Originally Posted by
boog123
The new agreement is just an extension of their "old" agreement that has been in place for over 10 years. Over that time, there has been many times new routes were added/replaced that their code was out on each other's routes. AK is the KING of playing both sides, and guess what, it works for them.
Obviously, you are not LAX based. The times they are a' changing. Gate kungfu, new DAL mainline up and down the west coast, etc. The AK roulette is coming to a head. They may have been KING at one time, RA is calling their hand as we now fly mainline from SEA and PDX to LAX. Fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, FU.
IMHO, AK has overplayed their hand. They will be had....by somebody. I hope its not us. If it is, so be it. If I were them, I'd much more appreciate a DAL acquisition to an AA/US Air/Cactus/TWA abortion.
I can tell you this. We brought AK over to Terminal 6 in LA. We have the tunnel to our terminal 5. There is no tunnel to AA's terminal 4. Recently, we have started using AK's terminal 6 gates (just did it tonight, or last night). We're thick as thieves.
I'd much rather merge/buy Hawaiian. I see Alaska as our next opportunity, however.