The biggest hangup with SFO is pilot retention, that was an ongoing trainwreck with company-wide ramifications up until Feb. AS was taking regional pilots, giving them a NB type or two with ETOPS and then assigning them to the junior base, effectively serving them up on a silver platter to UAL.

Nobody in their right mind would stay, unless they live in ANC and absolutely want to eventually be based at home. I've met several ex-AS pilots commuting to SFO from PDX, so even PDX won't keep them.

But I guess having a WB option in SFO might mitigate the bleeding just a bit. But it's still going to be hard to compete with UAL, which will be hiring for at least anothe decade.

Again it's not just about SFO, almost all new-hires go to SFO and the majority then resign within a year.