HootersAir... ROTFLMAO

DCAflyer

Veteran
Aug 27, 2002
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I guess deicing the wings will take on a whole new meaning...
Hooters executive to buy Pace Airlines of Winston-Salem
Matt Evans for The Business Journal
WINSTON-SALEM — Piedmont Hawthorne Aviation of Winston-Salem will sell its Pace Airlines division to a group headed by Hooters of America Inc. Chairman Robert Brooks, according to Piedmont Hawthorne officials.
The sale will proceed despite news Sept. 25 that the board of directors of Vanguard Airlines of Kansas City rejected Brooks'' group''s offer to purchase the bankrupt commercial carrier.
The sale of the charter airline is a straightforward acquisition that was never necessarily dependent on the Vanguard transaction, said Piedmont Hawthorne President Dean Harton.
In fact, this is probably going to make the whole thing simpler and more straightforward than a deal coinciding with a separate airline purchase. It''s always simpler when there''s only one thing involved rather than two.
Specific details of the transaction were unavailable at press time.
Brooks, owner of the national sports bar and restaurant chain, was not available to comment. But the company hinted last week when announcing its offer for Vanguard that it was in the market for experienced airline management. Much of Pace''s executive team has been together since the days of Piedmont Airlines in the late 1980s. That airline was founded and based in Winston-Salem before it was bought out by US Air in 1988.
Pace Airlines CEO Darrell Richardson said that while the deal is still subject to change, his understanding is that Pace will not change its name and will remain a charter service. It would keep its headquarters in Winston-Salem and would not lose any of its 200 local employees, he said.
The current Pace management team would continue to run the operation of 18 jets and 300 total employees nationwide.
We''re looking at providing more and more jobs to the community here, Richardson said.
Harton said Piedmont Hawthorne was interested in selling its charter airline division primarily because it had outgrown its parent company. Initially designed to serve just the sports team and VIP jet markets, Pace''s business is now 80 percent scheduled charter flights, Harton said.
It''s just a totally different mindset operating an airline which carries high-density, high-frequency flights, he said. It gets to the point that running an airline isn''t worth it.
Harton said Piedmont Hawthorne may keep a minority interest in Pace, or work out a partnership to allow Piedmont Hawthorne to continue providing customers for the airline.
Richardson said Pace Airlines has seen rapid growth recently, from four planes operating in 2000 to 18 today. The growth has continued this year with two new clients in the charter vacation business, which Richardson said has been less affected by the airline industry crisis since last Sept. 11.
Colorado-based airline industry analyst Michael Boyd couldn''t say for sure why Brooks would want to get into the airline industry when overall conditions are so difficult. Brooks may make another bid for Vanguard or seek another commercial carrier to purchase along with Pace, and Boyd said there is an opening for him — the major carriers are vulnerable because tight budgets and new restrictions are making a lot of their customers unhappy, he said.
If this new airline would be consumer friendly, like Southwest or Midwest Express is, it''s a home run, Boyd said.
 
[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]
[P]If this new airline would be consumer friendly, like Southwest or Midwest Express is, it's a home run, Boyd said. [BR][BR][/P]
[P]Or, the could offer customers the benefit of buying stand by coupons for a hundred bucks a pop, like U is doing... [A href=http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/021001/dctu075_1.html]http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/021001/dctu075_1.html[/A]. Talk about consumer friendly.[/P][/BLOCKQUOTE]
[P][/P]
 
[P]
[BLOCKQUOTE][BR]----------------[BR]On 10/1/2002 9:14:33 PM tadjr wrote:
[P]Sure beats the no standby rule, but then again, I guess some people arent going to be happy no matter what the options are, unless its free.[/P]
[P]----------------[/P]
[P]Maybe not. But you know, if my business was hurting for business customers, I'd bend over backwards to accomodate them. All the other airlines figure we'll just bend over the customers we still have until we lose them. [/P][/BLOCKQUOTE]
 
[blockquote]
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On 10/1/2002 9:14:33 PM tadjr wrote:

Sure beats the "no standby" rule, but then again, I guess some people arent going to be happy no matter what the options are, unless its free.
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[/blockquote]

I'll concede that it is better than not having any ability to stand-by at all.

But I'll be darned if I can think of a reason to be happy about it. It was free and it worked to everyone's benefit - especially the airline. Now it costs $100, is heavily restricted, will need additional labor effort to administer and it annoys people. It went from win-win to lose-lose. What is the sense of that?

And it still won't get me to pay 8x as much for a ticket.
 
[blockquote]
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On 10/1/2002 9:14:33 PM tadjr wrote:

Sure beats the no standby rule, but then again, I guess some people arent going to be happy no matter what the options are, unless its free.
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[/blockquote]

Actually, WN requires upgrading to full fare prior to standby (on most flights, at least).

As for the topic on hand, Hooters Girls as FAs? A lot better than granny on US Airways in her blue polyester. Bring back the old PSA uniforms ;).
 
ATA President seen in Winston Salem last week also?????? Could ATA be part of the deal????

ATSB gives ATA loan preliminary nod

By Jennifer Waters, CBS.MarketWatch.com Last Update: 6:29 PM ET Sept. 26, 2002

WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- ATA airlines got word late Thursday that it won conditional approval for a $148.5 million federal loan guarantee. Wrapped with stipulations calling for higher fees and warrants, dividend restrictions and a change in the terms of existing debt, a final OK by the Air Transportation Stabilization Board will enable the carrier to take out $165 million in new financing.

With this notice, ATA, controlled by ATA Holdings (ATAH: news, chart, profile), becomes only the third carrier to meet the standards of the ATSB. The agency is charged with doling out $10 billion worth of guarantees under a loan program put in place shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
 
Hey! If worse comes to worst, I still have my old PSA red and pink number! The Go-Go boots are little worn down from frequent RON room prancing, but I'm sure a good cobbler could put a shine on them.

Let me know, just in case. I'd love to dump that heinous navy blue sack of a dress.

My PSA smile is still in good working order as well!