What

All Frontier has to offer is an Airbus program and AA is well on their way on the AA program, Frontier has gone down to shuttling people in and out of DEN with their low prices, do you think AA will want to enter DEN and compete with Southwest and United?

We know how AMR is with the books and their finances, what makes one think that they will disclose all of their "secrets". This could very well be just a posturing move, AMR was quoted yesterday as saying that they have enter into NDA with others but won't comment on who at this time. Much going on behind the scenes that we don't know about... Just follow the money.

eaglefly

Agree U needs AA more then the other way, but now both will know what the others plans are. If AA goes alone (or another path, i.e. Jet Blue, etc.), then U is a fragmentation target to be picked up by others (perhaps some of it even by AA). I can't see that working out for Parker, unless he gets the control yoke of AA (he won't be touching anyone elses controls, that's for sure). No, something's up, it's just a timing issue if you ask me. In fact, I think they've already agreed to a framework for moving forward as they needed that understanding BEFORE each agreed to let the other look under their respective dresses to examine the goodies.........and the goods.

Alaska is fiercly independent and their model and culture works well for that. Any closer alignment with AA (or others) only strengthens that. I think AMR knows that any realtionship with Alaska would be tenuous and that is why the language in the 1113 (and failed TA) allows for the domestic ASM's that the eskimos would fly to be shifted elsewhere should that relationship flop. I'll bet Frontier and its busses and 190's could be picked up for a song from Bedford considering he's losing his ass in Denver, especially now that Southwest is targeting that city. He's been trying to unload that albatross for awhile and in fact, if his other operations are guaranteed feed contracts and pieces of the future catagory A and B flying for AA/U, I could see him easily being brought aboard. He has a great reputation for hammering his regional pilots as well, which is always a boon in this business. I hate to say it, but you may even find yourself under his employ in the not too distant future.

Well, most all AA pilots would prefer a stand alone AA that expands internally, but that wouldn't solve the problem in the northeast with slot controls. Airlines merge and remorph themselves over time with hubs, etc., so nothing new there. AMR used to be a leader back in the Crandall days, but I think we can all agree they've not only been followers since then, but tail-end charlie's to boot. Not going to waste energy flapping the TWA rug and putting all that pointless dust in the air as it serves no purpose going forward. This won't be an "asset acquisition" with an "offer of employment" of an ailrine with 3 months operating expenses in the bank anyway, but a full blown merger of two essentially financially healthy airlines that just have competitive disadvantages seperately that can be solved together.

Just my opinion as it's ALL opinion here.

Redbird611

You're getting a little ahead of yourself there. SkyWest and ExpressJet are still 3 lists (+ASA). I'm not holding my breath on it becoming 2 lists anytime soon and 1 list is highly doubtful.

eaglefly

The only NDA even sent out was to U. The only reason it's gotten this far is the UCC has demanded it, but in return they've agreed to cirlce their wagons around AMR management, especially in regards to those pesky and uncooperative pilots.

The UCC has members with short-term "quick payoff and be gone" interests like the banks and long-term players like the aircraft manufacturers. AMR management wants to control the merger for maximum payoff and at this point save face and avoid any scenario that gives the appearance labor (especially the pilots) have beaten them and Parker wants to get his AA CEO's seat. The pilots want a competitive and fair contract. I think everyone wants a robustly competitive future carrier that is profitable in the future.

Tsk, tsk..........how to get everyone what they want ?

It's possible, but just a matter of pressure and time (and timing). A new group of smaller creditors has now banded together with claims of equity infusion to strengthen AMR's standing as well as BA willing to jump into the sack and thus the tug-of-war changes direction almost weekly, because although the two players playing go back and forth,......... Parker-AMR-Parker-AMR, others have a grasp on the rope as well, like the UCC, the pilots, a judge and now a smaller group of creditors and other investors. A tug of war with too many players takes time to sort itself out, but time changes the the pulling strength of the players and exclusivity can alter that overnight. Ultimatly though, for the final disposition to the satisfaction of all parties to occur, a stable pilots CBA is imperative, if you ask me.

lakehouse

doesnt the scope suck in the TA between AA and USAIR???

What

No to stir the pot but SCOPE will suck under any agreement, the senior guys (most) are like management, they care about short term payout since they will not be here longterm, they care about getting their pay but will turn around and tell us how we are dragging the industry down when they keep selling the jobs away. Yea Eagle is the enemy, but fail to realize that we fly what they give away or in this case forced.

Delta pilots sold larger RJ for pay, didn't matter what the TA had those CRJ 200 were gone!

sf340b

1 Paragraph of scope, 16 volumes of exceptions.

eaglefly

Depends on how you look at it. It's comparable to DAL's provisions, but nowhere near the disaster of AMR's desires. It allows for hundreds of E175's and CRJ-900's and hundreds more smaller RJ's, but aircraft larger then that go to mainline and the code-share provisions are leaps and bounds above AMR's wipeout proposals there.

lakehouse

I just hope the line gets drawn here at some point, I know everyone does.

Dejavu

Did the judge just toss apa pilot contract ?