ghilis101

My definition of QOL has a lot to do with what the guy from SWA said earlier, about living in domicile. If you just happen to live in or near Oakland, sure go to southwest, and your 15 years as an FO will be a blast because youll be sleeping in your bed a lot. Commuting to OAK will otherwise be something you resent if youre not on the west coast. Otherwise, AA QOL will be better faster: multiple bases will have vacancies, tons of new aircraft deliveries.

I think if people are worried about the "unknown" factor of AA's future, I do think that is a valid concern. But you have to take a look at what makes money: international routes. AA owns South America for now, and they stand to do great with USAir's Europe market, and further expansion into Asia and Africa. Disclaimer: Its been a while since I got my MBA. But I will say AA is positioned well for the future, and the merger isn't just a shell or something to get the investors a quick buck.

Lastly I will say, JoeyMeatballs is correct. 5 years ago the decision was clearly different. Now, the majors have now teamed up as powerhouses, and their future looks pretty good, barring the usual economic catastrophes. The other players, SWA, JB, Spirit, Alaska, etc... well theyre doing well now because everyone is. But whos likely to be affected the worst in the next downturn? The guys who don't realize the full potential of the intl market. With that being said, I would probably pick a company like Spirit over SWA.