Eventually, ther ewil only be two major airlines in the country, American and United.

Merger Talk
 

All this merger talk could create a lot more Skyhighs, but remember I am the original! :)

SKyHigh

Nah, it's the brotherhood (sisterhood) of airline pilots; yeah me and screw you. We could site a bunch of very unhappy mergers/acquisitions to illustrate it.

No surprise that no one agreed with my comments, I posted what I did knowing that I would get that response. I've been reading these forums just long enough to realize that. No offense to anyone intended by that comment.

Speaking of the USA: How many States do we have?

Now, how many airlines do we have?

How many of you in the left or right seat have experience running a multi-million $ or multi-billion $ business? You think it is easy?

Do you really think that you could run your airline better than it is being run, while producing a profit for the shareholders?

Hey, maybe you could! Far be it for me to say otherwise.

Do you think you really think you could run your airline better, while satisfying the shareholders? Want to give it a try?

Indeed, there have been airlines run by those who should have been doing something else, that's for certain. No argument there. Of course, these folks often made out like bandits, but that's another story.

However, that fact aside, we're still talking business here, and while I do feel that the overall state of the airlines and especially the treatment and pay for airline pilots is deplorable at best, those of you doing this for a living had best realize that it might get worse before it gets better.

It will get worse, and make no mistake about that. :(

We are beshafted
 

After my last flight, I was escorted to a locked room and shown the Big Picture: Ever since Orville and Wilbur flipped that coin at Kitty Hawk, our profession has been all about shafting other pilots, not flying. Shaftees become shafters, and vice versa, in an endless cycle. New hires, B-scalers, and merged pilots are automatically shafted, but immediately gain the right and duty to shaft others in the future. It's hard and thankless work, often requiring multiple reshafts. Only on retiring can one break free, by entering the Nirvana of Perpetual Enshaftment. ;)

I love the weekend warriors who "know all" about this industry:rolleyes:

As opposed to guys that just fly around the sky? Do you really think that (any) airline management gives one hoot or holler about their employees? Do you think that they care one iota whether you and I agree with, or see synergy in, a particular merger? The answers to the above two questions are: no and no.

Airlines are nothing more than publicly held corporations, with managers who are responsible to: 1) themselves; 2) the shareholders; 3) the creditors; and 4) the employees. In that order. It's why they always seem to leave with a ton of money, even as their particular airline is tanking. Witness EAA, PAA, TWA, etc.

As for mergers, Ottopilot has the most parochial, but refreshingly honest, point of view when he says: "If CAL merges with anyone; I lose my job (2005 hire). CAL can do just fine without merging with anyone. I can upgrade next year, but if we merge I'll be looking for work, so obviously I'm for no merger. I have a lot to lose. I prefer to let dying airlines die and let other airlines pick the corpse for planes and gates. Mergers get ugly." However, rest assured, airline management also doesn't care if you lose your job, go to the bottom of the list, or just quit in disgust, because at the end of the day, they will move on with big bucks. I've personally always felt that all these guys who gravitate to airline management, are somehow related to each other. They all seem to have very similar interests. It's like those who run for national political office. You gotta know, we as a country could do better, but we just don't ever seem to realize that dream.

how exactly does a merger work with 2 Alpa carriers?

Is it determined by an arbitrator?

I thought there was already some sort of preset forumula (whether that is DOH or career progression)

Wasnt the US Airways offer to the Delta creditors higher than anything else on the table? I think that gives it more of a chance that it might have otherwise. I would imagine that Delta's creditors would be quite interested in anything that would reduce the loss that they have had to take in Delta's bankruptcy. That said, I dont see a lot of synergy in their route system, but I am certainly no expert. I have heard rumors that retired Delta pilots are one of the larger debtholders that the company has, in the form of its defunct pension. I would guess that they would be interested in getting something from the merger over the nothing or next to nothing that they might get otherwise. Because of all of this, I wouldnt be so quick to discount the possibility of this deal happening. Of course, the current Delta employees would get the shaft and that sux.

This is in error. Business Week reports that there is settlement money pending reorganization.