Hot off the press... I guess we all agree...:confused:

Delta's Anderson hypes alliance with JAL - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

The CEO of Delta Air Lines Inc. Friday touted the advantages a potential alliance with struggling Japan Airlines Corp., and said regulatory approval is possible if a deal can be reached.
In a recorded message to employees, Richard Anderson said an alliance with JAL would have far greater long-term benefits for the Japanese carrier. Delta has been trying to lure Japan Airlines out of its alliance with American Airlines-led oneworld with promises of $1 billion in equity and assistance from the SkyTeam partnership.
“There’s no doubt that Delta and SkyTeam are the strongest partners for Japan Airlines,” Anderson said.
Delta's proposal reportedly includes $500 million from SkyTeam, a $300 million guarantee from Delta, $200 million in asset-backed funding and $20 million for transition costs.
JAL has recently slashed routes and has been seeking additional assistance from the Japanese government. Reuters, citing the Nikkei business publication, said JAL would seek $1.1 billion in government bridge financing as early as Nov. 24.
Both Fort Worth, Texas-based American (NYSE: AMR) -- JAL’s current partner in the oneworld alliance -- and Delta push to retain a partnership that is strategic in terms of the routes and connections gained in Asian markets.
American has said it’s negotiations with JAL are at a further advanced state than Delta’s offer.
On Friday, Standard & Poor’s said a deal, or lack thereof, with JAL would not affect the credit ratings of American or Delta.
Anderson said a JAL addition to SkyTeam would give the alliance a 46 percent marketshare to Japan, slightly more than All Nippon Airways and Continental Airlines, which is also seeking regulatory approval. Antitrust immunity has been approved for alliances with as much as 70 percent marketshare, including American’s venture with Lan Chile Airlines.
The DOT, he said, had approved all previous antitrust immunity applications.
Beyond dollars, Anderson said a marketing, route-planning and revenue-sharing tie-up with Delta’s team would have far reaching competitive advantages as well.
Atlanta-based Delta (NYSE; DAL) gained a hub in Tokyo with its merger with Northwest Airlines, and is the dominant U.S.-based carrier to Asia. The Delta-Northwest tandem carriers about 7,500 passengers daily between the U.S. and Japan, while American and JAL fly only about 1,300, Anderson said.
SkyTeam partners Air France-KLM Group and Alitalia also are the top players from Europe to Japan.
“If JAL stays in the American relationship it will be relegated to a permanent third place position in the Japan-US market,” Anderson said.
On Nov. 19, the head of the pilots union for Delta-Northwest also endorsed the partnership.
Lee Moak, chief of the Delta Air Line Pilots Association, said SkyTeam “is without question the strongest long-term strategic partner for Japan Airlines.”
The teaming would enhance job security among JAL pilots and those of all SkyTeam airlines, he said.
Six of the 10 SkyTeam members already have some form of relationship with JAL, Anderson said.
Delta is the parent company of Eagan-based Northwest Airlines, the dominant airline serving the state of Minnesota.

Would a new JV with JAL be subject to MEMRAT? I know there was specific language in the NWA PWA in regards to the KLM JV, including limiting flying that was given to KLM plus clauses preventing whipsaw & transfering flying from one pilot group to another in the event of a strike. Anything similar in our current PWA?

You guys need to get rid of Moak. Yesterday.

Two questions:

1. Why?
2. What's your frame of reference (e.g. do you know him personally, what airline do you fly for, etc.?)

I think Moak is right on this one. It can get ugly either way but the JAL/Haneda deal option is the better of the two evils. Infact, if done correctly, with the right scope restrictions, the deal can substantially help the pilot group. Just IMHO.

Anybody familiar with the PWA able to answer this? I went from DTWDC9 B to DTW320 B Nov 20, 2008. I was displaced to DTWDC9 B Jun 1, 2009.

I think I incured a 2 year lock when I went to the 320 so can I be AE'd somewhere else, or am I stuck on the DC9 until Nov 2010? Or if the conversion date is after my 180 days post SOC recall rights expiration, am I released from my 2 yr freeze?

Oh man, I've confused myself! :p Thanks in advance. :)

Dude...you got me confused too now. Lock, freeze, AE, recall, coversion ....holy crap! I need to sign up for ground school for this crap:eek:

I don't have a dog in this fight, I'm not affiliated with Delta in any way.

If you look at how many RJs are flying around with "DELTA" painted on the side (probably nearly half of all the RJs in the country) and how happy he seems to let every other pilot group on Earth do Delta's flying for them, it seems pretty obvious that this man needs to go.

Agreed, we need protections. There is a lot of visibility with this one that the AF/KLM deal did not have. (I will not even go in to what else I think as Slow and I hashed that out already, and I offered my suggestions ;) )

Our MEC team is very capable of dealing with this.

As I have said, the issue is not necessarily with the direction of our union, but the communication to the group. We need a White Paper distributed to the pilots on the fact that can be disseminated to us, as well has a why our position is a certain way.

I agree with our MEC, we need to support the deal AND try to make gain with the deal!

Not as I understand it. It will be TAed and ratified by the MEC just like AF/KLM