Futureman

I think it's BS. They've been paying billions of dollars in debt down over the last several years. Their balance sheet is far better now than it was just a few years ago.
Also, start looking for early outs from those around 60.

BoilerWings

I'm surprised that there was nothing said about the Eagle spin-off in that article. The sell off of Eagle could potentially boost AMR's balance sheet and appeal to investors, causing stock to rise. Since there was no mention of that, I'm gonna raise the negotiation BS flag on it too.

I sure would like to see where the WSJ said AMR was threatening Ch11 too. I subscribe and read it every day and have seen nothing of the sort.

pilot141

Pure BS.

If AMR didn't go down the BK route in 2003 when staring down every union and with much more favorable bankruptcy laws there is no way they are going to do it now with stronger financials.

This is a fear grenade launched specifically at the APA, which seems to have resurfaced with an actual backbone.

B757200ER

The problem with today's bankruptcy laws is, if you go into chapter 11, you may not make it out.

pilot141

Exactly. They may go in, but there is no guarantee of anything resembling AMR coming out the other end. Unlike the NWA and DAL bankruptcies, this one would have consequences for everyone.

YAKflyer

There isn't anybody to buy Eagle. Basically (with a few exceptions) they are a 50 seat (or less) jet operation flying planes that are old and can't make money without being subsidized. Look at the stock prices of regionals that have the same profile and it is not pretty. You vastly over estimate the value of Eagle. I agree if they could figure out a way to get rid of Eagle AMR's stock might go up, but it would be because they got rid of a big drag and not because the sale would help the balance sheet.

Now after all that I do not think AMR is headed to court and the article that started this thread says AMR doesn't understand the speculation about it either. I don't think any cosmic messages are being sent by AMR, but they are attempting to control expectations. The problem management has at AMR is they want to be rewarded like they're flying high while throwing crumbs to the employees. If I worked there I'd be cranky too......

RJtrashPilot

Delta has made it no secret that they want to sell us here at Comair. The problem is that nobody's buying. Same with Eagle.

Just because I have my house up for sale, doesn't mean someone will buy it.

Rascal

This type of stuff is exactly why pilot in the United States will NEVER get a raise. 20 years from Skybus pay will be the norm. I am glad I am out.

Sbaker1595

well said.... its like trying to sell a ford pinto at bmw prices... the only way eagle will ever split from AMR would be an IPO spinoff which personally i dont believe eagle or comair have the bawls or the $$ to do right now.... as long as these regionals have big brother mainline to keep their heads above water nothing is going to change

Danzig

They're after the A-Fund retirement. There are so many (relatively) very senior pilots retiring with very large pensions, this is hurting AMR, supposedly. It seems that the guys who have it good want to get out while they're ahead, but who's to blame them?

I have heard that at or about forty more senior pilots, mostly 777 captains, retired today. Yes, forty in one day; and it's only the first of April. (Incidentally, I'm pretty sure this isn't an April Fools' Joke.) Could any AA pilots elaborate on or confirm this?

The irony of the situation, is that the uniformed general public is not getting the whole story from those who are supposed to inform; who themselves, incidentally, are probably mal-informed or manipulated by AMR. AA pilots may have "great" pay and benefits by today's standards, but what the press fails to mention is that it is only a shadow of what the pilots had before concessions. And it's not just the pilots, the FAs have suffered, and I'm sure the MXs have as well. AA pilots are not simply being greedy rich pilots, as the article would have the common reader believe, they are dissatisfied because the concessions they made - which were promised to be given back - have not yet seen the light of day for several years now. They were concessions to keep the company afloat, to secure their job-future. Now that AMR is posting profits (and quite substantial ones at that, or so I understand), it is only right that the labor starts getting back what they were once worth.

If I may make a prediction, based solely on an educated, but still amateur opinion; I'd say that AA pilots will get the pay they want, or very near. However, it will cost them the A-Fund Retirement.

Incidentally, my little bit of info regarding current retirements came from a conversation with an AA Captain yesterday in LGA. For what it's worth. Also, there was an AA pilot who posted here on APC, not too long ago, about mass-retirements in the DFW domicile. Again, mostly 777 Captains. And supposedly, AA has canceled something like 20% of their 777 flights, in the past four months!

Oh, one last thing (while I'm ranting, if ya'll don't mind ): I think that pilot pay will go up. Not back to what it was back in the "Golden Days", but it will be more substantial. My reasoning behind this assumption are two facts: 1) there are not enough American student pilots to fill the void that the Baby-Boomer Generation will leave behind. 2) Foreign Airlines, that hire FAA licenses, are paying very well, for the most part. Soon enough, there won't be much incentive to stay State-Side; so the American airlines will be forced to compete with a higher paying market.

One might argue that foreign pilots would be willing to come over here and work for less, assuming they could get work permits. However, I can't imagine that enough Europeans or Asians would come over here to make low-wages, while they're living comfortably at home.