Perhaps the truth is they both recognized the opportunity jointly. From SD's March 16th Weekly Update:

"On Tuesday of this week, we met with ALPA and received ALPA’s opener for our Pilot Working Agreement that is amendable at the end of the year. The fact that we are opening contract discussions a few weeks early is an indication that both ALPA and the company believe there is an opportunity to reach a comprehensive agreement on an expedited timeline in advance of the amendable date."

Anyone see that DAL and LCC had a nice bump in the last two and a half hrs of trading?

Volume went up too. Looks like a couple of big buys.

There is an opportunity for both. Us to add more restoration to our contracts, and for the company to know their major labor costs for the next few years. This will allow them to gain access to the financing they need going forward as well as know that we will be under an agreement for any transactions over that period.

Also as an aside, it behooves the company to make sure that we have an agreement prior to the November elections. If the incumbent wins a second term labor get a bigger ear. (In a second term that is)

Maybe word got out to the Street that capacity will be further reduced, outsourcing increased, or a pilot pay raise of 5% will soon be announced.

I dunno, but generally people get out on a Friday. Just interesting that LCC and DAL both popped while the rest of the sector lagged.

Hmmmm...interesting. Do they know something?

Last week I spoke DIRECTLY to one of the ALPA negotiators. He said, "The company came to Dalpa and asked to open early". This same guy has been around forever. He is a professional negotiator whose past goes back to negotiating for Eastern. So to be factually correct straight from the horses mouth......you sir may be factually incorrect. I will admit I was not in the room with management and Dalpa but I tend to believe a first hand source over an Internet screen name. Sailing, you are a voice of reason and provide a good con argument to many posts....even if I don't agree with your kool-aid. With that said, who is right? Who really cares though.

Today I had an AirTran jump seater who also is part of the swa/tranny transition team. Last week she was in a meeting and Gary Kelly was there. He was quoted as saying they want to get rid of the 717's ASAP! She also said the tranny 717 training folks were told to grind to a halt and the 737 peeps were to gear up for a bunch of work.

FWIW regarding the AT fragmentation clause.

I want to say the langauge says something to the effect of "The company will attempt to negotiate a transfer of pilots with equipment".

If that's the case, I'd say it'd go something like this:

GK: Um, the AT pilot contract sez we need to try to send the pilots with the airplanes. Um, whadd'ya think about taking them?

Delta: Um, no.

GK: Ok. How about those Bears?

Delta: Helluva game, helluva game.

Nu

FWIW, I was told the same thing as well. Some want to purport it the other way. I guess they may think it reduces leverage or the way you state makes us think we have more leverage, but at the end of the day the reality is that both sides are meeting face to face continually. To put it bluntly, that would not be happening unless the company needed us to have a new agreement asap so that they can go ahead with more of their plan. It does not take a rocket scientist to see that.

On the ATN stuff, I also head that the 717 side of the house was told what you were told. It was about three or four weeks ago.

No.

Based on their returns, they are morons.