Kirby pitches UA merger with AA (link)
 

Kirby Pitches Merger w AA

Pretty scarce on details but interesting nonetheless.

sounds like maybe start off with something wild like this so a JB Merger doesn’t sound so crazy to DOJ. Either way both sound terrible for anyone at UAL hired post ‘Rona

2,100 mainline and 1,000 regional aircraft with 40% US market share and 35,000 pilots. That's one way to get the AA pilots back into ALPA.

If memory serves correct, wasn’t that merger floated during our bankruptcy with Airtran or MidEx taking over a sizable portion of the ORD operation divestiture?

Cue Kirby's talking points about why mergers are hard and destructive. Why would anyone sign up for AA's labor mess?
This has to be some ruse to make whatever he really wants to do seem minor.

Please take the 320s and the flight attendants. You can have all the northeast. Ps have to take isom too. Make him station manager in Guam

we don’t need 75 year old DFW Debbie

Or CLT parking lot Patty

Denver had one also in 2019 where they had to add the metering frequency

This gives the vibe of spitballing during cocktail hour more so than a serious consideration to pursue such a merger. Many articles have been published on this specifically, all of them equally bare on details, sourced from "insiders."

I feel like it's all a nothingburger

Actually makes more sense than JetBlue if you think about it. Gives United JFK back plus dominates ORD and we'd be the largest by far in LAX since we are #2 barely behind Delta right now. Also gives us some more decent hubs. If you're going to buy an airline, buy a big one with widebody planes and not an east coast or west coast niche airline.

I never considered that this would happen for obvious reasons, but I like the idea more than buying any other airline. My only concern is they have a lot of debt, so we'd become a deep junk bond airline like Spirit and JetBlue.

If mergers are indeed messy then might as well make it worth the while and go right for the kill.

yah no sh*t dude… Mine as well combine two companies to control 40% of the US airline industry! Because that’s not anti competitive at all.

would love to see someone tell me how that works out.

this is all a ploy for United to buy JetBlue and make it look less radical.

Or a clever ploy to get AA to make a move on JetBlue so UA can grab some assets from both when they are forced to divest, and it would tie them up with merging so they'd be less focused on competing.

Guess you Never met Connie Continental from IAH?, basically the same character

DFW Debbie is a sweetheart compared to PHL Phylis.

Other than some JFK slots, what does JetBlue have that United even wants? A bunch of 220’s and CEO’s that would be parked, a handful of 321Neos’ that would have to go through expensive and time consuming conversions, a bigger presence in a historically low yielding FLL market, a mountain of debt? I just don’t see the reality of a JB merger when all Kirby really wants is some slots at JFK. The expense, time, and mess that a merger would bring isn’t remotely worth it.

As to a potential merger with AA, I’d love to be a fly on the wall if that was ever seriously pitched to the feds. Their reaction would be entertaining.

if you look what Duffy said, and what Ed said during the earnings call. It’s clear the industry is going to structurally change and consolidate again.

how many airlines will be left after it’s done? I don’t know, but I believe it’s going to change quite a lot just like it did in the last round.

Not saying that consolidation won’t happen, I’m just saying that the juice isn’t worth the squeeze when it comes to JB and UA. The big merger talks on this website are by people who want it to happen for personal reasons, not what the Willis Tower crowd wants. Personally, I see any potential consolidation happening at the regional and LCC level but not at the big 4. Either way, we’re just along for the ride.

I think this is all to make sure the flight attendants accept their TA.

“if you vote this down, there is risk it will be years and a messy SLI until there is a joint CBA…”

If the DOJ anti trust people wouldn’t allow the JetBlue/Spirit merger or other similar smaller airline mergers due to loss of competition, I would highly doubt they would be OK with this behemoth 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

It's a whole new administration in case you haven't watched the news in a year.

Trump loves big deals. They'll be happy to approve the deal between United and AA as long as they rename the new airline Trump Airlines and have plenty of gold on the new livery.

Its not the news, its high school education (or lack thereof) I think is to blame here.

It's not the administration, DOT or DOJ who will have the ultimate say. It's the courts. There will be lawsuits by consumer groups or other entities no matter which airlines pursue mergers. The AA/B6 Northeast Alliance was essentially scuttled by a court. That's not to say a merger wouldn't make its way to SCOTUS, but I'm not aware of any merger objections getting past the District Court level. Despite he who thinks he's in-charge and can heal all as a "Red Cross doctor" the courts will look at any tie-ups and have the final say.

Give it a rest dude. This isn’t political, it’s common sense.

As someone without a new hire class date I am definitely hoping this isn't the first of a series of ideas "pushed" to make a merger with B6 (AA is surely not happening..right?) happen.. Selfishly, I can imagine that would effectively push any idea of a class date well into the future..

Forward this to Willis. We do not want or need B6. 90 percent strings attached. It would also be horrible for the junior pilots hired here since covid

I feel like the B6/NK merger being blocked was a real precedent setting case. I don’t see how *traditionally* any airline merger passes after that. Yet here Alaska/Hawaiian and Sun Country/Allegiant seem to be going through with flying colors. Yes both those have LESS overlapping routes but they still have overlapping routes. Judge Young stated in his ruling that essentially if one consumer on one route is harmed then the merger should be blocked.

I don’t agree with Young’s ruling of course, but it’s there and setting precedent. I believe JetBlue and Spirit should have easily gone through.

If United wants to buy anything it better do it in this administration. It’s the chance to subvert our legal system and the precedent set.

the midterms will effectively neuter him and all his hopes and dreams. this is a nothing burger

Not sure Congress has much to do with airline mergers.

American doesn’t like its ghetto, rude flight attendants? Amazing 🤣

From what I’ve experienced on the line those United FA’s aren’t any better.

jfk bos mco fll

Skirby smiles wide,
Wears AA merger disguise-
JetBlue in his sights

You sir, are correct. 👍. Being ghetto , unable to speak proper English and tattoos everywhere and say anything in front of pax including cursing, seems to be the norm now. Truly scraping the bottom of the barrel.

I think UA FA is marginally better, but depends on the base. I think UA GAs are world’s better than the AA GAs though.

exactly. People are acting like this a normal justice department. And not our current administration where anything that pleases the king is approved.

Did your therapist have you show on a doll where a Flight Attendant hurt you?

O hail the king!