Comments on: Midwest Shrinks Again in Latest Restructuring

By: CF

CF — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:21:32 +0000

BigJohn – As DRG says, I was talking about the next version of Midway. They were about to go under and instead morphed into a US Express carrier briefly. They ended up dying out completely. (As an aside, I actually flew them a couple times, but I never had the chance to fly the original.)

DRG – I agree with you, and I’ve said that in previous posts as well. Then again, Hoeksema is probably much happier because he’s kept his job, but all the front line people got a raw deal.

By: DRG

DRG — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:29:40 +0000

Of course he is referring to the Midway that operated out of RDU

Now, will people stop telling me I am wrong when I say that Midwest should have gone for the AirTran deal???

By: BigJohn

BigJohn — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:23:29 +0000

Cranky, your last comment about Midway becoming a express carrier for US Air Express…uh…explain that would you please? I worked for the Original ML, when based out of MDW, and we were never a carrier for US Air or USAirlines or whatever that miserable airline was. We did get get “cherry picked” when NW bought our assets (gates, slots, etc) in 1991 when were in chapter 7. All the “cherries” went to NW, and the employees (the biggest expense) went to the unemployment line! Are you referring to the Midway that was based out of RDU a few years later???

By: CF

CF — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:14:32 +0000

Nicholas – Well, they’re going back to Boeing initially, and then we’ll just have to see where they’re going to put them. AirTran is the obvious target, but I don’t know that they’re interested in any more growth than what they have planned right now.

By: Nicholas Barnard

Nicholas Barnard — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:22:59 +0000

This amazes me. They’re getting more cash to bring in another plane type so they can be like everyone else? Yeesh.

What I want to know is what happens to the 717s? Do they go to Airtran or down under?

By: SeaFlyer

SeaFlyer — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:48:01 +0000

Cranky:
Not disputing that fact. Just saying there’s no way Delta will contract Midwest to fly those planes as Delta Connection. The more likely scenario is Midwest never converts the planes to their operating certificate (continues the ASA agreement with Republic), and in the eventuality that the carrier goes under, the planes COULD be placed at Delta by Republic.

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:33:03 +0000

It’s hard to imagine airlines being profitable again in the next decade. The $99 one-way fare is going to seem like a joke in 5 years – and it almost seems like a joke now!

By: CF

CF — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:52:28 +0000

SeaFlyer – Midwest has said they plan on taking those aircraft and operating them under their own certificate. So, if that does indeed happen (as allowed in the contract) then they would be Midwest’s planes to fly until the end of the lease.

Tucano – No word on the cookies, but I imagine they’ll stick around. They’ve gotta keep something.

Jeff K – Milwaukee is like Indy in that Northwest dominates but there isn’t an opportunity for a true hub there. So yeah, I think that the new Delta keeps a decent schedule in Indy and Milwaukee to places where there’s a need for nonstops. Those CRJ markets probably go away quickly, but if Midwest drops down to 12 Embraer 170s, I’m sure they could find enough flying out of Milwaukee and Kansas City to make it worthwhile.

By: Jeff K

Jeff K — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:48:27 +0000

Well Midwest is now further off the list of options for the SFO-GRR trip for Christmas – was always nice to fly to the mid-west on a Midwest plane.

So looking way ahead – Midwest turns into a regional carrier for Delta/NW. Then what happens to MKE? Focus city? Why when MSP is so close?

Hope the do *something* with MKE as it’s a small but what i consider a gem of an airport (right there with PDX).

By: Tucano Bandeirante

Tucano Bandeirante — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:22:59 +0000

Dude – what about the cookies???