AMND1

I'd put money on Sun Country.

There will be no merger, though Period. Possibly a similar deal to ATA, but outcomes are always unknown.

Our Sr. Dir. of Schd Planning has eluded to the need for larger aircraft. SY has 11 737-8's last I checked. They also offer a decent seasonal collection of destinations, international and domestic, as well as a few year round routes.



This is a small enough operation for WN to considering taking on, and considering all their (SY's) recent history, I'm sure an offer like this would gladly be accepted from SY if WN came to the table, and favoring WN on paper. If SY needs to liquidate, I'm also sure WN would take the aircraft and gate space.

Again, though, no mergers with Southwest. Period. I must say, however, Alaska is a terrific operation and their culture and performance is a prime example of solid airline management. They're too big for Southwest to "buy", but a codeshare, why not?

iceman49

Started hearing it was Delta, you could take care of the conjestion in ATL by drawing it down with their point to point system, have access to international routes...don't really need a whole lot of old 76s...easy training Boeing to Boeing...than effecient 330's sounds like a win win. Only downside is the massive debt payments Delta has coming up. Can we keep the leather jackets?

CHQ Pilot

I would agree with you, but the pilot's TA prohibits any domestic codeshare. The TA has wording that also prevents any regional type aircraft, except through the aquisition of another airline that codeshares with regional aircraft. The wording was specific in the TA and was related to SWA wanting to move quickly to purchase another specific airline, which is unnamed.

Sniper

Is it speculated that the SWAPA NC knows what airline WN is looking @? (yes, just rumor mongering, no facts here).

I'm sure non-disclosures are in place, of course.

CHQ Pilot

Yes, SWAPA said they know the name of the airline, but can't say due to confidentiality.

flaps 9

If the T/A doesn't pass, there is no language.

Airhoss

I know for a fact that it's Kallita And UAL.

CHQ Pilot

Very True!

Godzilla

Southwest bought Muse Air an MD 80 operator in Texas in the early 80s.
Got rid of both the planes and the pilots.

Sniper

That was what I thought, and what gives me pause. WN says 'we need to get airline XYZ, and want to work with you [SWAPA] to do it'. Great, cooperation with management, mutually beneficial (what makes Southwest great, and different from everyone else) - so SWAPA designs the TA so that airline XYZ can easily be captured. The TA is ratified, and then - surprise, airline XYZ is not gonna' work. But . . . it turns out the the hole opened up in scope for airline XYZ is useful for acquiring airline ABC - and, for whatever reason, this is seen as a game changer for SWAPA.

I know this is not the way things are done @ WN, but WN is changing. Fed Ex is now caught in a quite a pickle due to a similar situation. Spend negotiating capital on good A-380 rates, let the 757 get labeled 'narrowbody' - whoops, Fed Ex isn't getting 380's (they knew that while negotiating the TA with Fed Ex ALPA), but rather now wants 777's. And no, the 757 rates are not up for renegotiation.

As soon as I read this 'specifically worked into the TA' talk, my spidy senses told me this could be an issue.

Good luck SWAPA guys, I've got to run - the black helicopters are after me.