Found this an interesting read:

Why the Big Three Airlines Keep Getting Bigger -- Seeking Alpha

 

Nice find. Good read.

 

Very interesting. Surprised to find that deregulation was under the Carter Admin, not the Reagan admin. I also think that DALPA's current tactic of engaging and working with management to ensure a profitable company and sharing in the bounty is the right way to go.

 

Good read. It will be interesting to see if the future holds cross-border mergers and/or purchasing low cost carriers to gain pricing control for the "Big 3" airlines.

 

Excellent reading. I'd also recommend this one for those unfamiliar with the history and continuing impact of deregulation on our industry: Air Transportation: Deregulation and Its Consequences

 

OK read, but fast and loose with some important facts:



"Southwest introduced a new business plan emphasizing low costs. It employed a largely nonunion work force and initiated aggressive fuel hedging strategies, which both continue to be the foundation of its low cost structure today."


Southwest - Largely non-union?


"In a clear illustration of the union’s unwillingness to accept lower wages, despite the industry bleeding red ink after 9/11, Delta’s pilots refused to accept concessions until 2004, when oil prices began to strain the carrier’s finances."


Delta Pilots not agreeing to cuts until 2004? How about DAL pilots not agreeing to cuts until the company asked for them.

If he is so far off on these two major issues it leads me to wonder if he is trying to write a narrative that fits the facts, or selectively find facts that support his narrative?

Scoop

 

Dude, an airline employs more than pilots.

That said, it's always best to take any news article with a grain of salt. Most reporters do their best to be factual and accurate, but unless they've been an airline pilot, flight attendant, manager, what have you, they probably don't fully understand the industry.

 

You mean like Southwests unionized mechanics and unionized flight attendants, and unionized customer service agents, and unionized reservation agents?

Southwest is one of, if not the most highly unionized airline operating in the US today, and this author says they are largely non union. In my mind that is a pretty big misunderstanding of the industry.

Scoop

 

Actually Southwest is the MOST unionized airline. I believe that ALL the Southwest Employee groups are unionized.

I think reporters do not do their best to be factual and accurate, they do their best to write a story that sells. I have never seen a story that I had first hand knowledge of reported accurately.

 

A. Southwest pilots are represented by an in-house association.....big difference between that and a union.

B. "Southwest introduced a new business plan emphasizing low costs. It employed a largely nonunion work force" is the quote, not what you said. That paragraph was in regard to its beginnings....when the pilots weren't even represented be their own association.