Originally Posted by
KC10 FATboy
Can we afford loosing the AS codeshare? I really don't want the government deciding who wins that battle. I'd rather we go after it first. If we don't get it, fine, we keep the codeshare. If AMR tries after we were denied, we cry foul and sue.
This is my personal take.
If we go after AS first, we will not get approval. It we go after HI and AMR then goes after AS, we will be "compelled to protect our feed" with AS. It gives us a very rational position with the DOT in regard to this course of events.
DAL just going after AS give the government some wiggle room, and I do not see that happening.
The way that our code share is set up with AS, the other code shares that AS has are capped. We can grow ours but they cannot grow the others. The poison pill for ending our agreement is also a good deterrent for AMR. Because that cannot be paid with a stock swap, it provides a deterrent for AMR and B6 by itself. (lack o cash) It may allow AS to stay independent which is their desire, and for them to continue to feed us. It has been stated in many of the chats that RA has had, that we do not desire to buy AS unless we need to. If RA and co play their cards correctly we may be able to get HI and keep AS independent with the option to buy if need be. That IMO is the desire to date.
HA is important for our Asian route network and for our RASM out of HNL. If we can get that other HND slot, it bodes very well for DAL.