"we don't have a clear plan of how we're going to move forward."
 

I know a guy that was at Morris that boasted the exact same statement.

---------- different thought -----------------------

This next part is out of context, old news, I don't claim it has anything to do with this thread, draw your own conclusion; But the flying might not be as different as you think.....

Perhaps now the plan is a little more clear.......



ATW Daily News

Southwest Airlines commits to fleetwide RNP capability
Wednesday May 9, 2007
Calling it a "tipping point for performance-based navigation," US FAA Administrator Marion Blakey said at a briefing at Washington National Airport yesterday that Southwest Airlines informed the agency that it will equip its entire fleet for RNP, including retrofitting its 737 Classics.

The airline confirmed the plan, which Air Transport Assn. President and CEO James May said was an indication that "the entire industry is migrating as rapidly as possible to NextGen."

A Southwest spokesperson told ATWOnline that the carrier "has made the decision to move forward internally, but all the specifics are not in place. We've been researching the capabilities for more than a year, the possibilities and efficiencies that we would gain and the benefits from our fleet being RNP-capable." The airline will start with its 737-700s, which come RNP-ready but would require "some switches to be flipped" before flying for SWA. There is no timetable on the retrofit, the spokesperson revealed, saying, "we don't have a clear plan of how we're going to move forward."

Nevertheless, Southwest is the largest airline to commit to RNP capability across its entire fleet. Alaska Airlines, which pioneered the development of RNP procedures, previously had made the same commitment. Blakey said 37 RNP approaches currently are available at 17 airports, with an additional 34 scheduled to be in place by year end and another 25 published next year.

The RNP could also just be a business decision in the context of $100+ fuel. However; there have been a lot of interesting tidbits in the thread so far.

I also hear SWA is more interested in Horizon than Alaska. Does this make any sense/cents?$?$

Why would LUV want a Q400/RJ operation?

What does make sense is this:

1. In the Alaska Air Group annual report the board voted on a payout for Senior Management IF Alaska Airlines is sold out of the Air Group. $6M for the CEO, $4.5M for the CFO and the COO, $3.5M for the ex-VP of Flight Ops who is currently on a consulting contract.

2. They are accelerating the MD retirements.

3. Alaska has enough cash/cash equivalents in the bank to buy EVERY share of Alaska stock and leave about $300M.

4. The Air Group has had the EMB-190/195 on site in PDX showing them to Horizon folks.

So, here's the scenario. Alaska Air Group sells Alaska Airlines to whoever (LUV, DAL, etc.). The Senior Managers make a killing not only on the specified cash payout, but on their stock/stock options as well.

They sell off all their Union problems. The only labor groups unionized at Horizon are the pilots and F/As.

They then take the money from the sale of Alaska and acquire a bunch of Ejets. The Horizon guys are enamoured with a bigger plane and agree to fly it for CRJ wages.

If history is any predictor, whoever buys Alaska will soldier along on the West Coast for a couple years and eventually strip the assets and put them into their East/West operation. AA did it to AirCal and Reno. USAir did it to PSA. Delta did it to Western.

The Air Group then fills the void using Horizon's Q400s and Ejets, having discarded the CRJs as the Ejets came on board. The Senior Managers laugh all the way to the bank.

What about the Alaska pilots? If the Morris deal was an indicator, they'll probably be stapled to the bottom of the LUV list, but pay protected in their current seat positions. There are plenty of Alaska Captains who would pull gear for $196 an hour.

I hope we dont merge either, but if we do you guys would be the one that I would choose. If we do I hope they build a big fence or something?

Personally, I'd prefer LUV over DAL as well. Fences? If we get stapled, you won't need them. As long as there's just a policy of "No bump and flush" then it won't really matter.

An Alaska buyout would be an easy way for LUV to expand without having to train a bunch of new guys.

First, I don't think WN would have much interest in the CRJs, but the Q400 would allow them to access a lot of smaller markets at a cheaper cost than the legacies who have large RJ operations.

The second point I'd like to make is that I find it very unlikely that Horizon's pilots would agree to fly a 90 seater for the same rates as the CRJ-700. Actually, I'm pretty sure the Union's first reaction to any such proposal would be laughter, soon followed by disgust when they realized that management was serious.

Another thought I had was about anti-trust concerns. Much as UA and US was determined by the DOJ to control too much of the east coast, AS and WN might have the same problem just on the other side of the continent. I believe they are the two largest carriers up and down the west coast.

You make some BOLD statements. I think the Horizon pilots are very smart and would not fly the E-190 without a new pay scale.
The deal on Morris (no-union) was they'd all be CA's at WN within 5 years. Based on growth at that time.
Why would you even think for 1 second that Alaska pilots would be stapled?

That was flame bait. AA will make this impractical as an acquisition. Merger is possible, but I doubt that, too. I think you guys may be reaching here

[quote=mike734;289950]I can tell you that we fly airplane VERY differently. SW flys more legs and flys the airplane much more, how should I say this, casually. Our guys are much more methodical in the way we fly the 737. I'm not taking anything away from SW. They DO have the best safety record. I just think the style is different. It would really be something to see a SW guy and a ALK guy fly together. That said, we can all learn to adapt to other styles.

I do not think there is a big difference.... SW guys/gals have incentive to fly.... Paid by the trip! ALK pilots only have sick leave as a incentive!