Bloomberg News, sent from my iPad.
US Airways Said to Brief AMR Creditors on Takeover Plan

US Airways Group Inc. (LCC), seeking support for a possible American Airlines (AAMRQ) merger, is discussing a takeover plan with some creditors of the bankrupt carrier and their advisers, people with knowledge of the talks said.

Executives have laid out details of US Airways’ proposal for a combined airline to some members of the unsecured creditors committee and gotten a positive reception, said the people, who declined to be identified because the terms aren’t public. The goal would be to complete a merger before American parent AMR Corp. (AMR) exits Chapter 11, the people said yesterday.

US Airways has been making the overtures as American works toward its stated target of leaving court protection as an independent airline. Tempe, Arizona-based US Airways has said it learned the value of labor and creditor backing after its hostile bid for Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) collapsed in 2007.

AMR remains focused on its own plan “to achieve revenue growth and a highly competitive cost and debt structure,” a spokesman, Andy Backover, said in a statement. A US Airways spokesman, Todd Lehmacher, said the airline had no comment.

US Airways Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker has acknowledged hiring advisers to weigh a bid for Fort Worth, Texas-based AMR, and he told reporters in Phoenix on March 21 that the review probably will continue “for quite some time.”

Shares, Bonds

US Airways rose 0.6 percent to $7.37 at 10:01 a.m. in New York. AMR’s 9 percent notes due September 2016 jumped 12 cents to 43 cents on the dollar at 9:54 a.m. in New York, according to Trace, the bond-price reporting system of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

AMR filed for Chapter 11 on Nov. 29 after annual losses that began in 2008. U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan yesterday extended AMR’s exclusive right to file a reorganization plan until Sept. 28, from the end of March. Nothing prohibits potential suitors from talking with the creditors panel or other parties in the bankruptcy.

Tom Hoban, a spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, said that if the union couldn’t reach a consensual labor agreement with AMR as the carrier seeks to rework contracts, the group might be willing to work with new management brought in as the result of a merger.

“We’ll consider all options on the table,” Hoban said in a March 21 interview. “Whether that means another suitor that’s capable of bargaining effectively, I don’t know. That scenario hasn’t presented itself yet.”

Union Seats

The APA has a seat on the creditors committee, as do American’s two largest unions: the Association of Professional Flight Attendants and the Transport Workers Union, whose members include baggage handlers and mechanics.

Labor relations at American, the third-biggest U.S. airline, have been a flash point after more than five years of talks failed to produce new contracts before AMR’s bankruptcy. Labor savings of $1.25 billion, including 13,000 job cuts, make up the largest part of American’s Feb. 1 plan for $2 billion in cost reductions.

The airline told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane yesterday it would seek authority next week to void existing union contracts and impose new terms if talks to secure concessions don’t produce agreements by then.

Delta and private-equity group TPG also are assessing potential bids for AMR, people familiar with the matter said in January.

To contact the reporters on this story: Mary Schlangenstein in Dallas at [email protected]; Jeffrey McCracken in New York at [email protected]

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ed Dufner at [email protected]; Jennifer Sondag at [email protected]

 

Look back about 8 or 9 months and you can see. That's around the time of the recall election. It turned into a witch hunt with very few facts. Most of the acusations were rumors or flat out lies started on that message board. I did say most of, some were true. Like the abuse of union leave with pay, which always seemed to come around the holidays. I think most of us care to hear both sides of the story and are unbias but when personal attacks and getting back at someone become more important than the truth people stop listening. I'm not sure those guys understand that. I think most of us were open to hear what our union guys could be or should be doing better but when it became a ****ing match we lost interest.

 

It looks like you guys have good ESP.They just deleted PL's post with a stern warning.

 

I've been participating in bulletin board discussions since the late 90's. One of the constants I see is the troll, the agitator, the flamer; the only way to deal with these people that works (at least for me) is just to simply ignore them. One must identify the trolls and take their rantings with a grain of salt. In my personal history, this goes back to the propilot bbs, FI, clear-and-a-million, etc, and the trolls are just a part of life. Some of them are brilliant (anyone remember Jimborealgoodpilot?), but most are just nasty. Why let them ruin your day?

On the other hand, I see that the most outrage against the trolls usually comes from those who would rather not defend their own position and use the trolls behavior as an excuse to back out with mock indignation.

Regarding the Spirit board, if you don't agree with PL's positions, go against him with facts and logic. He wins if you choose to withdraw because he's homophobic. BTW, I think we all know who the guy is and the FO's I know who've flown with him report that he's actually fairly decent on the flight deck. Some people just let the keyboard get the best of them.

Some of the more senior Spirit guys will remember when I ran a yahoo ecircle bbs for Spirit pilots. FWIW, the guys I banned for indecency/vulgrarity/rudeness are still my enemies, but the guys I defended by the bans have forgotten about it. And so it goes. No good deed will go unpunished. Life isn't fair so get on with living life and make the best of it.

Finally Sailor, I have to disagree with the "personal problems, nothing else" comment. That board, as this one, contains a great deal of substantial info and topics that deserve legitimate discussion/discourse/disagreement.
You may not like the attitudes, but that doesn't make the issues go away.

I disagree with PL that the entire problem is a socialist MEC, but that doesn't mean that the stand up red eye's he's been flying are acceptable, to either him, or to you or me. It doesn't mean the the agreement throwing seniority out the window for OT isn't a problem. etc

 

Sky,

I didn't mean that the Spirit Board is just a meeting room for people with personal problems.
Just the kind of posts that USUALLY you get to read, sometimes it looks more like a venting place than an info place, either way it's fine. I was trying to give my view to the new addition "lemonade" on APC and Spirit Board, I recognized that I should have also added that the Spirit Board does have very important information.

About "PL", I know he is a good person in the cockpit, what's weird is the change in personalities when it comes to this, the opinion with the keyboard.
Talking to him about my points of view, would be like, asking him "what's the big deal about loosing the 150%" or "why we didn't get DL pay". his answer would be an insult followed by the Socialist word.
I respect his view and who he is, he doesn't seem to see alike with the majority of us, I don't respect the way he talks about HIS co-workers.
There are a lot smarter guys than me that could engage with PL and have a debate, I will probably loose because I don't know all the facts and I'm not interested in changing anyone's mind.

We all have our reasons for everything we do and say.

thanks again Sky.

 

How the 74%ers feel...




How the 26%ers feel...

 

"Looking good Shiftwork".... feeling well ALPO.....

 

Start around here and read a few. You will get the gist quickly enough.

http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/ma...t-nks-277.html

 

Guys/ Gals,
Same story different day I know. I have applied at NKS for about a year now online, but havent gotten the nibble. 10+ years in the airlines from RJs to widebodies, and cant get no love!
I know that no-oneowes me a job, and I understand that NKS is very attractive right now, but whats a guy got to do to get noticed by the powers that be?
These online aps dont do you many favors either. Any advice for someone who doesnt know anyone at Spirit, but would still love to come aboard?
Also upcoming furlough looms, is this a deal killer?
Thanks in advance,
Meashdog

 

Internal recommendation is a plus, also, PIC on Type, or PIC Turbine in general.
Spirit, I think, is changing the rate from 12 to 6 NH for the next few months. This will back up the list somewhat, the reason is that the next 2 AC's will show up after the summer.
Keep updating your CV (i know) and try all avenues.

Good Luck Ameasham.


Anyone else has any better info for NH's?