badflaps

"We have met the enemy and they is us."- Pogo

Herkflyr

Uh, the ME3 is the elephant in the room...no "diversion" tactic to distract us. We are quite aware of mgmt's long-term dream of massive outsourcing. It doesn't mean that the ME3 aren't the bigger threat today--they absolutely are.

If you want a crude and over-the-top, but somewhat relevant parallel, think of the ME3 as the Nazi's during WWII, and our mgmt as the Soviet Union. Yes they will be (and in the present even are) our long-term adversary. But in the short term the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and we need to focus on what unites us to destroy the common enemy which is greater.

Purple Drank

I don't see a bit of difference morally between the ME3 and the company. RA and friends would do exactly what the ME3 is doing if they could find a way to do it. Delta would love to have labor laws loosened, unlimited subsidies, and blanket anti-trust immunity. All those guys care about is how to make more money.

I bet Sleepy Ed wakes up in the middle is the night and says "why didn't I think of that?"

Anyway, that Nazi/Soviet analogy is absurd. Stalin was responsible for far more deaths than Hitler. They were both evil.

Herkflyr

You are twice correct. The analogy was over the top and both were evil. But we were absolutely right to ally with the Soviet Union during the war and we need to ally with mgmt on this one. Otherwise we may be all longing for the day when we had them luxury of arguing over the value of a vacation day and LCA trip drop rules while the emirs and their oil money subsidized carriers wreak market havoc.

Hank Kingsley

You boys are getting in way over your heads. Let's make the arrangement more like the symbiotic relationship between the pearl fish and the sea cucumber. The pearl fish seeks protection in the anus of the sea cucumber. Not sure who is who in our deal.

Army80

Got to wonder how $35 oil effects ME3's ability to "own" the big jet world?

TenYearsGone

One more thing to add. It appears the ME3 pilots have had it with long days and Sh!tty work-rules provided by a draconian management group.

If we dont support them and they dont start making lives easier over there, ME3 will implode.


TEN

Herkflyr

Good one! It's funny because it is true.

Planetrain

Going to have to disagree. BY FAR, the biggest threat is the ME3. Don't lose sight of this. Hands down, it's a better jet, better service, better seat, better food, better terminals. Delta could match their gold plated toilet seats, VOD/IFE, breadsticks and cognac, showers with Jennifer Anniston, etc. - but not without $42B in subsidies like the ME3. The ME3 can do all these award-winning service items because they don't have to balance their books. They come up short, they just call Uncle Sheik and he backstops with the royal oil $$$. Need some more kickbacks? Call Boeing, our congress, and the ExIm Bank for below-market financing. Still need more? Ignore OSHA, worker's rights, EPA, and discriminate based on age, weight, nationality, and longevity.

If anything, Joint Ventures have acted as a protective barrier against the ME3. Its hard for them to penetrate our markets when no one is left to be bought or partnered and the Western hemisphere is made into a fortress. The fastest way to erect those barriers was not through organic growth. Given the choice, sure I'd rather have Delta pilots do all our passenger flying worldwide. But given the lousy global competitive situation we're in, I'd rather have JVs than lose all our flying to ME3.

BTW, I'd wager the Joint Venture LOAs have given the Delta pilots MORE flying than our 1.F PWA protections alone.

RockyBoy

I'll bet Sleepy Ed and RA wake up in the middle of the night dreaming of a JV with all of the ME3.

The money train and back door deals with anything in Saudi Arabia and the UAE is so great that I don't think we have any chance at all of stopping the ME3. It is obvious the current administration could care less about what Delta and ALPA think....customs facilities, Exim, and failing to even look at the open skies violations.

These airlines will continue to grow and expand into markets that we currently serve......unfortunately the best way to counter the threat may be to cooperate with them.