Would You Go to Midwest Airlines? MidEx

[Ty Webb]

That's right, you guys can come and pick up the remnants just like you were suppose to do with ATA airlines in MDW.

I have a feeling that before it's over, the ATA guys will certainly have wished that our management had picked up the remnants instead of SWA . . . . I'd be willing to bet that since SWA made the big play for ATA assets, we have hired more ATA guys than SWA has, even though SWA was supposedly the "savior" and we were the "vultures".

Any real ATA guys care to comment on the hiring situation for ATA guys at FL and LUV?

 

[Chuck Yogourt]

I may be wrong, but it sure seems that Airtran has some pilots on this board that cannot accept anyone that doesn't fly for them. The responses to my post sure seemed that they are very self conscious. I didn't say Airtran is not a good airline, I simply said that I haven't heard anyone that is in favor of an airline merger right now. Lighten up Airtranians.

You are very right on this one. Ty (I am bitter because I was turned down by Midwest ) Webb is the most critical. The clown sounds like a 15 year old. Glad we turned him down. Most of the Air Tran guys I have dealt with in person are class acts. As for wanting to work for them, NO THANKS.

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

I have a feeling that before it's over, the ATA guys will certainly have wished that our management had picked up the remnants instead of SWA . . . . I'd be willing to bet that since SWA made the big play for ATA assets, we have hired more ATA guys than SWA has, even though SWA was supposedly the "savior" and we were the "vultures".

Any real ATA guys care to comment on the hiring situation for ATA guys at FL and LUV?

Explain how Airtran's offer would be helping ATA more than the SWA/ATA codeshare right now. I think SWA's deal gave ATA more cash.

Airtran would be taking over the gates a couple at a time instead of sucking them up as quickly as SWA did. Didn't Airtran want more than 6 gates??? Did Airtran even propose a codeshare??

Are you trying to tell me fewer ATA folks would be on the street right now? How bout when Airtran had taken all their gates? The pain would have been spread out but would have been the same or worse than SWA's deal. Neither deal is very "good" for ATA. But ATA is on life support and only time will tell how they recover.

 

[73-Driver]

I have a feeling that before it's over, the ATA guys will certainly have wished that our management had picked up the remnants instead of SWA . . . . I'd be willing to bet that since SWA made the big play for ATA assets, we have hired more ATA guys than SWA has, even though SWA was supposedly the "savior" and we were the "vultures".

Any real ATA guys care to comment on the hiring situation for ATA guys at FL and LUV?

I don't know how much more real it can get for me TY. I was furloughed from ATA in April and still wouldn't wish for a merger with Airtran. It was a bad deal!

 

[pilotmyf]

Gaylord,

Connect is what it is (actually it's a dba x's2). If Midwest would realize that the pax have no idea what Skyway is but do know what connect is they would be better off from a marketing perspective.

How many regionals are actually marketed as their business name besides eagle??-

 

[pilotmyf]

That's right, you guys can come and pick up the remnants just like you were suppose to do with ATA airlines in MDW.

OUCH!!!

 

[Ty Webb]

Explain how Airtran's offer would be helping ATA more than the SWA/ATA codeshare right now. I think SWA's deal gave ATA more cash.

Without re-hashing the whole deal (do a search, it's all been discussed before) I think it's pretty apparent that SWA didn't necessarily want ATA, they just wanted to block AirTran from ramping up in MDW in such a huge way. In the long term, I think ATA will cease to exist, or will simply be a charter operator.

I see a lot of ATA guys getting interviewed and hired at AirTran. I hear from friends at SWA that they are not hiring many, hence my post.

 

[Ty Webb]

You are very right on this one. Ty (I am bitter because I was turned down by Midwest ) Webb is the most critical. The clown sounds like a 15 year old. Glad we turned him down. Most of the Air Tran guys I have dealt with in person are class acts. As for wanting to work for them, NO THANKS.

Actually, Chuckles, out of my group of seven, no one got an offer, and I I believe they stopped hiring altogether after I interviewed, so who knows? Don't worry, though, soon you'll be able to start listing the airlines who will have recently turned you down.

I love hearing the Midex guys beating on their chest and proclaiming how they wouldn't want to work for AirTran . . . . let's see, more pay, better work rules, better equipment, better retirement contribution, and we are negotiating our next contract (which will have more pay, benefits and improve some QOL issues).

I would love to have a list of you guys who "don't want to work for AirTran". That way, we can keep you honest later.

 

[Chuck Yogourt]

Actually, Chuckles, out of my group of seven, no one got an offer, and I I believe they stopped hiring altogether after I interviewed, so who knows? Don't worry, though, soon you'll be able to start listing the airlines who will have recently turned you down.

I love hearing the Midex guys beating on their chest and proclaiming how they wouldn't want to work for AirTran . . . . let's see, more pay, better work rules, better equipment, better retirement contribution, and we are negotiating our next contract (which will have more pay, benefits and improve some QOL issues).

I would love to have a list of you guys who "don't want to work for AirTran". That way, we can keep you honest later.

I love to listen to you experts who don't work at my company tell me how bad my contract is and how good ours is and bla bla bla. Why do all you non ALPA people try to gloat about your little in house deals? Guess what gay boy, a lot of your contract was based on OURS. Your rates about like ours. Your company is making money, good for you, but your company is in big time debt. That's right. You can make all the money you want but you still have to pay the bank back. Midwest is not going anywhere. We are 21 years old, and just about where we want to be. You need to get over the fact that your company is still a place where a lot of pilots, including myself, do not want to work for. Remember who your company once was named. I do. NO THANKS.

 

[Ty Webb]

This is too good to pass up.

Chuckie, you're not a Midex Capt. That's pretty obvious. So who are you? My guess is that you are a Midex employee's kid. You are not doing anyone any favors at Midex on this website, that is for sure. Give it a rest.

A real Midex Capt would know that our contract goes back to 2001. Midex pay scales were the ones that were recently revised, not ours, and their contract is available for anyone to read. We are negotiating our next pay scales, which will be going up. As for Midex's, that seems unlikely.

A real Midex Capt. would (hopefully) be able to at least read a balance sheet . . . . which would tell you that AirTran and Midex have almost the exact same asset/liability ratio. Further, a real Midex Capt would know that AirTran is putting up buildings (our new MX hangar, and the new training center) while Midex has had to sell their corporate HQ to raise money. A real Midex Capt. would know that AirTran has $367 million in cash . . . .enough to pay off all of our debt, if we weren't holding a "war chest".

And, before I sign off, Chuckles, a real Midex Capt wouldn't be stupid enough to say:

Remember who your company once was named

because he would know that his company used to be named for a toilet paper manufacturer named "Kimberly Clark".

Back to school, fool.

 

[Chuck Yogourt]

KC and VALUE JET. What comparison is this GAY BOY? Shut the hell up and get a life. The question of this thread is, Would you work for Midwest? If it comes down between KC and Value Jet, I'd take KC any day. MORON. Now get back to class.

 

[Yank McCobb]

That's right, you guys can come and pick up the remnants just like you were suppose to do with ATA airlines in MDW.

Actually, us "guys" did just that. SWA was the one that came in and provided financial, operational and other support to ATA in MDW.

Any other brilliant observations you would care to make?

 

[Ty Webb]

Here's one more for ya-

A Midex Capt wouldn't be so preoccupied with homosexuals. . . . you've got some issues, Chuckie Boy.

Better run that browser washer. Hate for your mom to come home from work and see you've been running your potty mouth on the 'puter again AND wearing your sister's underwear.

 

[73-Driver]

Actually, us "guys" did just that. SWA was the one that came in and provided financial, operational and other support to ATA in MDW.

Any other brilliant observations you would care to make?

I could of sworn that SWA handed you guys a one way ticket back to ATL, maybe I'm wrong!?

 

[Yank McCobb]

KC and VALUE JET. What comparison is this GAY BOY? Shut the hell up and get a life. The question of this thread is, Would you work for Midwest? If it comes down between KC and Value Jet, I'd take KC any day. MORON. Now get back to class.

Based on Ty's last comment and this one, I'd say he has you there, Chuckie.

I'd go back to the drawing board and either come up with some tangible facts regarding contract and financial comparisons or at least some fresh schtick. This attempt is pretty lame. Lets see, a "gay" reference and a "value jet" reference. Two of the weakest, most overused insults on flightinfo.

Heck, even real 15 yr old school kids do better than that.

You ARE making all MidEx pilots look bad with your personal agenda against Ty. I would fall back, regroup and come up with something that doesn't make you look like a complete jacka$$.

 

[Yank McCobb]

I could of sworn that SWA handed you guys a one way ticket back to ATL, maybe I'm wrong!?

I AM SWA. I thought my last post made that clear. Are you just not paying attention or are you just dense?

BTW...it's "could HAVE" ( as in "I could have sworn") not "could of". They should have taught you that in grade school.

 

[73-Driver]

I AM SWA. I thought my last post made that clear. Are you just not paying attention or are you just dense?

BTW...it's "could HAVE" ( as in "I could have sworn") not "could of". They should have taught you that in grade school.

Sorry Yank,

I thought you were from AirTran, not that I have anything against them. Most of us thought that the deal Southwest was offering was much better than what AirTran had on the table.

Can we go easy on the spelling lessons? Writing "could of sworn" is still shorter than writing "could have sworn". Last I checked "BTW" was not in the english dictionary, it should be " by the way". That was just a bad joke.

 

[UM#1]

I have a feeling that before it's over, the ATA guys will certainly have wished that our management had picked up the remnants instead of SWA . . . . I'd be willing to bet that since SWA made the big play for ATA assets, we have hired more ATA guys than SWA has, even though SWA was supposedly the "savior" and we were the "vultures".

Any real ATA guys care to comment on the hiring situation for ATA guys at FL and LUV?

Ty,
As a former ATA guy (left in april 05) you are just about right on. The Southwest deal may have kept the doors open longer at ATA as it was more of a code share than the Airtran deal was, but as far as the pilots are concerned those Southwest Preferential interviews turned out to be a bum deal. I was not interviewed as I resigned before effective furlough date but for those that did interview (about 70-80 roughly), less than 10 got hired. Airtran has done a great job of hiring many of ATA's pilots and Continental also has done a good job of picking up ATA guys. You got some good guys over there and I know they are happy to be there..

 

[stillflyn]

It's funny how this industry works.

In 1998 you wouldn't believe how many people berated me for my decision to go to AirTran. If I had returned after the furlough, look how senior i'd be there today.

In 2000/2001 look how many people took a leap of faith on a little airline called "Jetblue" that was starting from scratch.

How about the folks who went to work for Morris Air (and who today are very senior at Southwest?)

How about the people who took a chance on a man named Fred Smith and his old Falcons flying air-freight. (FedEx)

The fact is YOU DONT KNOW what the future will bring. You're going to have to make the right decision FOR YOU... and hope for the best.

Go with your gut and good luck!

In 2000/2001 there were a "few" pilots who took a leap of faith..... but lets be honest. Mostly they couldn't get a job anywhere else worth going to. I've flown with some guys who tried to tell me that they turned down United, Delta, NorthWest to take a job making $70hr as a capt on a 320 in 2000. They "Knew that the jobs were going to shift from the Majors to the LCC". I'll call bull$h!t everytime. Don't fool yourself. They couldn't get hired anywhere else. Everyone has their own story and I'm not trying to lump all guys into this.... just most of them!

Stillflyn

 

[Yank McCobb]

Can we go easy on the spelling lessons? Writing "could of sworn" is still shorter than writing "could have sworn". Last I checked "BTW" was not in the english dictionary, it should be " by the way". That was just a bad joke.

Yes, we can. And you are right about the "BTW". I also have the ability to give credit when someone is right.

Oh, and "BTW", there is no such thing as a bad joke. It's just that some people don't always get it.

Take care...