WHACKMASTER

Exactly. Not to mention that SWA & NK are the darling of “cheap seats”.

That tie up would be approved lickity split. So would JBA & SWA, although there’d be some friction with FLL.

RJSAviator76

Maybe not Spirit, but Allegiant is starting to make an awful lot of sense.... virtually zero overlap.

flyguy81

I can see F9 and NK merging. Other than adding a fleet type, I don’t think either really have any added value besides removing a competitor that really doesn’t have anywhere near the market share. I think it’d be a waste of money.

I could see B6 if we wanted to increase our NYC/Caribbean market.

WhaleSurfing

Haha! I’m guessing the vote would be 10,000 to 2,500. And not in your favor.

dingo222

I’m guessing you have no idea how seniority list integration and mergers work.

flyguy81

If you did straight DOH, NK is on the losing end. No way you get relative seniority where a 2010 hire is placed before a 1995 hire. The only thing NK brings to the table is airplanes, which we couldn’t use for years anyway. There’s no reason to merge or buy anybody unless the Max never comes back.

dingo222

and that is my point. It’s not about we bought you, etc. This about something Southwest has never done before. To acquire another fleet type will take a minimum of a year. Southwest has to develop their own program within their FOM, develop their own procedures, proving runs etc. You just don’t buy a certificate and transfer it over. It’s a new type on certificate.

jb is the biggest. They have two types. So let’s use them as an example. So you have to develop at least one type certificate. That’s year 1. Now you have to look at the pipeline. Even if all of jb got stapled and every sw pilot became an airbus captain, that is 8 years to transition. That is 8 years of stagnation for everyone and a cost outside of the purchase that may approach a billion, before everyone crosses certificates to become one. Morris air, ATA, AirTran were easy compared to actually buying an airline and operating that type for revenue.

wait it out and tell Boeing to discount the planes or change sw culture and costs forever and buy a new type? That’s a fairly difficult question and I’m sure the bean counters and working on it. Pilots don’t win in that scenario for sure. My .02

Silver02ex

Spirit would be on the losing end no matter how you do it. An early 2011 hire at Spirit puts them at 380 out of 2500. Is a 2011 hire at SWA even a CA yet?

WhaleSurfing

Yeah, I kind of do.

flyguy81

Exactly why I’m guessing Gary and Co are waiting it out and didn’t go on a spending spree last spring. If the plane was scrapped last year they’d have done something. Since there’s no indication it won’t fly again, they’re just making do with lemons until they can flip the switch and get back to business. Prob serious talks in the boardroom about what to do if it gets grounded again though.