WSJ - US/UAL merger talks "becoming very serious"

[Marko Ramius]

I am having a hard time following this post. However it sounds as though you are proposing that UAL ALPA would go along with throwing another pilot group "under the bus." I highly doubt that.

I don't want to make present day USAPA anything, but ALPA being replaced with "UAPA", a hypothetical name, I have no problem with.

I didn't say anything about UAL ALPA. I was just throwing out a loose scenario for Doogie to try and merge with UAL taking the assets he wants along with the West contract that avoids the snapback. I'm sure others can come up with more nefarious scenarios. You asked why UAL would only want the 'West' and not the 'East' assets, I'm just saying that it may not be as simple as that. I'm not sure UAL ALPA could do anything more about that then they could about which and how many pilots were to be siphoned off to AA in the 2000 deal. A lot of AAA pilots and assets were declared to be excess to that deal by Goodwin, and with AA also acquiring TWA at the same time a blood bath was likely.

As for 'UAPA', careful what you wish for. You can change the name but the combined group will still have the same people who drove USAPA fighting for a voice big time, along with the AWA group, and pretty much all of the 2172. That's a serious cocktail brew, and I'll bet my point about financial and legal resources would be an issue as well. I don't think you'd argue that ALPA has more money than the independents, yet when take a look at the individual MEC accounts. Many are already drawing more from national than they are bringing in, and I'm not just talking regionals here.

 

[Hamburger]

That's about as good of a deal as tying an anchor to an albatross.

 

[satpak77]

I guess one observation from all of this is the seniority list issue has been a "nonissue" reference the CEO's talking merger. They ain't loosing any sleep over the lists, not that I can tell.