Actually I bet an arbitrator will decide what's fair.

Actually the arbitrator will decide what it will be. Southwest and SWAPA do not own this process any more the Airtran and ALPA(unless they come to an agreement..hehe, yea...that could happen..and monkeys could...oh..nevermind). Who purchased who is not one of the considerations and you will find past awards as proof. Everybody in the world can then have an opinion on if they thought it was fair. I doubt you will think it was.

Pass the popcorn please!

Ohhhhhhhhh young jedi....much distress with this process you will:D

Why didn't SWAPA get a choice in the matter like F9? It's odd that management had such respect for their decision on one acquisition, but not another.

I'm guessing management learned their lesson on wanting pilot input on business decisions. They could have had F9 for a tenth the cost with better mexico service and an easier fleet to sell. Maybe no 73s, but still a market in the world for airbus vs 71s. Leased or not I don't believe southwest really wants them. Yes, they will operate them, but only because they have no real choice. Also Denver vs ATL. Which would you rather fly out of. Delta owns ATL and does a good job at a bad airport. Anybody else will always be a distant 2nd. Den is a nice airport with United bumbling around as #1. F9 is #2, and combined with SWA they could be the show there.

Add to that if SWAPA had thrown even a small seniority bone to them they probably would have taken it. 500 pilots in the bottom part of the list vs 1700 pilot on probably a percentage based intergration throughout the whole list top to bottom via M-B.

People who don't think that will happen need to read every SLI award in recent history.

I thin swa would be better off for the $ with the F9 thing and I think the SWAPA pilot's career would be better off too.

all JMHO

Sidenote: a Frontier jumpseater made it sound like the vast majority are very happy SWA did not win despite the fact they don't like republic. They say it beats furlough for however long. Ask them?? Idunno.

Maybe SWA management never really wanted F9 in the first place.

Maybe SWA management really doesn't need to ask their Pilots permission.

Maybe they just wanted to drive the price of an F9 Acquisition up for RAH.

Who knows? Who cares as it is all conjecture.

In my opinion F9 never made sense for SWA anyway, as all it brought was an increase in DEN. The airplanes were not compatible and SWA already serves many of the MKTS that F9 does.

Airtran Brings SWA instant access to Lucrative East coast markets not currently served by SWA. They get an a hub at the country's busiest Airport.
They get a MKE hub. They get intl carribean destinations. They get slots in DCA, LGA and BOS.

The only hitch is approx 1/2 of Airtran's fleet is B-717s and the other half is 737's with 2 class cabins.

It will be interesting to see what SWA MGT will do.
Will they keep the 717's?
Will they keep Airtan's 2 class configuration?
Will they attempt to merge the two airlines into one quickly or will they operate them separately with a code share similar to their arrangement with ATA.

Personally I think this was a great move by SWA Mgt and it is going to make a SWA major player in the EAST coast core markets instantly and a true Major Legacy Airline with over 7000 pilots. I am sure Usairways is watching very closely.

I hope the 2 Pilot groups of SWA and AirTan can come to a joint equitable SLI agreement on their own.

Good luck guys and gals in your seniority merger negotiations.

ATL a bad airport? Are you drunk? ATL is BY FAR the most efficient airport on the planet in terms of both people and aircraft movement. I am no big fan of the place either, but a bad airport???

I did not say they did not move large #s of people. I said it for the exact same reason you said "I am no big fan of the place either". I don't think I'm the only non based ATL pilot that tries to avoid the place. Besides the fact I find humor driving planes down around curves better suited for indy car races, the place seams like a CF(as in cluster) half the time. It's not nearly as neat and clean(read dirty) and new inside as Denver ect.... Just my opinion of the airport. One of my least fav in the US....but like I said, Delta does a good job there.

Not a fan of ATL either, but if you moved as many people through Denver as are moved through ATL in a year, Denver probably wouldn't be as neat and clean inside as it is. Love it or hate it, ATL moves more people and airplanes than any airport in the world, everyday. Sometimes it seems like barely controlled chaos, but it works.