You’re not digesting the biggest part of what you said. THEY SPENT $2.5 BILLION ON AN AIRLINE TO EFFECTIVELY DISSMANTLE IT... Yes, this was an acquisition, not a merger. They did not want VX for VX, they wanted the space you took up. They didn’t want the hip vibe, they wanted to eliminate a competitor and keep JB out of their backyard for as long as possible, all while instantly growing to a size that staved off any takeover attempts. Ask any Air Tran guy if SW came to them and asked them for their opinions and ideas on how to integrate the Air Tran culture and vibe into SW or if what they were doing made sense. I’m sure they’ll give you an earful. SW ditched all the 717’s, consolidated where necessary, shoved the pilots onto the list and completely erased Air Tran from the books. How about AA’s purchase of TWA?? How long did that take to iron out? AA and SW worked through it all and are doing just fine. AS will be just fine as well. I understand your anger at losing your airline and empathize with those on the East Coast losing their base. I’ve been there myself. However, you guys keep letting your anger and anti AS sentiment dictate what you type here. Debating what VX could have done is a go nowhere argument. VX is gone. We may as well debate what a great airline America West could have been. Do yourself a huge favor and don’t let the negativity drain you. This is just a job, we’re still employed, we’re still insured, we’re still making decent livings. As you guys have repeatedly said, this ain’t your first rodeo, so if that’s the case, you should be accustomed to change. Can you name a 10 year period where dramatic changes haven’t occurred in the airlines?

 

You are missing the fact that 1 900=1.5 319’s and 1.x 320’s etc. It will not be a 1:1 replacement.

 

Doood, the biggest set back for us is that when people boarded Virgin for the first time, they said "Wow". We were something to be proud of. Now, were just alaska.

 

As far as I know, an A319 and a B739 have the same amount of pilot seats. It's a net loss as far as career progression.

 

Exactly! You didn’t even have to take your gloves off to figure that out. Just like the expectations prior to close of sale. AS was adding seats, while VX was growing frames. Even after that who gained in routes? It’s gonna get really interesting when WN starts Hawaii. Chuck Norris is coming for a fight!

 

However, its the SAME thing that happened to Western. And PSA. And Reno. Now VX. Why are you surprised?

 

Great. Those “Wow” people also didn’t pay your company enough to cover the costs. Everybody likes getting something for nothing but Alaska isn’t a Charity. I don’t care if our “guests” impressed or not. The vast majority just want to get where they’re going on time. Alaska Airlines is more than a sugar high and a cheeky ad campaign.

 

No dog in this, but I am a Cali guy...


VX's financial trajectory was typical for a startup, especially given the timing (recession, oil spike). They clearly appeared to be on the right track to keep making money and more of it. Cali people loved the brand, their only complaint was that they didn't fly to more places.

 

Not only that, you can’t compare a privately held airline to a publicly traded one. The VX investors were getting their money’s worth the whole time. Then they reaped the rewards heavily when they sold it to AS. I remember several times where management said we would’ve made money, but we had to make payments back to the investors. Then there’s the whole employee ownership scandal.

 

Dude,
I pegged you as a pretty smart person. A little negative but you always had a quick wit. What? you care about what? People getting off the plane, really, being proud? Ok, you will feel better if you care about the 5th and the 20th and start trying to be the first one off the plane, this will help you feel better!