Originally Posted by
SoFloFlyer
I get the banter between difference pilot groups, but objectively speaking, it’s not “petty games.” If gate allocation is based off utilization and your competitor dumps a bunch of flights into ORD, the normal response is to dump a bunch of flights too.
Kirby told the company in a townhall that he would’ve rather not have gotten into ****ing match in ORD, but AA shoved a bunch of flights into Chicago so he was forced to respond (paraphrasing, of course).
We’ll see how this plays out for our respective carriers
And the reason AA did that was due to a backroom deal Kirby made with Chicago to steal some gates away that went against the post-COVID agreement the airlines had with Chicago. I know the lawsuit got thrown out but it wasn't because American's claim was wrong, it was more due to technicalities. Then the infamous "de-hubbing" slide presentation got leaked and all but forced AA's hand. So yes, it all started with UA and Kirby's ego.