you do know the difference between a paper loss and an actual monetary loss correct?

No kidding. Nothing like talking down the stock at JP Morgan transportation conference, then weeks later issuing the execs millions in options at the lower stock price just ahead of an optimistic earnings presentation and enjoying the 7% premium when the stock price pops as a result. All legal in America.

UAL paid down $5B in adjusted total debt in Q1 2023.

This.

We are mere pawns in their game of kings.

The fact they paid down debt is somewhat irrelevant unless you know exactly how it was paid down. If it was paid down via revenue earned in Quarter 1Q that’s an amazing performance. Since UAL stock did not soar 30% or more on that announcement I suspect they used capital or assets on hand to payoff that debt. Delta has done much the same. They borrowed cash and hoarded it expecting covid to last far longer than it did. Now that cash flow is stable they are paying it back to reduce interest expense.

Irrelevant? You don't see it as a sign of a very positive outlook?

I don’t know. As I said it depends on where the capital to pay the debt came from. If they drew down a 5 billion dollar line of credit to have cash for Covid and are simply taking that same 5 billion to pay it back it doesn’t mean much. Most airlines grabbed every nickel they could get to boost cash on hand during covid. They are all paying it back now to reduce interest expense.

Such tired, recycled management propaganda. You some office flunkie?

Profit and Loss and the Balance Sheet are different animals. They can pay down debt if they have cash in their Balance Sheet, even if the P&L shows a loss.

One of the big differences is the P&L statement has the depreciation taken as an expense. It can be the difference between showing a profit and showing a loss. The cash when you buy a plane is shown as a debt on the Balance Sheet. It is not shown as a loss. Only the depreciation each year reduces the profit for that year.

This is exactly what they did, repay built up credit lines during Covid. Basically slowly going back down to pre Covid debt levels, although still wanting to hold on to the extra liquidity just in case. Nothing has improved since pre Covid, in fact net debt levels still a tad higher now.