Originally Posted by gloopy

I hope you are right. I know we are pushing for "less" charity to be given to them as a result of the two mergers since the original filing/rejection. But I would be shocked if SWA and maybe even JB didn't walk away with at least some very valueable LGA/DAC slots in what will obviously be a flat out bribe/appeasement. Of course I doubt [hope?] their days of being treated like Air Force One by every ATC facility are coming to an end. Oh that's right, "ATC knows they can get it dunn and no one else can" or whatever

Originally Posted by chuck416

Hi Amish Pilot,
I'm kinda' in the same boat. Probably same as you, I know guys who've been DC-9/A for years, and went to the 774/B for:
>QOL
>more money
>less work/different lay-overs
I'm inclining more & more to make the same jump perhaps this year. The big variable is the time frame of closing the MEM -9 base, as is rumored lately. Interesting times!!! I view this as one of those 'choice between two good things' that life occasionally hands you. Good luck in your choices...

Originally Posted by gloopy

IMO Delta is still reeling from the self induced blunt force trauma pounding in giving up a significant gate area, dumping tons of money into the "TajMullin" only to underutilize it, while the carrier that you allowed to gain market share in the process of doing so has flat out dominated, taken the title as the city's biggest and even stole the Red Sox sponsorship out from under us. All while we flounder in a half empty terminal with low utilization that we share with a competitor (not to mention give Alaska some great routes that should be 100% ours).

IOW, we have a LOT of act to get together before a BOS pilot base of any kind is even a consideration. Don't hold your breath, as it appears we have ceeded that territory permantly and are too afraid to do what it takes to get it back. The shuttle may or may not be a "money maker" (to a large degree that is) but the shuttle as a whole is 2/3 RJ's anyway. The BOS-LGA shuttle isn't nearly enough to justify a BOS base. We won't have one until we get down and dirty and take that city back, and it doesn't look like we are willing and/or able to do that now. Kiss BOS goodbye.

Originally Posted by TANSTAAFL

Excellent point. Has anyone heard a percentage of how much of this slot swap flying is going to be mainline as opposed to DCI?

Originally Posted by Amish Pilot

Hi Chuck,

I made the jump to the DC-9 when the freighters got parked. I told myself I would give it a year and see if it grows on me. Well, it didn't. I'm not really onto the 5 legs a day type of flying and I started having Gaoza withdraws. Anyway, just checking my options. That is the great part of working for a airline this size, tired of flying intl, did domestic, tired of flying domestic, bid intl. Good luck to you also.

Originally Posted by forgot to bid

Um, time to post this on the Windfall thread gloopy, looks like it's about to fall off the front page of APCF as nobody has said anything since the day I said too much. Hate for a winner of a thread like that to disappear.

Originally Posted by forgot to bid

If the deal stays the way DAL/LLC counter proposed, the part with JB, Spirit, Westjet and AAI getting slots, then in a way both JB and SWA will be getting something. Nothing more should be given.

This should be on Delta and LLC's terms and if not they should sue and pants the DOJ/DOT's for all the world to see.

I just don't see Delta budging on any more. To do so would justify what SWA has done which is to make some sort of deal that had the government doing their bidding for them and demanding for free what everyone else earned over decades of effort.

SWA did the right thing buying AAI. If they're willing to pay then congratulations you get in to new markets... and years and years of financial and operational headaches.

But having the government run interference on some lousy argument that other airlines can't make deals that don't benefit them because that's anti-competitive, well, to that idea I say: