cur-mud-geon:
anyone who hates hypocrisy and pretense and has the temerity to say so; anyone with the habit of pointing out unpleasant facts in an engaging and humorous manner
As a sometimes passenger on Midwest, I am in love with the two abreast seating profile and the extended leg room I get on every flight. The cookies are nice but I am one of the very few who actually refuse them more often than eating them. Now you understand just how confused I am.
I could not help but see the full page advertisement from the president of AirTran telling us how great they are and thanking all the local folks who are supporting their attempt to take over Midwest. I presume the list of local folks is relatively small although Midwest stockholders could see an opportunity for a cash-out that would pay something of a premium.
And just today, January 11th, the all out assault has begun. AirTran is now going directly to the stockholders to force the take over. They have issued another offer of cash and stock equivalent to $13.25 per share. And the buzz has picked up considerably. Talk radio was all over the latest offer. Local business leaders were consulted and opined as to the situation. Some resented the take over attempt and others seemed poised to take their profit and run…after a few more run ups of the offer.
Instead of the monetary side of the equation, I find myself thinking about what Midwest might become if it were acquired by AirTran. The obvious things would be seating changes (and not for the better), loss of the major local presence with some of the jobs (even though AirTran professes otherwise at this time), loss of the wealth of direct flights that are the envy of every city the size of Milwaukee (we’d be connecting through hubs that are hundreds or thousands of miles away if AirTran succeeds), and so on. A bleak picture indeed!
I happened across the AirTran “on time” arrival statistics on the Department of Transportation’s website some time ago. I noticed that Midwest was not included and asked them to provide me that information for comparative purposes. They had no idea of my position and, in spite of that, they worked for several days to get me what I’d requested.
The time period in question was October, 2006. The numbers, using the same comparative basis look like this:
All Carriers: 72.91% On Time
AirTran: 67.12% On Time
Midwest: 73.30% On Time
Now there are a variety of reasons for late arrivals such as the “domino effect”, Air Traffic Control-induced delays, maintenance problems, weather-related delays and so on. And, in fairness, AirTran flies more daily flights than does Midwest. However, this simple comparison illustrates what I’ve come to expect from Midwest and no other airline. They care and they prove it!
I cringe at the thought of losing Midwest and of having it replaced by AirTran. Maybe it will happen and maybe it won’t. Too often, however, the initial suitor in these take-over attempts simply succeeds in putting the unwilling victim “in play”. Once in play, Midwest is swimming in troubled waters. They become the target for the rest of sharks closing for the kill. I am troubled that, sooner rather than later, one of our great local assets will disappear.
Every time something like this happens our state takes a hit and our community takes a hit. Our direct flights will go away. Jobs will go away in spite of the conqueror’s protestations to the contrary. Fewer new employers will seek their futures here.
I am a fiscal conservative, but I still hurt when I see a travesty such as this dressed in the clothing of “we’ll make improvements” and of “there’ll be no job losses” and of “we’ll improve your flight experience”. AirTran, and its president, know better but that does not stop them from the proclamations that seduce the buying public and cause the stockholders to revel in new found profit.
And at what cost?
