Originally Posted by Klsytakesit (Post 2310418)

The unoficial word from operations is 3 fold:
1) combination of selling or paying to not receive the 321's
2) Redirect the 320's to a north/ south roll and begin replacing them with 737's
3) Close JFK as a base. Turn it into a focus city.

This from a "senior checkairman" during a line check..couple days ago.
As if they know anything....

Originally Posted by Yetifan (Post 2309883)

This is so true. It's their chance to grow up and be a real airline. Will they do it?

Originally Posted by Klsytakesit (Post 2310418)

This from a "senior checkairman" during a line check..couple days ago.
As if they know anything....

Originally Posted by Reactivity (Post 2310498)

So by your estimation, Southwest is not a real airline because when they acquired AirTran, they unloaded all of their 717s in favor of continuing to operate a single type - the very same type operated by Alaska.

Originally Posted by greatbigsea (Post 2310790)

southwest is a real airline because they've aggressively grown to over 700 aircraft in 50 years and take care of their pilots. When alaska decides to actually grow by airframes and not seat count, places those planes at alaska and not horizon/skywest, and chooses to grow instead of rely on codesharing for 'growth', then they'll be a real airline. Right now they're a glorified travel agent who sells tickets on other airlines, who happens to operate a small handful of a/c regionally in the pnw. If they could get away with it they'd ditch he planes and just sell tickets as long as it brings money in for the investors.

Originally Posted by Klsytakesit (Post 2310418)

The unoficial word from operations is 3 fold:
1) combination of selling or paying to not receive the 321's
2) Redirect the 320's to a north/ south roll and begin replacing them with 737's
3) Close JFK as a base. Turn it into a focus city.

This from a "senior checkairman" during a line check..couple days ago.
As if they know anything....

Originally Posted by GreatBigSea (Post 2310790)

Southwest is a real airline because they've aggressively grown to over 700 aircraft in 50 years and take care of their pilots. When Alaska decides to actually grow by airframes and not seat count, places those planes at Alaska and not horizon/skywest, and chooses to grow instead of rely on codesharing for 'growth', then they'll be a real airline. Right now they're a glorified travel agent who sells tickets on other airlines, who happens to operate a small handful of a/c regionally in the PNW. If they could get away with it they'd ditch he planes and just sell tickets as long as it brings money in for the investors.

Originally Posted by Reactivity (Post 2311004)

Well, I guess 130 aircraft could be considered "a small handful". And I suppose flying those 130 aircraft from bases on the west coast to Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, Cuba, the east coast and lots of places in between could be considered "regional" if you define your region as the western hemisphere or maybe the Americas. It certainly doesn't fit within what the Pacific Northwest is generally considered to be.



Whatever.



So it seems that your definition of a real airline, which is notably different from Yeti's definition of a real airline (which appears to be an airline that operates multiple aircraft types) is one that increases headcount without regard for how that affects profitability. I'm pretty sure there have been airlines like that in the past. There's a reason why they're in the past.



You are aware that the company has a fiduciary duty to shareholders to try to operate the company profitably, right? If dumping the planes and selling tickets like a glorified travel agent is the most profitable way to go, then that is what I as a shareholder would expect them to do. People who own stock in airlines own it because they expect to make money, not because they want to be in the airline business.

Originally Posted by e6bpilot (Post 2311094)

Your screen name is very fitting.
SWA pilot here. Gary Kelly would drown all of us like kittens in a bathtub if he could. He paid us after four years of contentious negotiations and a complete overhaul of our union board into a somewhat hostile and very unified team.
Hang in there and be unified. Do what your union asks and either have faith in your NC or kick the bums out if they deliver a turd. That's how you get the contract you deserve.