BOD Meeting News.

[batman]

This just in from ALPA:
"ALPA is convinced and has confirmed that there are NO plans to sell or lease international or domestic routes, gates, and landing slots or sell significant portions of its real estate holdings. The Tribune article carried the pure speculation of numerous “airline analystsâ€￾ who have no access to any inside information and speculate only on rumors, innuendo and their own view of the airline industry.

Any type of joint venture regarding San Francisco Maintenance facility (MOC) has been in the press for several months, but according to the Company, any transaction for that facility is subject to a vote by AMFA employees. AMFA has not taken a public position on any transaction regarding the MOC. One of the real benefits of the Union coalition is the close coordination and constant communication between the members of the Coalition, and we will work with AMFA as it analyzes whatever actions the company may take.

Thanks a lot, I was just waiting for a certain USair captain to jump in here with insider information :huh:

 

[767jetz]

Thanks a lot, I was just waiting for a certain USair captain to jump in here with insider information :huh:

I'm sure he's just itching to jump in here, but he has his hands full over at USAir. He's spinning away defending his theories at home.

 

[whatkindoffreshhell]

Step back from your feelings for a moment and think...

Adding $16 Billion to UA's cash on hand means close to $20 Billion. This makes UA a potential purchaser, or at least able to attract investors who will add more money for a purchase. Let's say UA and Continental were to merge, with UA using it's cash to buy out CAL (and hopefully keep their management.) Then UA wouldn't need certain assets like unused slots and real estate. A large merger would require divestiture of redundant pieces of the company anyway. Why not sell those parts off first to raise cash before hand?

I think you're stuck on the "UA is selling itself off" mantra. (Perhaps wishful thinking?) The point is not "who would buy UA in one piece?" The point is, who UA will purchase with all the cash it raises.

You're amusing. "UA a potential purchaser" -- umm, maybe new airplanes like every other airline in the world?? Nah, Glenn & Jake aren't interested, they just want to cash out somehow, someway.
Buying airplanes would only dirty the balance sheet and they can't tolerate that kind of sloppy while they are prostituting the airline.

Why didn't labor clamor to sell off those "certain assets like unused slots & real estate" before their pensions were swindled to satisfy the lawyers and other consultants?? Wait a minute -- these same lawyers and consultants can now again feed at the trough by telling Jake to conduct another firesale of the family jewels! What a country!

Instead of investing in the airline and improving the product value your BOD is just warming up the fat lady. You should be ashamed that your labor rep on the BOD isn't going berserk to block this nonsense.

The money guys got in your pants no problem the first time. Now it's just a habit.

Terrible waste of a fabulous airline...

 

[Fly]

Yawn....we can rewind this for the last 5 years and the argument is the same. It must be so frustrating that we not only exist but continue to have (easily) the highest stock price.

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

luv2fly...767jetz;

Apologies for "coming on TOO strong" :wub:




FLY,

I can NEVER say this enough,........................"PLZ don't ever change your Avatar" !!

"PENGUIN POWER"..........aka........."POWER TO ALL PENGUINS"


"beauty",

????????????

 

[767jetz]

Buying airplanes would only dirty the balance sheet and they can't tolerate that kind of sloppy while they are prostituting the airline.

Why didn't labor clamor to sell off those "certain assets like unused slots & real estate" before their pensions were swindled to satisfy the lawyers and other consultants??

Instead of investing in the airline and improving the product value your BOD is just warming up the fat lady. You should be ashamed that your labor rep on the BOD isn't going berserk to block this nonsense.

Where to start... Hmmm... Airlpanes are not so hard to come by as some would like you to think. Did you know GE Capital has orders for quite a few Boeing 787's to lease to an undisclosed customer? Did you know that during BK, when UA was prohibited from buying fuel hedges, JP Morgan was buying hedges for UA on their behalf? Also, right now UA is more interested in the next generation of 737 replacement. But you knew all this already, right?

Those assets are what helped secure the loans UA needed to exit from BK. Employees had little to say about what was sold and what was not before the pensions were canceled. What makes you think they did?

And as for ALPA's seat on the board, I'm sure you knew that the unions lost their veto power after ESOP died in BK. So you probably know that they can go berserk if they want but have no power to block anything, right?

Obviously you've got it all figured out, and nobody will convince you otherwise.

 

[whatkindoffreshhell]

Where to start... Hmmm... Airlpanes are not so hard to come by as some would like you to think. Did you know GE Capital has orders for quite a few Boeing 787's to lease to an undisclosed customer? Did you know that during BK, when UA was prohibited from buying fuel hedges, JP Morgan was buying hedges for UA on their behalf? Also, right now UA is more interested in the next generation of 737 replacement. But you knew all this already, right?

Those assets are what helped secure the loans UA needed to exit from BK. Employees had little to say about what was sold and what was not before the pensions were canceled. What makes you think they did?

And as for ALPA's seat on the board, I'm sure you knew that the unions lost their veto power after ESOP died in BK. So you probably know that they can go berserk if they want but have no power to block anything, right?

Obviously you've got it all figured out, and nobody will convince you otherwise.

Yeah, so did ILFC order a bunch of planes for an "undisclosed customer". Those money guys have always ordered their planes that way. Big deal.

So JP bought you all those fuel hedges and 'advised' UA to construct a business plan based on oil at $50bbl until 2010. I think oil today is north of $80bbl -- how much did that advice cost you?

I'm sure the pilots of an international carrier are absolutely thrilled with UA's interest in 737s.

Employees had little to say? Everybody get castrated? When did this happen before the BK bell rung? Or since for that matter?

Didn't the mechs obtain a lien on WHQ in exchange for givebacks? Surplus space now that Glenn & Jake are taking lunch downtown.

ua777flyer laughed when I suggested UA going BK a year before it happened.

Take off the goggles folks and take a stand for chrissakes. How could Jake Brace, the chief numbers guy who presided over your long slide into BK not only still have a job -- but millions in stock options too?

Again I say -- sell these assets and restore the pension.

 

[CynicalResAgent]

So JP bought you all those fuel hedges and 'advised' UA to construct a business plan based on oil at $50bbl until 2010. I think oil today is north of $80bbl -- how much did that advice cost you?

I read that some analyst predict it going above $100 by early 2008.

 

[lasttoboard]

I read that some analyst predict it going above $100 by early 2008.

That's absolutely true, you know it's true cause some dumb ass analyst said so! However, based on the PE ratio I can't believe it's trading in the high 40's, someone is smoking their socks!!!

 

[donttouchthebeauty]

That's absolutely true, you know it's true cause some dumb ass analyst said so! However, based on the PE ratio I can't believe it's trading in the high 40's, someone is smoking their socks!!!

It amazes me everyday to see our stock going up more, now almost $50 a share. I read the Eye on UA today and I can tell you that in my opinion they are looking at spinning this stuff off to drive up stock proces and have short term cash, and then, from the sounds of it - there will be a merger or an acquisition of some sort. With at least 10billion on hand I think UAL will be in the drivers seat.. We will see how it plays out, I don't trust this management team (or any for that matter) as far as i can throw them. I think it was worded like this "We are positioning UAL to be the Premium Global carrier of choice"... HMMMM ....

 

[767jetz]

umm, maybe new airplanes like every other airline in the world?? Nah, Glenn & Jake aren't interested, they just want to cash out somehow, someway.
Buying airplanes would only dirty the balance sheet and they can't tolerate that kind of sloppy while they are prostituting the airline.

Did you happen to catch this article???

United seeks new plane for U.S. flights

I guess your theory of UA not wanting to "dirty the balance sheet" is kinda shot to he11 considering they approached Boeing and Airbus to build them a new plane!

As you can see, the oldest planes in the fleet are the 737's at 18 years old. We still have the largest fleet of 747's and 777's. So the need to replace the long haul aircraft is just not there yet.

I'm also sure you saw that UA is adding service to London from Denver, right? So with measured international expansion and a plan to start replacing the aging fleet, doesn't seem to me that UA is without a long term strategy.

 

[JungleClone]

Yeah, but keep in mind that such an airplane would be a good 7-8 years out from delivery at the earliest. And I don't know that UA carries as much wood with Boeing and Airbus as they used to. But of course, a firm order of 50-100 aircraft would get their attention also.

But it's obvious that UA needs a replacement for their ever-aging B737 fleet. While the airframes can be maintained to fly for many more years, the interiors are old and outdated. The longer UA flies those planes, the more inferior their onboard product becomes. Even UA's early A319's and A320's are starting to show their wear. So do they invest a large amount of money in overhauling the ins and outs of the B737 fleet, ala Northwest did with their DC9's back in the 90's, or do they start hunting for a replacement soon? I think long term, they're much better-suited for investing in a new airframe instead of putting lipstick on the pig fleet of B737's.

I know that I'm hoping UA invests in some B787's, especially if they continue their international growth.

 

[North by Northwest]

IMHO...airline mergers, the insane run up in the price of oil, is the last year grab of corporate gluttony before their puppet leaves office. Speculators want to cash out before the next election.

The pendulum is going to swing back hard and they intend to get as much as they can before the ATM is shut down.

This industry has got to be forced into a dramatic restructuring of it's senior management and BODs...I say INDUSTRY because what is being said at Ual is being contemplated at almost every other carrier. These people are looking to steal as much as they can...just as Checchi and Wilson did to NW (LBO)when it had the best balance sheet, owned fleet, and largest cash reserves in the industry in 1988.

A well run airline in America is a target for greed. Politicians talk "national interest" ONLY when it's to shut down employees hopes of getting a piece of the pie. Where was the "national interest" concern when these airlines where almost destroyed by greedy management?

It's about the last run on the bank before their flunky george leaves.

 

[Fly]

United has the youngest fleet of the majors. Northwest the oldest. (35 years average! )

They have time.

 

[North by Northwest]

United has the youngest fleet of the majors. Northwest the oldest. (35 years average! )

They have time.

Your silly little comment is related to...?

And...actually, you DON'T. And "time" will tell.(p.s. stop living in the past...as in 15 years ago)

http://www.airsafe.com/events/airlines/fleetage.htm

United's BOD will be making that decision, so you really have no say in how much time you THINK ual has.


I hardly, think you are in a position to start bragging about what you have today...when the people who make the decisions are talking about getting RID of it.

Clearly, you have an inferiority issue (our fleet, your airport...ect), as if YOU actually had something to do with United's fleet choice. (snicker)

I think you should be more concerned with balance sheet vs. the age of someones fleet.