Will US AIRWAYS outbid Southwest for AirTran?

[The Janitor]

Southwest seems to have picked up AirTran rather cheaply and if they succeed they will also pick up a key southern hub. What will US AIRWAYS response be??? Will US have to protect CLT?

What are the options?

 

[beachboy]

Shhhhhhh! 😛h34r: I don't think we are allowed to talk. Just keep picking the beans before we get it.

 

[Travelpro72]

Both airlines and their investors want this deal. What on earth would US bring to the table to make them change their minds? No way. US will just continue to cut routes, displace and uproot hard working, devoted employees to Charladelphia while every other airline out there merges, increases size and moves along in the evolving airline world. US will continue with their seasonal flights with old airplanes, delayed deliveries and back tracking. Anyhow.....bravo to WN. At least someone out there has an airline to be proud of. 🙄

 

[NYGiantsFan90]

Never happen, WN had the deepest pockets and best credit rating of any airline. If you were a bank or an investor would you lend or invest money in an airline that still hasnt completed a merger five years into it?

 

[bigbusboy]

Southwest seems to have picked up AirTran rather cheaply and if they succeed they will also pick up a key southern hub. What will US AIRWAYS response be??? Will US have to protect CLT?

What are the options?

I think I just heard the "F" bomb coming from DL's exec. offices....hehehe. Seriously though, this may be the start to something happening around here. My bets are on M&A activity between US and AA/B6. Continue the fortification of CLT by building up Dom/Int'l and connecting it to DFW, ORD, PHL and JFK. I think 2011 is shaping up to be an interesting year.

 

[roabilly]

I think I just heard the "F" bomb coming from DL's exec. offices....hehehe. Seriously though, this may be the start to something happening around here. My bets are on M&A activity between US and AA/B6. Continue the fortification of CLT by building up Dom/Int'l and connecting it to DFW, ORD, PHL and JFK. I think 2011 is shaping up to be an interesting year.

I have to agree with the scenario you mentioned above. A US/WN merger would be even more of a Hungarian Goat F*** than the AW/US fiasco has been.

These recent developments should definitely be forcing someone’s hand to jump into the consolidation fray though!

 

[IberiaMAL]

...It's only a matter of time...



😛h34r:


😛 I wonder if the new US/AMR would incorporate the belovéd "swoosh" into their marketing campaign.

 

[Travelpro72]

As much as some would like to see the "flag" prevail over the Eagle and AA on the tails it would NEVER happen. I mean seriously, what brand is more recognizable worldwide AA or US? If US were in the driving seat by some Apocalyptic happening don't put it past the sand castle to paint a "swoosh" on the side of an MD-80 and call it "Classy Casual" 🙄

 

[IberiaMAL]

As much as some would like to see the "flag" prevail over the Eagle and AA on the tails it would NEVER happen. I mean seriously, what brand is more recognizable worldwide AA or US? If US were in the driving seat by some Apocalyptic happening don't put it past the sand castle to paint a "swoosh" on the side of an MD-80 and call it "Classy Casual" 🙄

HA HA!


Woah, that made my week.

 

[flybynite]

With Southwest coming to Charlotte it's going to get real interesting.

 

[Travelpro72]

With Southwest coming to Charlotte it's going to get real interesting.

Well we know they're not "coming to kill us". That said, Southwest in CLT will be MUCH different than Airtran in CLT. They operate quite differently and will change the game in CLT on routes they compete with US. To think otherwise would be foolish.

 

[IberiaMAL]

^ If anything, I see more of a Pittsburgh type operation only less.


Besides, WN will only have 2 gates to play with. Charlotte has low O&D - I don't think WN is that interested in Charlotte as they have Atlanta, Nashville, and RDU.

I foresee flights to Chicago, Baltimore, Orlando, and Atlanta. The only thing that really sucks about WN is US can't bleed them out of markets.

 

[usa1]

Kelleher said on FOXNEWS yesterday that the routes out of ATL will be altered ... the merged companies will fly to many new WN destinations from ATL.

 

[etops1]

Airtran brings no value to USAirways. USAirways needs to merge with one of the majors. Airtran and SW are a good fit because they both have similar business models .

 

[Twicebaked]

Well, I think at this point in all the games US Airways is just as well known as American Airlines (more so in Europe) so, I think we should keep the US Airways name... They are both tarnished anyway... And you can't strip our planes down to the metal for their livery... most of our planes are mostly composite materials... just my thoughts

...It's only a matter of time...



😛h34r:


😛 I wonder if the new US/AMR would incorporate the belovéd "swoosh" into their marketing campaign.