Originally Posted by num1bearsfan

Well it would have been the FIRST good airline jobs they would have had, because it wasn't the case at ATA.

I also happen to know for a fact that many of the former ATA people were given hiring priority at Southwest, and if you'd ask any of them today they'd tell you that putting their company out of business was the biggest favor they could have received. Many of them got instant pay raises with their starting Southwest pay since ATA had frozen it's wages for about 7 years, and have a MUCH better work environment.

ATA was probably the perfect polar opposite of Southwest. Southwest is all about doing good by their employees, ATA was about the worst corperate culture imaginable. You knew when you were laid off when your airport badge didn't open the door anymore, and they were pricks right to the end with their surprise shut down that left hundreds of their people without jobs and no notice at all.