What's your take on the merger?

[Kristie]

I've been on vaca since the merger was announced and have been dying to ask... what do ya'll think? good/bad...any idea on if they've annouced where the major hubs will be and/or how seniority will work??

i haven't had a chance to read or catch up on anything at all yet.

[CaptainsWife]

As an AWA wife this merger is definetly something we are thinking about. Thankfully my DH is in the top 90 pilots seniority wise, I believe he is now #91, 20 years with AWA in March, so he is not too concerned about how the merging of the seniority lists will go. Although there is the tiniest possibility that they could just stick the AWA pilots on the very bottom of the seniority list under the US Air pilots, the talks are doing a 1 for 1 for the first 200 or so and then going down the line, a 2 for 1 or something like that. Now for the AWA FAs it may be a different story.
Bases, from what I have heard the airline will operate out of Tempe, AZ and Doug Parker will run it. PHX and LAS will remain hubs and they will take 2 of the US Air hubs as well. Both airlines will get rid of a small amount of aircraft, I believe it was only 6 or 7 initially for AWA.
We get updates via email from ALPA and I would be happy to post any relivent information I get.

[Kristie]

Lori, what's the latest news? is it true that US Airways is looking for a "larger" bidder and for AWA to drop out would cost AWA money??

any word on how they'd merge the lists?

[roz]

The AAA pilots are so busy fighting among themselves about the MDA pilots, they are ready to implode.

AAA is slated to lose 61 planes. It ain't pretty. They can't take the snapshot until after the merger closes in Sept.

Here is a summary of the pilot groups:

Using DOH, and assuming no attrition of HP pilots, at the end of 2010:

The top 460 pilots on the combined list would be from AAA (about 500 pilots are slated to retire between 2005 and 2010 from AAA).

The next 2300+ from AAA would blend in with the top 1200 +/- HP pilots.

The last 900 or so from AAA would blend in with the last 600+ from HP.

At the end of 2015, again assuming no attrition of HP pilots:

The top 70 pilots would be from AAA.

The next 1400+ from AAA would blend in with the top 1200 +/- HP pilots.

The last 900 +/- from AAA would blend in with the last 600 +/- from HP.

As you can see, by the end of 2015 things would mostly have balanced out - it would almost look like a ratioed or slotted integration except at the very top.

But what will likely happen is that they will spend millions of dollars arguing and then an arbitrator will make a decision that will make people on both sides unhappy. Maybe if they just locked them all in a room and told them to stay there until they figured it out...
[img]images/graemlins/kissy_kissy.gif[/img]

[CaptainsWife]

The latest plan of merging the seniority lists is actually not as Roz stated. This is from ALPA in updates we get every so often.
They will not use a DOH since the most junior guy at Us Air (I am assuming AAA is UsAir) is a 1987 DOH and the most senior guy at AWA is 1983, for the pilots that is. The latest email, from this morning, of course now I can't find it, is talking about taking the top 200 Us Air guys, then taking a 1 for 1 between the 2 for the next 200. Then they would take a 2 for 1, etc. etc. It doesn't spell it all out down the line but they are trying to integrate it so that is seems most fair. Of course it doesn't matter how they will do it, there will be some unhappy people. Both airlines unions are already in talks. Thankfully both are ALPA. The other option that was thrown out there when this first started was longevity, not DOH. But the focus now is what I stated above. They say 2 years before they get it all merged.
As for the FAs, well that could be a mess for them. Rumor on the line, I overheard on my flight from GEG to PHX last Sunday, is it will be DOH and the AWA FAs will get the shaft and be put at the bottom of the US Air seniority list. There will be very senior HP FAs on reserve! That might create a riot! LOL
Kristie, They are definetly open to other offers. I believe they have a 30 day period in which they can entertain others offers and bump HP out. No clue as to if it will cost HP money if the deal falls through. Probably.

[roz]

I didn't say they would use a DOH. I have repeatedly stated that ALPA rules no longer dictate that. Kristie asked about pilot seniority of the two carriers and I replied to that. They will take a snapshot after the merger is complete and have to hammer it out. Both sides will find both fairness and unfairness in the decisions reached.

The AFA, however, dictates DOH, along with most of the other unions.

[lucky81698]

Roz,

Who is AAA? Is it USAirways? I talked to Bill's cousin yesterday and he hasn't heard anything more. Have you heard what will happen to the U pilots that went to Mid-Atlantic as part of the Jets for Jobs program? I wonder if they are still considered U pilots?

Jan

[Kristie]

yea.. i could just see senior HP FA's taking to the calendar sales if they end up being at the bottom of the heap! haha

what is AFA?

[roz]

AFA is the Association of Flight Attendants--the union that represents both AAA and HP.

The AAA MEC is trying to maintain that the MDA pilots are not to be included in the snapshot--that they are a separate group because of class of aircraft. The MDA pilots are crying foul and have hired a attorneys. The sale to Republic is an asset sale--it does not include staff. MDA is not a separate company. It is a division of AAA and operates on the AAA certificate. It's a classic case of the MEC eating their young. It's gonna implode.

[lucky81698]

Roz,
What the heck is AAA? If it is USAirways then what does it stand for? Is it something new, I never heard of them being referred to as that?

Jan