Originally Posted by
Turbosina
Thank you! Another question: I assume AK is pretty committed to SFO as a base? I get that the closure of all Bus bases and the retirement of the entire Bus fleet was a one-time thing that everyone kinda saw coming for quite some time, but it's not often that a major carrier fully retires a fleet type and closes multiple bases. Given AK's apparently more cautious growth pace than other carriers (UA, SWA all have very aggressive plans) — is it safe to say that SFO/737 will likely be a thing at AK for years to come? I realize this is the airline industry and plans can change in a heartbeat, but just curious as to the level of confidence that SFO will remain a growing base (or just a base at all) for the foreseeable future....
Yes, SFO will stay, as much as AS is averse to getting out of their box they do now seem to realize that growth and expansion is vital to long-term viability in the age of mega airlines.
Alternatively, the most logical end-game for an MBA would be AS acquired by UA...
- Heavy west-coast domestic capacity to complement UA's international.
- Solution for UA scope-limited UAX feed.
- No significant overlap besides SFO (everybody is in LAX, so that's a wash).
- Dilutes UA pilot retirements.
But to get that by the trust-busters would require a regime change in DC. If the-one-who-shall-not-be-mentioned were to return, I'd consider UA/AS a very real possibility.
Otherwise AS might buy HA on the cheap, if nothing else as a defensive move. That will only be good for pilots if they actually retain their newly acquired expansion, as opposed to retreating back to SEATAC like the last two mergers.