Originally Posted by
BOB W
No, they would not have. The VX shareholders were desperate to unload the airline. At some point they would have simply gone away.
Shareholder (un)happiness has no effect on solvency. Stock prices can tank but that's not really relevant.
AS is spending tons of money to build a national brand/route network. I hope it will work in the long run.
That will certainly make them a more attractive option.
What I don't understand is the focus on cost cutting (at the cost of goodwill, particularly from elites) at a time when profits are good. It's not like they can't afford to give you a pdb or a pillow and blanket in first class. Was their 60 day no change fee policy really costing them that much? Or the low fare guarantee? Admittedly, basic economy will probably make them a lot of extra money, especially when they work out all the bugs.
My crystal ball tells me that next on the chopping block is change fees ($200 to match the big 3 on domestic routes) and then, within 2 years, the dreaded revenue based FFP. But then, my crystal ball is notoriously unreliable.