rickair7777

Thre's no reason this merger should get ugly. Usually that happens when you have a group with very poor career expectations but very high relative longevity who think their DOH should entitle them to everything. This is not that.

Both airlines have similar longevity profiles, and I haven't heard anyone on the AS saying the HA pilots just won the lottery.

Potential sticking points that I see so far...

WB fences. I think reasonable fences should be mutually agreeable for HNL (and Prime) WB's. If WB's go to other bases, that might be contentious.

Base Fences. I understand this is not common, but both groups tend to be non-commuters who live local, so career progression in your own base matters more so than perhaps at other airlines.

Possible HNL downsizing. How do you protect HA pilots? I'm not sure you can because that's an airline operational matter, not really a pilot seniority matter.

HA Financial Health. AS pilots will likely argue that they are entitled to something due to having a signficantly better mid-term financial outlook.

I'd like to think the two MECs can get close to SLI on their own. I'm pretty sure it will go to arbitartion, otherwise pilots on both side will tend to blame their own unions for "giving away their seniority". Arbitration let's someone else be the bad cop.

GreatBigSea

Yep. And we'll look at the other sides suggested integration method and think they're crazy, while our own method seems fair and reasonable

Of course its all part of posturing for the arbiters

trip

In that case the aquiring airline Northwest had all the widebodies, easier to make the case for permanent fences.

David Puddy

I bet some ex Virgin American pilots are salivating at getting back into a bigger cockpit with a side stick. Will be interesting to see how they eventually allocate fleet types at the bases...

Jet J

who wouldn’t be, the 737 is a POS.

fostro

Keep in mind fences could be negotiated with "no" arbitrator. We have a MEC Chair who said he is in a great relationship with the AS MEC. The last time we heard that from our Chair he was having dinner, golf events, Air shows, and drinks with the big wigs at HA, then we got this SH*! contract. This is a scary thought that we have the same 65% ratification group leading us into the most critical phases of our careers.

3-4 years out is not what's going to happen, once the ink is dry on the single certificate, everyone's heads will spin about how fast the Airbus planes will be parked and routes shut down. You can have a fence on an aircraft however if that aircraft is parked you are out of luck.

No Holidays, In Unity...

Gobows

So Alaska’s plan is to spend the money on HAL, shrink that side as much as possible, and be profitable?

fostro

No, they plan on spending money on HAL and continuing to run the exact operation in the RED.

Not a Business Major but I can figure this one out.

No Holidays, in Unity...

Gobows

I’m assuming you have access to the load factors and margins on the different types of flying we do, I didn’t realize west coast ops were doing so poorly. Thanks for the insight. In your opinion does interisland get shut down too?

fostro

You are correct, my apologies, it is my "Opinion". I don't have margins or insider numbers, however, HA employees have access to investor reports and HA communications. Financial reports and HA communications were clear that our load factors from the coast are down, they do mention it's higher than LUV (which means nothing to us). In my opinion, interisland flights will be cut by 50% and picked up by two-leg 737 flights. Maybe a small fleet of 717s until they are sent to the boneyard.

The bigger threat, in my "Opinion," is our MEC and negotiating leadership, this group will be working on our future. Think of all the LOAs, B scales, and givebacks that have been done by this group. If we think it will change we are all on the IV KOOLAIDE!

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter" MLK

In Unity...