Back when the airline stocks were tanking because of COVID, management incorporated a “poison pill” provision into their stockholders rights. NK didn’t HAVE to accept this deal, they did it because they wanted to. As for the little fish eating the bigger fish, that well may have been cosmetic to help get it past the antitrust guys. It’s a MERGER far more than a buy-out. But both sides clearly wanted this deal and as alike as the two airlines are, it will likely be a success business wise. But BECAUSE both managements want it to go through, there is less likely to be the usual farting around to put pressure on the pilots than for the average CBA.

The important thing is for both ALPA unions to get together immediately and define goals and expectations for the JCBA, then get competent negotiators to price out what we’ll accept. Because both managements WANT this to happen, and the union(s) have never been in a more advantageous position to make gains. But one way or another, barring fed disapproval, this is gonna happen eventually. The longer it takes, the longer before management realizes the economies of scale and competitive advantages this merger will give them. We need to get the most possible out their impatience to get this done…sort of like managements traditionally do with pilots.