Kids.........

 

The good news about that is we can at least outsource all the CVG-west coast flights to Alaska to maintain market presence there, and give up the rest of the market to SWA.

Actually I think SWA might go into there. They are quickly running out of places to grow, yet they need to grow. They have had CVG surrounded for many years, but were too afraid of DL's zealously defended fortress hub. Now that that's over, they will likely go in like they did with PIT. Probably with massive favors from the airport and local governments.

CVG will still have a lot of DL flights. Always and forever more than SWA has the ability to add. If/when SWA comes to CVG, they will fly to their hubs and to a few other select markets and that's it. The key question will be, will DL compete or give it up? I think DL can compete, as we will see in ATL (and many other markets) as SWA's golden years of picking where they want to dominate and then dominating are over.

DL needs to be able and willing to ruthlessly compete with so called "LCC's" in every market, no exceptions. Retreating from markets on a case by case basis as competitors snipe market share on their terms by seat dumping and trashing yields one city pair at a time makes sense quarter by quarter but its not a long term sustainable business plan. Its time to do to SWA what SWA has done to everyone else. Win customers and make the other guy bleed til he retreats.

 

How dare you talk to our Alaska partners like that.

 

Merge with HI and still keep the marketing alliance thingy with AS?

Am I wrong to think the HI merger would be a better deal than a domestic lower 48 merger?

 

Anyone want to guess on how many pilots complete the survey by noon tomorrow?

My guess, 7823.

 

Hi FTB,
Dear Lord, I sincerely hope you are WAAAAY off base. At the MEM road-show last week, T.O. (or one of the other guys) indicated that it was something in the 6K range of guys who'd responded to date. If that's the best we get in the way of survey returns, man, are we ever going to get @#!$%-slapped on C2012. You'll have a hard time ever finding a guy who would admit to NOT filling out the survey. If 7K pilots is all we get interested in the process, I don't even want to contemplate what our next contract will look like.
Chuck

 

I 100% agree chuck.

But that's my pessimistic bet.

 

I'm going a little better than three-fourths. How about 8253?

 

Hawaiian first...and then Alaska.......bwaha, bwahhhaaaa, bwaahhaaaaa. (Insert creepy Halloween guy taking over the world laugh).

Take that SWA.

 

They can all go east....especially the senior ones.