Will SWA buy, or merge with another airline in the near future?

[WNMECH]

1.  Great question and, you know, that's one of those things that I can't give you anything that's confidential, so, let me just answer this question this way:
 
2.  That will be our focus over the next five years and as to whether or not another acquisition makes sense, we'll just have to stay tuned on that.
 
 
 
Why did he say #1? He could have just said NO unless they were looking at merger opportunities.
 
Why did he say #2? Why tease, he could have just said NO. 
 
 
He also explained that acquisitions are growth opportunities and  
growth is good for our People; growth is good for Shareholders; it's certainly good for the Company.
 
What is "really breathtaking" is that WT cant tell when someone is avoiding giving a straight answer and he still thinks that WN can only do one thing at a time.
We have done quite a bit during the same time as the AirTran merger, and could merge with Alaska while still expanding international.
Wn could actually expand international faster with that merger.
by eliminating overlapping and weak routes, there would be more aircraft available to use on new international destinations.
 
 
Now just to be clear, I am not predicting a merger soon.
I am saying it has not been ruled out and I think WN is still looking for opportunities.

 

[swamt]

The point is, Gary could have just said no.
But he didn't and he left the door open.

 
 

I don't believe that.
If WN bought Alaska, we still would not be the largest airline in the country and there would still only be four big airlines.
If the DOJ allowed the other guys to be that big, why not allow a low cost airline to be as large?

 
 

You are not so good at interpreting plain English either.
I posted plenty of links to the Wright amendment reform act and links to the lease passages in the Dallas airport competition plan that explained exactly what would happen to DAL at Love Field.
You didn't grasp any of it until everything I said would happen slowly did.

We will read our own tea leaves thank you.

 
 

You are showing again that you can't understand how Love Field works.

The Wright Amendment Reform Act had plenty of unbiased eyes on it and was passed by both houses of congress and signed into law by the Potus. The DOJ also blessed the agreement.

It is the law and has antitrust protection.

You should have read the links I posted over a year ago when you were arguing the same BS.
You would have learned something instead of continuing to show your ignorance on the subject.

 
 

1.  Great question and, you know, that's one of those things that I can't give you anything that's confidential, so, let me just answer this question this way:
 
2.  That will be our focus over the next five years and as to whether or not another acquisition makes sense, we'll just have to stay tuned on that.
 
 
 
Why did he say #1? He could have just said NO unless they were looking at merger opportunities.
 
Why did he say #2? Why tease, he could have just said NO. 
 
 
He also explained that acquisitions are growth opportunities and  
growth is good for our People; growth is good for Shareholders; it's certainly good for the Company.
 
What is "really breathtaking" is that WT cant tell when someone is avoiding giving a straight answer and he still thinks that WN can only do one thing at a time.
We have done quite a bit during the same time as the AirTran merger, and could merge with Alaska while still expanding international.
Wn could actually expand international faster with that merger.
by eliminating overlapping and weak routes, there would be more aircraft available to use on new international destinations.
 
 
Now just to be clear, I am not predicting a merger soon.
I am saying it has not been ruled out and I think WN is still looking for opportunities.

So not to repeat, YES, Enough said.  
To the guy that said the info of mergers will never get out.  We had clues of a merger happening when SWA was addressing AirTran.  But it really was a complete surprise when it was announced that we were buying them.  We were thinking it would have been a troubled airline.  Once again Alaska and SWA hook up would be a great connection...
 
BTW: I agree with all of WN's postings and that is why I will not repeat, except for WT still has NO CLUE, Ha ha, you just gotta LUV this stuff...

 

[WorldTraveler]

You are showing again that you can't understand how Love Field works.

The Wright Amendment Reform Act had plenty of unbiased eyes on it and was passed by both houses of congress and signed into law by the Potus. The DOJ also blessed the agreement.

It is the law and has antitrust protection.

You should have read the links I posted over a year ago when you were arguing the same BS.
You would have learned something instead of continuing to show your ignorance on the subject.
[/quote

no it didn't.

Tell me when the Wright Amendment was challenged by other airlines over THEIR access to DAL or DFW.

AA and WN fought plenty but the assumption ALWAYS was that the federal government would preserve the interests of non-Texas airlines.

UP until the AA/US merger, non-Texas airlines had no reason to get involved in the mess at DAL and DFW.

that might well be changing.

WN is trying to squat on as much of DAL as possible before they find that a judge rules that they overstepped their bounds.

There is no legal justification for saying that DAL told airlines to accommodate DL and then have them all decide to make deals among themselves to keep DL out.

You might find how well DL can put together NATIONWIDE support for reopening the whole Wright Amendment and everything related to it and strip WN of the gates it does have at DAL and the gates they have until every carrier that wants to serve DAL has the right to be accommodated.

The best laugh will come when AA, DL, and UA all serve DAL along with VX and WN is forced to split its N. Texas oprations between DFW and DAL or settle for the same size operation it had at the time WN's first schedules were published.

WN doesn't want to and hasn't competed against carriers if they can avoid it.

You don't need to keep arguing with me.

I am just telling you what is coming.

 

[Kev3188]

You might find how well DL can put together NATIONWIDE support for reopening the whole Wright Amendment and everything related to it and strip WN of the gates it does have at DAL and the gates they have until every carrier that wants to serve DAL has the right to be accommodated.

Tell us more about how that'll work.

 

[Glenn Quagmire]

Tell us more about how that'll work.

Yeah Kev, the Georgia congressional delegation is all going to come together and launch a challenge to the W/A. I am sure they will have zero opposition from their Texas counterparts. This especially since they have such a great track record of supporting the North Texas economy with the whole DFW closure fiasco.

Of course they are going to do this in an election year with sequestration, ISIS, syria, and all the other issues that Congress has been able to agree upon.
The alternate reality machine is cranked and in full operation today.

 

[WorldTraveler]

Tell us more about how that'll work.

how about you recount the legislative efforts that DL has engaged in and tell us their track records on them.

I'm not saying they will go that far but I can assure you that DL didn't start its campaign to get access to DAL only to turn around when the opposition told them to take a hike.

and Q, I know it is a big concept for you but air lines have two ends - and in this case only one of them is in Texas. legislators all over the country can grasp the value in having increased access to their city via a 2nd airport.

 

[WNMECH]

You might find how well DL can put together NATIONWIDE support for reopening the whole Wright Amendment and everything related to it and strip WN of the gates it does have at DAL and the gates they have until every carrier that wants to serve DAL has the right to be accommodated.

The best laugh will come when AA, DL, and UA all serve DAL along with VX and WN is forced to split its N. Texas oprations between DFW and DAL or settle for the same size operation it had at the time WN's first schedules were published.
 

 
   
 
Like I said, You should have read the links I posted over a year ago when you were arguing the same BS.
You would have learned something instead of continuing to show your ignorance on the subject.

 

[robbedagain]

WN im not sure he would of learned anything then when u posted those links except to turn it all into pro dl bs

 

[WorldTraveler]

   
 
Like I said, You should have read the links I posted over a year ago when you were arguing the same BS.
You would have learned something instead of continuing to show your ignorance on the subject.

you can post all the links you want but it doesn't change that the whole basis of Wright and DAL has never been challenged by an airline or locality outside of AA, WN, or Texas

 

[Kev3188]

As both an active/actual employee and a shareholder, I would much rather see DL redeploy assets slated for DAL flying to other markets and/or enhancing the DFW operation (as needed) instead of this. They knew it was a gamble. They lost. The end. So it goes in aviation.

 

[WorldTraveler]

except that you don't understand the value of defending your key markets.

Allowing a competitor such as WN to serve a market which DL cannot is a recipe for DL losing its position in the market and precisely why DL will fight tooth and nail.

The irony, Kev, is that your former and current airline employers both share the same philosophy, both built hugely profitable hubs and none of them have had anyone really make any impact in those hubs.

So, no, you don't get it.

DL isn't ready to throw in the towel.

You might be willing to give up but you might find that DL is ready to go a lot more rounds.

oh, and DL will BOTH redeploy the assets it was going to use elsewhere AND fight the legal battles so it can add even more routes when it wins the legal battle.

The beauty of DL's fleet plan is that it has a lot of flex capacity in it to match the market.

DL is still putting several percent of increased capacity into the domestic market plus anywhere from 5-25% more in int'l regions depending on where the opportunities might lie - or remove it from regions that aren't performing as well.

Unlike WN that has to shut down large portions of its acquired network in order to pursue multiple opportunities, DL has the bandwidth and management savvy to be able to deal with multiple new opportunities and still preserve its strengths.

 

[Kev3188]

No, I actually agree with you that they should deploy those assets slated for ex-DAL flying into markets where they can make money now and/or make inroads on other carrier's market share.

So if I don't know what I'm talking about, then what does that say?

 

[WorldTraveler]

where we part ways is over your statement that DL should throw in the towel (+/-) and chalk it up as a loss.

the rest, we're in agreement.

DL didn't start this DAL access issue unaware of the road it might have to travel - and sure enough, we are going right where I said it could end up.

DL's prepared to go down that road.

WN might find that they have a whole lot more to lose by taking on DL than for just figuring out a way to accommodate 6 flights/day.

 

[WNMECH]

 DL has the bandwidth and management savvy to be able to deal with multiple new opportunities and still preserve its strengths.

 
Delta management was savvy enough to drive its company into bankruptcy and savvy enough to sell tickets on flights where they don't have gates or sub leased space.
Deltas "new opportunities will" be at DFW if their management is savvy enough to find out how to compete there.

 

[WorldTraveler]

I have a feeling they will decide what they want to do and not rely on any opinion of yours.