Oh boy...I can't wait to see some of the answers here.

You are having problems finding info on Midwest strategies because they don't have any. They are very proficient at making bad decisions, though. Go to www.jsonline.com and search for the last few articles on "Skyway."

If you read the history of the attempted AirTran takeover and the news of last week, then you will get your answer to Question #2. The "Best Care in the Air" starts with screwing employees on the ground.

A couple of years ago, the cookie counters decided that it would be cheaper to operate the ground ops under Skyway. Poof. Midwest employees one day. Skyway employees the next with the associated pay cuts. I see history repeating itself soon. They did it again when several of the destinations were cut from the Midwest schedule and covered by the SkyWest CRJs.

I understand Midwest gets a tax break from Milwaukee because it threatened to move the HQ to Kansas City. Forget the employees and their families who would have to move of seek other employment. Forget the Milwaukee taxpayers who have to shoulder the Midwest welfare fund. MEH is not loyal to Milwaukee and does not deserve the loyalty shown by the residents.

There is also an article about Midwest finally getting certified for Cat II/III ops. It took them how many years to figure out that they needed this? How many passengers have missed flights or appointments because of this lack of vision and forethought? Thousands -- and that has been in just in the last 4 months! Midwest does not compensate (most of the time) for these problems because it's a weather issue (as AirTran and Northwest planes take-off and land with no problem).

The “Best Care in the Air” is going to be strained again with the “it’s still all coach” 99-seat metamorphous of the 717. That will be an increase of 13% in the number of people who are vying for the flight attendants’ time. There will still be only 2 (99 pax) so that they can save the cost of a 3rd FA. Same amount of supply (2 FA’s) + 13% increase in demand = reduction in quality due to less time available per passenger. How about that product?

The SkyWest deal is just the latest of these bad decisions. Midwest is very excited about their new 50 seat program. Not a minute too late, either! All the other airlines are running to sign-up for every 70-90 seat regional aircraft Canada and Brazil can produce. The 50-seaters were great 10 years ago when fuel was a fraction of today's cost. What vision!! Now they have hired SkyWest to run from Madison to Milwaukee, AND Midwest buys the fuel.

And they keep getting more of these old, worn-out, fuel-guzzling MD80's. Why not order new planes. Nobody will loan them the money! What does that say about their business model? They couldn’t get financing a few years ago to buy their own 50 seaters. Nothing has changed.

Nothing will change, either, until Northwest gets their red paint on those blue planes. At that point, the CEO is the only winner. He got to keep his job for awhile and $17/share for his stock.

Enron Air will soon join the ranks of Eastern, Braniff, Ozark, TWA, and Pan Am.