Carl Spackler

Really? I just saw Bethune on CNBC and they ALWAYS mention when a guest has that kind of potential conflict of interest relationship - yet nobody mentioned that. What is your source for that assertion?

My CAL friends disagree with you completely. They all say Bethune WAS a genius. I'm sure he had other talented folks on his team, but he did a remarkable job after Lorenzo's disastrous tenure.

The word eventually insinuates the longer term. As I've said previously, you don't get to live in the long term if you die in the short term. That is the concern.

If we ever fly together, we'll avoid thunderstorms and stay out of danger not because we "stopped worrying", but because we realistically look at the threats that we face and use our experience to avoid them.

Carl

sailingfun

Carl, When NWA retired 70 DC-9's over the last few years where did the flying go and what aircraft replaced them. Large RJ's like the E-175's you have on order for compass. That is the replacement I am referring to.

2themoon

Oh that is just an urban myth that the French don't shave there legs. Have you never watched the Tour De France? All the riders shave there legs.

tsquare

Is it that they're shaved, or do steroids make your hair fall out?

Flare Armed

Carl,

Bethune was hired as an advisor to Pardus management....a hedge fund (currently frozen) that has large investments in DAL and UAL. He (Bethune) was trying to get all of merger stuff moving last fall. Check "The Google" and I'm sure you'll find your answer.

I met Bethune several times at a previous carrier and if you ever get time read his book, "From Worst to First." Its basically the story of how he and Greg Brenneman (his #2 at the time...Kellner was #3 at best) turned CAL around. Bethune is a non-nonsense guy, but he's not a genius. What he is great at, however, is inspiring and motivating people...he gets the airline business and knows how to get out there and rally the troops. During the late 90s he was basically a rock star at CAL. He got people so excited about the $75 on-time bonus they might get in their paychecks, and made people so excited to work there, they'd forget they had industry lagging pay and benefits. He was also able to leverage his Boeing connections to modernize CAL's then-aging fleet. He did a great job....but he's no genius...when he got to CAL the bar was set so low, nobody could find it. When Gordon took over, they had 10 CEOs in 10 years...one even committed suicide. Anyway...just a little perspective.

I bet if some smart, motivated airline-oriented people got to take the reigns at UAL, things would drastically improve there. Hopefully its not too late.

Anyway...I've derailed this thread enough. But Bethune definitely works for Pardus, and he also worked for Delta for a bit a couple years ago as an advisor to Grinstein. He was back there hitting on a couple of our flight attendants.

These guys get around.

tsquare

Wasn't on an international leg, was he?

DYNASTY HVY

If you're going to burn cash in this environment, it should be on assets that will bring in revenue.
I Agree and all the best to you folks over at NW ,compared to whats going on there ,its a bit boring here but then again who needs the added stress .just a bit too old for that lol.

Carl Spackler

Listen carefully sailing because this is getting dull. We have a scope clause at NWA. That scope clause has restrictions on the number of RJ's without growth on the mainline narrow body side. Yes there have been DC-9's that have been parked. Yes DC-9's have returned from the parking lot. Some of those DC-9's were replaced by RJ's, but some were replaced by mainline narrow bodies because of our scope clause. Your attempt to paint all DC-9 retirements as having been replaced by RJ's is simply not true. If you want to keep spouting that, it's your right. But I'm done trying to set the record straight with you on this as facts don't seem to matter to you.

Carl

Carl Spackler

OK, let's assume for the sake of argument that Bethune is not a genius. You assert that the real genius' are Kellner and Brenneman. Let's accept that as well. Then why is it that these current genius' walked away from a merger stating (among other things) that now is not the right time to waste cash on consolidation costs? They preferred a strategic alliance with UAL, but ultimately couldn't even make that deal work.

Again, there are a lot of smart people taking a pass on traditional mergers in this environment. The fact that we are pursuing this strategy full speed ahead is troubling. It's a hell of a gamble. We could be big winners, or it could destroy both airlines.

Carl

Superpilot92

I CANT BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE TOLD PEOPLE THAT ON HERE AND FOR SOME REASON THEY SEEM TO EASILY FORGET IT. I HOPE YOU GET IT ACROSS BECAUSE I TO GET TIRED OF REPEATING IT!!!!