beech2jet

Until everything is combined, its hard to make a lot of comparisons. NWA and DAL & CAL and UAL both posted strong profits when they were basically taking two seperate earnings reports and adding them together. Until everything is combined its hard to say how everything will look. DAL is obviously leading the way on where we all hope to be when we come out the other side.

PurpleTurtle

Yeah, the profits are pretty sketchy... To give management the best chance to eek out a profit, we should immediately cave on scope.

inline five

UAL and especially DAL are still kicking our tails though. They made similar or more money while being smaller than us.

I hope the company does something smart with their profits vs. just burning the money like they did on the last quarter. Maybe refurbish some planes, free wifi for customers, better FC meals, etc. I was on a DAL commuter recently and even got some cookies in coach, go figure.

Saabs

I disagree about United kicking our butt. Also u should fly Midway if you like the cookies so much

Listen to the Web cast from yesterday it specifically adresses your food concerns.

PurpleTurtle

Walmart is the world's largest retailer, and they don't give out free cookies to the customers, nor are they know for treating their employees well.

Walmart is successful because they have forced a large operational cost advantage relative to their competition.

Doug has always used the same strategy as Walmart. I have no expectation he will change his spots. I hope to be pleasantly surprised.

inline five

We aren't Wal-Mart or even anywhere near it. Price out some tickets on Spirit, they routinely come in 30% less than us. They had 35 airplanes <5 years ago. They will have ~150 in another couple years.

Same with Frontier, expanding like crazy.

SWA has eaten Airways lunch. BWI was a huge Airways domicile 15 years ago, it's now owned by SWA. They are now expanding into S. America, the only firm foothold AA had outside of the domestic market.

I don't mind being a Wal-Mart, I really don't. I would like to see Spirit-like coach seating and a really high end first class. Best of both worlds.

I know I sound pessimistic but don't want to too AA shrink as US+AW did.

Eastie Pilot

Pessimistic?? Your posts make me wonder if you're gonna kill yourself. It sounds like we're going out of business tomorrow according to you. Clearly you'd have been better off if you had taken a job at Spirit.

CanoePilot

United isn't kicking anyones ass other than their own employees and customers.

AA hasn't gotten any of the synergies of this merger yet and we are making more than our competition. We'll see what happens once we reverse the rest of the Horton/Arpey bad decisions.

kalymnos

SHAREHOLDER VALUE! This is what ALL business, all decisions and all forwarding planing is made for..
Wall Street has made all business addicted to the bottom line and shareholder value.. and guess who is NOT the biggest holder of shares..... not pilots, FA'S or any labor all together.
If you want to see the design for a business model with organized labor DONT look at wal mart, look at the IAW! When GM is making record profits the IAW is there looking at both hands of management and where the $ is going! And the IAW labor is getting rewarded for their unity and plan ..
Jack Welch spoke many times on how the shift of labor holding direct shareholder value shifted to hedge funds and Goldman Sachs and labor never saw it coming. Wal mart is small potatoes compared to the $$$ at stake int he future of American. We are talking hundreds of BILLIONS in pay, retirement, aircraft orders , fuel , etc..etc.. Either we think bigger and we are in or we are small and narrow-minded thinking fools and OUT!

Surprise

Dude: Basic Paragraph Structure