Originally Posted by
AAdvocate
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.
So a slide with metrics and performance numbers showing UA winning ORD that would eventually force AA to de-hub is forcing AA’s hand?
I don’t recall the specific slide you mentioned, but our quarterly townhalls with the E-Team have slides with financial and operational numbers showing how United did compared to the rest of the industry. Doubt it was some sort of slide that was made specifically with the intention to force AA to do anything. If the slide was from the townhall, it’s public. If it was leaked from a management meeting then it was never meant for anyone (including AA) to see. Regardless, only AA decides how to react.
The reality is, Kirby can’t make anyone do anything they don’t want to. If AA management decided to react the way they did, that falls on them. Bobby Ice runs AA, not Kirby.
That said, idk Chicago politics. UA is the headquartered in Chicago so it would make sense for United to be favored. If UA started a war in DFW, the local politicians would probably side with AA. Same with ATL and Delta. Just the way it is