US/AA merger settlement imminent!

[IORFA]

...and that number is finite...IIRC, there are ~12 ways for seniority integration to occur while still meeting the covenants of "fair & equitable" under MB...That said, my guess is either DOH, percentile seniority, and maybe classification seniority (for the ramp) are the only ones that are given any real consideration...

Any outcome could happen, IF the parties agree to it. MB doesn't stop something like a staple from happening entirely. If agreed to, it CAN happen.

 

[Kev3188]

Correct. I was just pointing out what's considered "fair and equitable" under MB, should it get to that point.

 

[WorldTraveler]

"Politics and more"...
Having said that WT, with all the wealth of knowledge floating around in your head, I'm sure
you're not so naive as to think there weren't any politics involved at all, especially in screwing Delta! 🙂

just because an agreement was reached doesn't mean that it has been established as legal.

Let's remember how many people on here were blasting the Justice Dept. for its gun-running operations, a subject that has certainly caught the eyes of Congress.

The Justice Dept. can be sued, you do realize, don't you? that is what AA and US were doing before this settlement was announced.

Perhaps you haven't read the WN thread on the same subject so I will repeat:




I reaffirm that I am willing to bet that the settlement agreement will be revised to remove the preferential bidding position for B6 and WN and to allow any carrier to bid on the assets.

Are you willing to bet that I am wrong?

 

[swamt]

WT you need help...

 

[Bob Owens]

so the merger is about politics? I thought the Justice dept. was charged with enforcing antitrust law.

I think most of us realize there is no real law in this country anymore, if you have the money you can do whatever you want. Judges may not be cheap but its pretty obvious they can be bought.

 

[WorldTraveler]

if that is the case then who is to say that DL can't buy the appeal process? 
 
Perhaps they are using the cash they are saving by buying used M90s and current generation 330s to buy justice instead of 787s?.
 
Do you truly want to live in a country where justice is for sale to the highest bidder?

 

[WorldTraveler]

WT you need help...

 
because I am not willing to take the party line of the board that DL's right to bid on assets will be subordinated to B6 and WN?

 

[Bob Owens]

because I am not willing to take the party line of the board that DL's right to bid on assets will be subordinated to B6 and WN?

How would allowing one of the BIG Three help as far as anti-trust issues? If Delta wants to be number one again then buy Jet Blue. Don't worry, the DOJ will let it happen, just don't declare BK and insist on giving the CEO $20 million after repeated objections.

 

[Bob Owens]

Do you truly want to live in a country where justice is for sale to the highest bidder?

Is that a serious question?

 

[Kev3188]

Do you truly want to live in a country where justice is for sale to the highest bidder?

We already do...

 

[LD3]

Perhaps they are using the cash they are saving by buying used M90s and current generation 330s to buy justice instead of 787s?.

Or the money the state of MN is giving them....

 

[WorldTraveler]

if $5 million is all it takes they can find that much under the seat cushions

 

[700UW]

The IAM and TWU have all ready agreed to seniority by date of entry into the classification.

 

[eolesen]

"Politics and more"...
Having said that WT, with all the wealth of knowledge floating around in your head, I'm sure
you're not so naive as to think there weren't any politics involved at all, especially in screwing Delta! 🙂

Politics were a piece of it, certainly. The Obama Administration has gone thru a rash of bad press in the past couple months, starting with the IRS scandal, NSA scandal, and now Obamacare collapsing under its own weight.

If the DOJ lost in court, it would be yet another trophy on the shelf for those who like to point to the ruling party's ineptitude.


As for the last part... screwing DL?

OldGuy and I rarely agree on much, but there may be more than a shred of truth in that thought.

WT's sycophantic behavior aside for a moment, I've noticed a certain arrogance taking over at DL, similar to what happened during Harding Lawrence's tenure at Braniff, and how AA dealt with the DOT/DOJ during the early 90's (anyone remember when AA couldn't seem to get any Japan route authorities, or how long they were locked out of China?).

If that arrogance has seeped into the way the government affairs folks communicate with DOT and DOJ, then specifically locking out DL from any windfalls is not out of the question. Certainly, the DOT/DOJ wouldn't bend over backward to accommodate them unless it were a situation where there were no other bidders...


Since this is now a smoke-free environment for me, I'm sure I won't miss much when WT shows up with a few puffs of DLflection.

 

[WorldTraveler]

if arrogance comes from making money and running a decent operation, then DL is guilty.

You're feeble attempts at trying to frame this as DL lost because of their arrogance is nothing but amusing.

DL's arrogance comes at winning in the marketplace and won't change whether they bid on the assets or not.

Sure, the assets will help DL keep coming but they won't make or break anything.

And it also won't change that all of the strategic challenges that AA faces aren't affected one bid regardless of who wins the bidding process.

It also doesn't change that AA is hanging on by its fingernails in NYC, DL is pushing hard on the west coast, and are making a full out push for LHR. DL's success in NYC-MIA where they now have 40% of the market provides more than enough evidence that DL can challenge AA's monopoly.

And, again, DL's original intention was to pick up slots to serve small/medium size cities. If you and AA/US mgmt. thinks that locking DL out of DCA, LGA, and DAL in order to allow B6 and WN to have all 56 of the slots and gates, then you and AA deserve everything that will be coming your wAAy - and it will be anything but pretty.

And as much as you want to believe that the Obama administration is free to do whatever it wants with no one to stop them, there is yet one more headline saying about the administration overstepping its legal authority = this time the EPA.

I know the difference between the legal and governmental systems in the US and third-world countries. The US is not in the same class for now. For a whole lot of reasons, of which the settlement agreement might or might not be just one part - you can be thankful.