Could United merge with part of Jet Blue
04-11-2026 | 05:52 PM
#31
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It wasn't the 70’s. United bought PanAm’s Pacific operation in 1985 and Delta bought the Atlantic in 1991.
What you’re referring to above referencing the A220 is exactly what occurred with Pan Am in Delta’s Atlantic acquisition. By far, the most senior airplane at PanAm was the 747. The A310 was relatively junior and there weren’t that many 727’s and it was the most junior airplane. Other than the 30 pilots referred to in a previous post above (that nearly instantaneously re qualified on the 727 off of the 747). The vast majority of PanAm pilots they went to Delta in the acquisition were relatively junior.
What you’re referring to above referencing the A220 is exactly what occurred with Pan Am in Delta’s Atlantic acquisition. By far, the most senior airplane at PanAm was the 747. The A310 was relatively junior and there weren’t that many 727’s and it was the most junior airplane. Other than the 30 pilots referred to in a previous post above (that nearly instantaneously re qualified on the 727 off of the 747). The vast majority of PanAm pilots they went to Delta in the acquisition were relatively junior.
04-11-2026 | 06:36 PM
#33
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From: Bent
04-11-2026 | 06:42 PM
#34
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It seems you are very familiar with the nuances......notwithstanding the more recent one still is over 30 years ago. A lot of mergers and acquisitions have taken place since then as such more recent precedents have been set. Certainly an acquisition of JetBlue is possible, a partial acquisition of one of their fleets and a part of their pilot groups is significantly less so.
04-12-2026 | 04:03 AM
#35
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Correct, if the JetBlue pilot contract has a fragmentation clause and an asset sale meets the terms the sale can’t proceed unless the pilots go with the aircraft. If the purchasing airline refused to take the pilots the sale could not proceed. United could of course refuse and the sale would be negated. Integration would be per ALPA merger policy.
04-12-2026 | 04:24 AM
#36
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From: Retired 121 pilot
United took the Hawaii 747 pilots and integrated them Date of Hire. There were not that many of them and they were fenced on the 747s and replaced with United pilots as they retired. I think they were all gone by the late 90s. It was worth it because United pilots could be based in Honolulu almost immediately.
Pan Am 747s and L-1011s came to UAL with this purchase.
Bob Crandall, American's CEO at the time, was approached before United, but turned it down. He later said it was one of his biggest mistakes.
As I recall the announcement of the acquisition occurred either just before or during the 30-day cooling off period prior to the 1985 pilot strike.
Last edited by fireman0174; 04-12-2026 at 04:26 AM. Reason: Info update & typo error
04-12-2026 | 10:12 PM
#37
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430 pilots came over from Pan Am in the 1985 Pacific acquisition by United. 426 of them were senior to me so I dropped back on the seniority list by that number. Seniority integration by date-of-hire. Still, it was the best thing for the UAL group as it opened up flying we never would have seen.
Pan Am 747s and L-1011s came to UAL with this purchase.
Bob Crandall, American's CEO at the time, was approached before United, but turned it down. He later said it was one of his biggest mistakes.
As I recall the announcement of the acquisition occurred either just before or during the 30-day cooling off period prior to the 1985 pilot strike.
Pan Am 747s and L-1011s came to UAL with this purchase.
Bob Crandall, American's CEO at the time, was approached before United, but turned it down. He later said it was one of his biggest mistakes.
As I recall the announcement of the acquisition occurred either just before or during the 30-day cooling off period prior to the 1985 pilot strike.
https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Landing-...s%2C214&sr=8-1
04-13-2026 | 03:48 AM
#38
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Hold on a sec Friendly. You're comparing apples and potatoes. Some on the thread are discussing the purchase of all or part of a struggling airline. You're referring to airplanes that were coming off lease at SWA and were for sale outright by a leasing company. The leasing company was selling them, why would pilots be involved? I'm not sure how your statement proves anything.
Those airplanes never actually entered the fleet anyway.
Those airplanes never actually entered the fleet anyway.
04-13-2026 | 04:03 AM
#39
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Could United buy JB's 220 operation?
Assume some suitor wants JB but not all of it. Could United buy the 220 operation? 220 rated pilots come to United. Rest go to Alaska or whoever. FA's I guess would just have to bid. Probably would get a chunk of JFK slots also.
Advantages
1) United gets SNB with increased regional scope
2) Doesn't trigger Bond-McCaskill
3) Fencing is simpler with no type overlap between UAL and JB crews
4) less anti-trust concern
5) United throws cash at the big deal, making it easier to deal with debt/acquisition costs
I think there's some precedent here with PanAm. Not quite sure of the details.
Assume some suitor wants JB but not all of it. Could United buy the 220 operation? 220 rated pilots come to United. Rest go to Alaska or whoever. FA's I guess would just have to bid. Probably would get a chunk of JFK slots also.
Advantages
1) United gets SNB with increased regional scope
2) Doesn't trigger Bond-McCaskill
3) Fencing is simpler with no type overlap between UAL and JB crews
4) less anti-trust concern
5) United throws cash at the big deal, making it easier to deal with debt/acquisition costs
I think there's some precedent here with PanAm. Not quite sure of the details.
04-13-2026 | 04:31 AM
#40
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but just acquiring the planes & pilots would -not- be a big messy systems integration. All the things kirby (rightly) identifies as merger problems don’t apply.
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