Originally Posted by
Bucking Bar
ACL's exactly correct.
Alaska has a rare characteristic in this business, customer loyalty.
There is no way we could stick the Delta brand (diluted as it is) on America West and compete head to head with Alaska. That might look good on paper, but our results would be only marginally better than US Air's (with much higher costs).
Alaska is a large commuter airline, everyone of their managers is ex Horizon. Years ago I did flying for them as an Era pilot.
Probably the main reasons customers are so loyal is the fact that they own the ANC SEA market and the AS Alaskan Permanent Fund Check discount program (the state check Alaskans receive from oil royalties). AS gives residents several tickets in exchange for their check.
If SWA or other carriers seriously competed in the ANC market this perceived customer loyalty would dissipate. I do agree if we were to buy AS it would be a loser for us , HP would be worse yet.
Delta actually does not need to buy anyone on the west coast. Just purchase the Saudia MD90s, establish an LAX category and running those twenty-five or so hulls up and down the west coast using existing gates and personnel. Use a rational schedule between city pairs to join our customers with Delta flights. Also supplement the MD90s with other fleet types here and there. the cost at $10 mil/frame, $250 mil total.
Let AA or SWA deal with the merger issues and costs.