder if Kelly will be able to fool the regulators by offering us 'trannies "preferential" interviews a'la ATA?

he wont have too I can tell you the empoyees will not le it happen if it is anything else.

 

[B727Driver]

Fire-sale, look at F9. Analyst outlook on earnings doesn't look good the next 2 quarters. DEN growth is what SW wants.

 

[Tanker Clown]

We currently compete against Air Tran in ATL, and Southwest potentially buying them doesn't change the fact that we compete against a LCC. We don't fly to exactly the same cities, and we get feed from cities that Air Tran doesn't fly to, to fly off to other cities AirTran doesn't fly to. Also, ATL has no more room to expand, and neither does any of our other hubs, (SLC, LAX, JFK), with the exception of CVG. If you want to invade CVG, go right ahead.

Our costs were paired down tremendously in BK, so we could fight BETTER than before against Southwest, and even the article stated that their hedges are decreasing over time, which means more fare increases are needed. I don't think our management relishes a fight with Southwest, but we are better equiped now to deal with the situation. We have 70% of all flights at ATL, and that won't change thanks to the lack of gates. Same at JFK, where everything was just capped. Same at SLC, LAX, etc. Get my drift sarge? Southwest would do great at MDW getting rid of a competitior, and also BWI (both small hubs for Airtran).

Bye Bye--General Lee

Your cost may be "paired down" due to BK, but they are still higher than SWA. So if you had to compete head to head out of ATL how do you get your costs lower? I imagine they'll come looking to you again. You can't really negotiate the price of oil...but they know you'll give up pay. If you had gotten your pay raise (which you deserve) in Jan then you would be less competitive with SWA. As it stands, the raise you do get next year (albeit small and not even keeping up with inflation) puts you at a further disadvantage with SWA. A SWA/Air Tran merger should be something of concern to your domestic operation.

Shoot...maybe SWA will buy Delta and improve your lot in life.

 

[General Lee]

Your cost may be "paired down" due to BK, but they are still higher than SWA. So if you had to compete head to head out of ATL how do you get your costs lower? I imagine they'll come looking to you again. You can't really negotiate the price of oil...but they know you'll give up pay. If you had gotten your pay raise (which you deserve) in Jan then you would be less competitive with SWA. As it stands, the raise you do get next year (albeit small and not even keeping up with inflation) puts you at a further disadvantage with SWA. A SWA/Air Tran merger should be something of concern to your domestic operation.

Shoot...maybe SWA will buy Delta and improve your lot in life.

Someone flying a 707 might not understand the real world of this airline industry, apparently. Airtran cannot expand in our (DL) largest hub, and has gone elsewhere--primarily BWI and MDW. Those are SWA hubs. They also have a presence at PHL, also a new focus of SWA's. SWA buying Airtran would give them a chunk of ATL, but primarily shore up their positions at their other hubs. If they think they can fly 25 minute turns at ATL, then they might have to rethink the deal. Could it happen? Sure. Do we compete head to head with Airtran on all of our routes? No. Do we compete with some of them? Sure. But, they can't expand due to lack of gates, and if they want to start a new city pair they have to trim back another. You need to get away from your desk and actually fly again and see what is actually happening out there.

What is funny here is that you still have years to go on your tanker, and you have missed the boat for Fedex and others. But, you have plenty of time at your desk to troll the boards and try to learn what you have missed in this industry you so desperately do not understand.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Tanker Clown]

I'm not really sure that SWA has to rely on the 25 minute turn as much. I'm sure they don't get those in PHL. But then again, how many times in it's history has SWA been told that they can't do something? Read Hard Landings. Taking over in ATL wouldn't be that far fetched.

Looks like things will get interesting this coming year. High oil and an looming recession...maybe the AF isn't a bad place to be to ride it out. I get a 3% raise every year. Hope with a sluggish economy they don't ask for pay cuts with you guys again...because we all know that you'll roll and give them up.

 

[BILL LUMBERG]

Probably be good for DL if SWA did buy Airtran. DL would be competing with a company that has much higher costs than Airtran and there would be lots of overlap to trim. Anything can happen in this business though. SWA may surprise everyone and buy a legacy to get an instant international operation.

I agree with the whole SWA buying a legacy game....they can afford it. SWA buying Airtran wouldn't help DL....DL mgmt is in the fetal position thinking that they can compete with 70 seat RJ's against SWA's jets if they come to ATL.....An RJ costs more to operate on a stage length than a 737, no questions there and SWA does a good job filling 737's

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Plus SWA would get the RJ's they have been talking about. The 717's were bought for less than the RJ with a much better CASM. It would allow them to open new markets while still operating an all Boeing Fleet. At least I hope so because I am on the 717.

 

[737 Pylt]

I'm not really sure that SWA has to rely on the 25 minute turn as much. I'm sure they don't get those in PHL. But then again, how many times in it's history has SWA been told that they can't do something? Read Hard Landings. Taking over in ATL wouldn't be that far fetched.

Looks like things will get interesting this coming year. High oil and an looming recession...maybe the AF isn't a bad place to be to ride it out. I get a 3% raise every year. Hope with a sluggish economy they don't ask for pay cuts with you guys again...because we all know that you'll roll and give them up.

Maybe with all that stellar flight time, and your charming personality, you might be able to get hired at Mesa. Good luck. Gear up!

737