Slow, ppl see a good business decision in JAL and AS if it slapped them in the face.

It makes sense to get these agreements to feed our flights. Without them there would be 10 of billions of dollars missed a year. I agree that we need them, but I also agree that we need to tie our company to some of the revenue. This needs to be done directly and separate of the JV/CS deals. We are allowing these ventures and the revenue generation, lets get compensated for it too!

 

Essential,

While I agree we have a long way to go to recapturing our lost retirement and payscales we did improvements with the LOAs. We will be the highest paid of the legacies, we don't have guys on furlough and each year we are adding to our 401ks. It doesn't mean we should be satisfied but we have and are making improvements that will hopefully be used as a solid baseline to build off in 2012.

I would rather be negotiating from a position of strength (hopefully the economy has improved by then and our synergies have fully been realized) than go for broke and achieve nothing. Look at UAL, CAL and AMR for how well that has worked for them.

 

Because TPG is the major source of funding in AMR's proposal, I have a strong suspicion that any deal would be heavily skewed in TPG's favor; not AMR's and not JAL's. I'm fairly sure that TPG's track record won't be lost on JAL management, either.

While AMR may be able to give JAL more money up front, for JAL it would be a pact with the devil. TPG or AMR can't produce the synergistic feed that Skyteam can.

Change of subject:

A SWA and AS merger would be interesting to watch (from the sidelines). Career expectations as far as equipment would be identical. Neither would have any widebody expectations.

The history of SWA's SLI methodology is ugly, The Morris pilots basically got stapled and that's more or less what they were offering the Frontier pilots.

I don't think that would be acceptable to the AS pilots.

 

Thanks! I looked all over but never thought to look at "Leave Requests"

 

Got any good SGN intel? (I don't think I'm interested in the tunnels) Ferd [/quote]

No need to do the tours first few times. I do lots of walking on most layovers and the hotel in SGN is very close to much of what you can do in a layover or two. Last month I made it downstream a bit to far and have no need to do that again walking.

Since you are not going this month, I will collect up some stuff(maps) on the trip and get them your way.

I do have a 53hr+ this month and plan to go south to the beach and overnight if I can figure out the path. I will let you know.

 

Let me start this post by stating to Slow that this is my opinion only. In my In-Command class (Feb 09, I think) Steve Gorman stated that the company was in no way interested in AS because we get all the benefit of the feed with zero capital investment. Besides SEA, what exactly is AS feeding, LAX? I don't think so because we don't go anywhere from LAX other than the few cities that NW brought to the alter. The capital investment to feed the West ourselves would be minimal at worst. Here's the shocker for all you newbies: Delta isn't interested in the west coast.

West coast flying has low yields and the hubs that provide service anywhere are a long ways away (DTW, MSP, ATL, SLC - so-so). If Delta gets say a 2% ROI from the west but 4%+ from cities east of the Mississippi, then guess where the investment goes? It is only when the revenue from these other cities are affected enough from our pathetic west coast presence that the west will grow. The time may be coming but I don't think we are there yet. If JAL falls through and AA gets AS, I think DALs reaction will be to bump up service E-W and not west N-S. A short term fix for a long term problem.

Folks, I more than anyone would love to see the west grow by any mechanism, internal growth or merger, but I don't see it happening until we are done conquering the world OR a major west coast carrier fails. I don't see the latter happening any time soon, as well as there are many start-ups and/or regionals that would jump in to pick up the traffic like Skywest and Allegiant. Until things change, Delta will continue to be the worlds largest SE regional airline.

 

I agree, the point is that TPG sold MEH to RJET and it went against the deal NWA/DAL had for MEH etc.
Add to this the fact that our management has come out and stated they are irritated with RJET and the actions of TPG with JAL make all of the points follow a logical story line.

DAL does not like what TPG did or is doing

TPG does not care about what DAL thinks

DAL does not like the actions of RJET.

It all adds up.

Just sayin.....


I also agree that JAL is not dumb and they see TPG for what they are. (know a few dudes at Oak Hill and the stories are interesting)

 

This...after I bought you beer in what has to be THE most expensive bar in Fla.

 

From the latest weekly update.........

The MSP Training Center now contains cabin trainers for every aircraft in the Delta fleet and will provide one-stop shopping per se for crew training in MSP. Flight training in MSP will continue to be classroom and simulator instruction for pilots flying pre-merger Northwest aircraft such as the DC-9, A320/319, 757-200/-300 series, A330 - with an additional A330 simulator coming in the next few months, and 747-400.

That should help get some WB slots back to ATL.

 

I agree with what you have stated, but and there is a but, we would be forced to either buy AS or buy jets to replace that feed to our large international jets with AMR or LUV buys AS and eats our Code Share poison pill to blow a hole in our network. This would be a defensive move only. Probably cheaper than buying the jets, but in the end the market is going to get more diluted with competition against us or us competing against them.

JAL one way or the other forces everyone to show their hands.