Southwest Airlines to Aquire AirTran for Approximately $1.4 Billion

[NYCA News]

NYCAviation:

Southwest Airlines to Aquire AirTrain for Approximatley $1.4 Billion

Southwest Airlines on early Monday morning announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement with AirTran Airways to acquire the airline for nearly $1.4 billion.
[Click to Read Full Article]

[Art at ISP]

I guess that means there will be a bunch of 717's on the market soon....

[MarkLawrence]

That is huge news!!! I wonder if they will still keep them as a separate entity....

[T-Bird76]

Wow..... Certainly didn't see this coming, I saw the news on this, this morning and had to look twice. This is going to firmly put Southwest in place as the dominant carrier in most major cities.

[JHNA57]

This is quick access to additional LGA slots, and does this mean service to HPN? AirTran also has a presence in the Caribbean

[runway27r]

[hiss srq]

I walked into a wall reading this on my blackberry about an hour ago. WOW..... Well, this means some very cheap DC9 replacements for someone. The US Airline inndustry is going to get real tight. I bet Doug the horny merger dog Parker is already making calls looking for someone with a death wish to merge with now. This is going to make for a challenge to keep the O&D traffic at ATL. Southwest is going to flood that market with 40 dollar one ways. The glaring question now is will Southwest kill the small Ohio markets Cirtus inhabits and does so well in. On the plus side, SRQ will now have pretty much the dream team lineup of airlines I had always wanted to see operating there when I worked down there. Too bad it is almost a decade late.

[MarkLawrence]

Ryan - airTran has no DC9's anymore - they are all Boeing 717's. According to an article I was just reading - Southwest is going to bring airTran into the whole Southwest model - which seems to imply that we'll be seeing Boeing 717s in Southwest colors! Interesting those will be - get the special schemes while you can!!!!

[Spunker]

This was quite a shocker, really didn't see it coming. However, looks like 717's are staying, at least for awhile. Can't wait to see them in Canyon Blue! The biggest question is who's next?

[T-Bird76]

Ryan - airTran has no DC9's anymore - they are all Boeing 717's. According to an article I was just reading - Southwest is going to bring airTran into the whole Southwest model - which seems to imply that we'll be seeing Boeing 717s in Southwest colors! Interesting those will be - get the special schemes while you can!!!!

Mark, Ryan meant that an airline with DC9s will be able to replace them if Southwest decides to dump Airtrans 717s, which he's correct.

[MarkLawrence]

Mark, Ryan meant that an airline with DC9s will be able to replace them if Southwest decides to dump Airtrans 717s, which he's correct.

Ahhhh...that makes sense - now I see what he meant...sorry Ryan!!!

[hiss srq]

No worries. So here are a few interesting obsevations after thinking about this all day. After all of the Southwest complaining about UAL and CO coming together it seems like this was simply a concerted effort to get into the NY market as well as pick up that international feed. I bet Gordo and Tilton are banging on the DOT/DOJ door screaming by now about EWR slots. This will be interesting for Delta though. With the Delta NWA merger complete and cement complete will this open up the door for Delta to grab Alaska which would make a great deal of sense. I cannot see too many obsticles to this now. It only gets even more juscy from here on in. US Airways is the loser here for sure. Or at least it's employees. Parker and family better have a trick up their sleve because USAirways is dead meat now. Their Charlotte fortress is about as useful now to the US market as a pork stand in Mecca. Atlanta pretty much ensures that now. So the question is, will US die a painful death due to being rendered useless with exception of the Shuttle or will Parker, Kirby and Isom save their own arses and part east and west out like a BMW on the docks of Baltimore? The shuttle will fetch a pretty penny and I bet American and JetBlue would love to take a nice divy on that. PHL domestic is dead, I am sure American would love to grab PHX just to play tag with Southwest and than when they are bored with it pull a TWA St. Louis on them leaving that region as pretty much Canyon Blue land. Opinions? Tommy, I am sure you will have some really fun takes on this.
A note. I am a former US Airways Operations guy from LGA. It pains me to make those remarks because the people there are wonderful but our company just cant sustain and this merger makes US the gimp duck in the flock. Hopefully when it comes to frutiton it is done in a very dignifyed way. I just can't see it with the management's discontent for the east operation being so prevelant.

[Alex T]

Hiss--WN did not complain about UA/CO any more louder than other airlines did. The only thing WN was vocal about was the slot swap with US/DL That's it.

Just to highlite some things..

717 will stay within the fleet, and be merged into WN colors and operations.

DFW will be shut down immediatly as soon as the closer of the two airlines happens, if it does. Due to the Wright Amendmant clause and agreement, anything owned or operated by Southwest cannot operate out of DFW for the time being. A Codeshare can happen where WN will sell flights on FL to DFW, but once they are combined, DFW is done.

Change Fees will be dropped at FL ASAP

Bag Fees will be dropped at FL

Assigned Seating will not join WN, will remain No Assigned Seating

Business Class will not continue on to WN, WN remains a one class carrier for both combinations

WN plans to hire around 200 F/A's and 300 Pilots

Alex

[hiss srq]

Alex, I understand you are from WN but they certainly did. They screamed about a monopoly on the EWR market. A market they were not even a player in at all untill the DOJ said.. "Thanks for the gifts, strippers and for pete sake will you quit complaining. Here are some token slots".

[Alex T]

Alex, I understand you are from WN but they certainly did. They screamed about a monopoly on the EWR market. A market they were not even a player in at all untill the DOJ said.. "Thanks for the gifts, strippers and for pete sake will you quit complaining. Here are some token slots".

From WN sure, but I am not biased in any bit I only state facts.

WN was only vocal about getting more into NYC, not necessarily EWR specifically. There was never an out cry from WN themselves about slots at EWR nor a monopoly, please provide facts on that.

Only thing WN was vocal on is quoted in the article here...

http://chicagobreakingbusiness.com/2...al-merger.html
“We’ve been vocal about wanting to expand our New York area service since we entered the market,” said Southwest spokeswoman Brandy King. “It’s tough to get additional slots. The current situation provides a great opportunity.

The merger of UA/CO wouldn't be approved until some slots had been given up.

That's really it.

Alex