Don't know what your criteria was for second tier airline back in 87, but I do know this, the contract that USAir worked under in the early 80s after the PSA/Peidmont mergers was pretty damn good. They had duty rigs that made Delta's pale in comparison. 86/87 were the big years for B scale, thanks be to the AA guys and Crandal. Everyone seemed to follow afterwards. USAir became USair, I think around 78-9 (re. Alleganey -5sp) timeframe and it was pretty good, not unlike Ozark, Piedmont, PSA, Republic, Hughes Air West, Southern and other names lost in the past. Very good niche players in their own rights. But then again, the job anywhere then was probably better than most places today. Thanks Alfred Kahn, Ted K. and J. Carter. 30 plus years later and their dream of travel for the masses at bus prices has come to pass. And we get to reap the "rewards".

A growing airline? Ok now your LAS based is about closed, your PHX base is bleeding money. You have 180 pilots on furlough. You have what you brought to the merger, nothing.

It has been four years since the merger and there are still separate operations. Why? Because it is a legal transition agreement. Separate ops until a combined contract.

Jamie Baker has been wrong more often than right. The only people that have a worse batting average than him and get to keep their jobs are TV weatherpeople.

It also must be noted that their analystic wind shifts frequently and rapidly. By February, they could be predicting imminent liquidation for UAL or U. Their beliefs are predicated on a crystal ball that reads about 2 months in the past and not 6 months in the future.

I have a relative that was at Reno. He is quite happy with the integration. Got a big pay bump. Move back to his home town. It was all good the first few yrs until 9/11. Never been the same sense. I think that goes for everybody. Not withstanding he still a fairly senior 767 Fo. Good sked.

Our casm went from 7 cents to 13 cents overnite because of the east anchor, and like everyone else that has ever dealt with that scumbag operation managements answer is to retreat back east, psa anyone?

If there is ever a day to lose the acrimony and name calling, this is it. It's 9/11 gentlemen and it is by the grace of God that we were not flying one of those aircraft 8 years ago. Any one of us could have been working for United, American or even US Air. No matter what uniform you wear today, let's respect every pilot and their airline. Please.

Outstanding! Thank you.

AA

Prior to the aquisition America West was growing. We had Airbus 320 family orders coming for the next 4 years and we had firm orders for the A 350 which were America West orders. Growth in PHX has been stalled with an infatuation with PHL, which is fine but realize that the America West of 4 years ago and the West operation today are two different animals. Since there is no breakdown in operations results from the East and West I do not know how you can possibly say the the West is bleeding money. We do know that Kirby and Parker said that LGA was losng money, that is why the gate swap for DCA was done. You may be thinking of initial 10K statemets after the merger, realize that America West Holdings (the West) absorbed all merger expenses, none were charged to US Airways at that time. That resulted in the America West portion of the combined airline showing a loss. AWA had some of the lowest costs in the industry before the merger, that is why we made money competing with SWA. Now we are a bloated, inefficient carrier with our principla hub based in the Mogadishu of the United States

You seem bent on denigrating the accomplishments of America West before the merger. You are free to say what you want but realize that we will correct your factual errors. You can live in your dreamworld and I do hope you are happy there. Know that we out West have always enjoyed our jobs and we have always had pride in ourselves and our ability to overcome adversity. We always said we were one CEO and one contact away from being a great place to work. I guess we are still looking for that to happen and that is why we would welcome a merger to get us out from this disaster of an operation. This management is going down the same failed road that US Air has travelled before, placing an emphasis on the yields out East without controling the exorbient costs that are incurred with that type of operation. The days of .30 cents a seat mile yields like Piedmont had are gone forever.