How long do you think AZ will continue operations?
Apr 22, 2008, 1:38 am
#62
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FWIW I would be surprised if AZ manages to survive that long unless Mr Mediaset gets his son to buy what is left of it. I suspect further that he did not make his billions by being an idiot and he will initially let it collapse . He can then get rid of the staff and hire against a completely non-union backgorund in a buyer's market. He will be seen as a Hero for raising the Italian flag. he will do with Alitalia what Delta and United did with PanAm. Wait for it to collapse and get everything for little outlay as opposed to AA paying a large sum for the poor old turkey that TWA had sunk to, or that BA attempted to do with Air Liberte. Fortuantely that folly was recognised as throwing good money after bad and so I imagine has this finally appeared to KL/AF.
Personally I would think that buying any Alitalia tickets in the next few weeks should be a fair bet unless one final strike does bring the airline to a halt. Beyond that you are in the hands of the national lottery which might reward you or which might cause you a massive loss. I only hope that those who did buy tickets did so with credit cards which offer some protection (full protection in the UK as they are seen as being part of the purchase).
Alitalia is symptomatic of much that is happening in Italy. The north generates most of the money which goes to Rome to be spent (for spent read squandered).
It is very sad to be reading about an airline which has never properly adapted to the modern times and which was an state property for years and which cannot subsist alone. I think that we may be being a little premature about the demise of Alitalia but if it could happen to Swissair it can happen here. I think that the collapse will be overnight. We will get up one morning to find it sitting at Fumicino lifeless and the aircraft in London and elsewhere stuck with notices over unpaid landing fees. Very sad.
Personally I would think that buying any Alitalia tickets in the next few weeks should be a fair bet unless one final strike does bring the airline to a halt. Beyond that you are in the hands of the national lottery which might reward you or which might cause you a massive loss. I only hope that those who did buy tickets did so with credit cards which offer some protection (full protection in the UK as they are seen as being part of the purchase).
Alitalia is symptomatic of much that is happening in Italy. The north generates most of the money which goes to Rome to be spent (for spent read squandered).
It is very sad to be reading about an airline which has never properly adapted to the modern times and which was an state property for years and which cannot subsist alone. I think that we may be being a little premature about the demise of Alitalia but if it could happen to Swissair it can happen here. I think that the collapse will be overnight. We will get up one morning to find it sitting at Fumicino lifeless and the aircraft in London and elsewhere stuck with notices over unpaid landing fees. Very sad.
Apr 22, 2008, 1:53 am
#63
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FWIW I would be surprised if AZ manages to survive that long unless Mr Mediaset gets his son to buy what is left of it. I suspect further that he did not make his billions by being an idiot and he will initially let it collapse . He can then get rid of the staff and hire against a completely non-union backgorund in a buyer's market. He will be seen as a Hero for raising the Italian flag. he will do with Alitalia what Delta and United did with PanAm. Wait for it to collapse and get everything for little outlay as opposed to AA paying a large sum for the poor old turkey that TWA had sunk to, or that BA attempted to do with Air Liberte. Fortuantely that folly was recognised as throwing good money after bad and so I imagine has this finally appeared to KL/AF.
Personally I would think that buying any Alitalia tickets in the next few weeks should be a fair bet unless one final strike does bring the airline to a halt. Beyond that you are in the hands of the national lottery which might reward you or which might cause you a massive loss. I only hope that those who did buy tickets did so with credit cards which offer some protection (full protection in the UK as they are seen as being part of the purchase).
Alitalia is symptomatic of much that is happening in Italy. The north generates most of the money which goes to Rome to be spent (for spent read squandered).
It is very sad to be reading about an airline which has never properly adapted to the modern times and which was an state property for years and which cannot subsist alone. I think that we may be being a little premature about the demise of Alitalia but if it could happen to Swissair it can happen here. I think that the collapse will be overnight. We will get up one morning to find it sitting at Fumicino lifeless and the aircraft in London and elsewhere stuck with notices over unpaid landing fees. Very sad.
Personally I would think that buying any Alitalia tickets in the next few weeks should be a fair bet unless one final strike does bring the airline to a halt. Beyond that you are in the hands of the national lottery which might reward you or which might cause you a massive loss. I only hope that those who did buy tickets did so with credit cards which offer some protection (full protection in the UK as they are seen as being part of the purchase).
Alitalia is symptomatic of much that is happening in Italy. The north generates most of the money which goes to Rome to be spent (for spent read squandered).
It is very sad to be reading about an airline which has never properly adapted to the modern times and which was an state property for years and which cannot subsist alone. I think that we may be being a little premature about the demise of Alitalia but if it could happen to Swissair it can happen here. I think that the collapse will be overnight. We will get up one morning to find it sitting at Fumicino lifeless and the aircraft in London and elsewhere stuck with notices over unpaid landing fees. Very sad.
Well, there are a few things to consider:
Malpensa will be unable to stay open without a major carrier- and there is pressure now to find someone to FILL the rent of Alitalia- AirOne (LH) could possibly fill this slot.
FCO is in the middle of a 150 million EUR expansion- which is continuing under the management of ADR- and probably their assumption is there will be some planes to fill this as well.
LH, through their Italian subsidiary AirOne has repeatedly been interested in a deal- but unlike AF/KL they had wanted clarification of the union status prior to finalizing an offer- hence their "unsuitability" as a bidder.
All this being considered, there are a huge number of people that fly in and out of Italy (not to mention around) every day- and that market need will be filled. Alitalia has an unused asset in a number of foreign routes which they underserve/do not serve yet still keep rights for- China is a good example- whereas the EU carriers cannot keep up with demand for F/J seats on these runs.
Let us see where this all goes- there are certainly a group of business people in the North who would like to see significant service improvements out of Malpensa and Venezia- and perhaps these groups will be able to broker a deal- maybe also combining with Aeroflot?
As for a final strike- who knows? Maybe yes, Maybe No- that is really a lottery guess...
Apr 22, 2008, 6:55 am
#64
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Today the GM of Af/Kl interrupted the tractative with Alitalia, so the last possibility for Alitalia is surely LH with Air One. I think that Mr Mediaset or the italian clown will be able to do much more than the actual Prime Minister, Prodi. especially the money of the north of Italy will remain there. I really hope so, because we pay a lot of money to mantain the people who live in the south. So I think and hope that with AP the principal HUb will be Malpensa.
Apr 22, 2008, 8:57 am
#65
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... no other nation could exist without a minimum of solidarity between richer and poorer regions.But it's a bit out of subject to discuss this here
Apr 22, 2008, 9:09 am
#66
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Apr 22, 2008, 10:38 am
#67
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Is there no end to your talents PUCCI? I am constantly surprised by your knowledge of the airline scene here in Europe and the USA - you are not just a pretty BA CSD after all.
What brought you here anyway?
Apr 22, 2008, 10:54 am
#68
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Apr 22, 2008, 11:22 am
#69
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There I've said it!
Someone mentionned that without an big airline Malpensa should cease to operate. I disagree. What I do think that should happen is that there should be no choice of airport - Linate should be closed once and for all and let everything go to Malpensa. That would go down like a lead balloon I imagine - but with the train into Milan there really is no excuse other than convenience to keeping Linate - or let Linate become to Milan what Ciampino is to Rome,
Apr 22, 2008, 11:51 am
#70
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Correct. In fact, LH owns Air Dolomiti which could conceivably expand to compete against AP should the latter start harbouring ambitions of intercontinental reach!
Apr 22, 2008, 3:48 pm
#72
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 5
What's wrong with you people
I know you all might like to make assumptions, but when the government has a 49.9% stake in the underlying company that you're talking about might go bankrupt, didn't you stop and think to yourself......ummmm, if I was a government and owned 49.9% of something, would I let it go down the drain and lose my complete investment?? Or will I do whatever I can, in this case make one phone call and lend alitalia $300M euros, so it can stay afloat through the year end until someone comes in and buys it up and I can cash out and not lose my complete investment.......come on guys!
Apr 22, 2008, 3:50 pm
#73
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 6,550
I know you all might like to make assumptions, but when the government has a 49.9% stake in the underlying company that you're talking about might go bankrupt, didn't you stop and think to yourself......ummmm, if I was a government and owned 49.9% of something, would I let it go down the drain and lose my complete investment?? Or will I do whatever I can, in this case make one phone call and lend alitalia $300M euros, so it can stay afloat through the year end until someone comes in and buys it up and I can cash out and not lose my complete investment.......come on guys!
Apr 22, 2008, 3:52 pm
#74
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It's sh!te. And heaven help you if you need to take a cab -- best part of 100 euros.
Malpensa just sucks as an airport. Linante may not be the greatest, but with hand luggage only, I can go from the top of the steps (sadly most flights are bussed, but then so will BA's at T5
) to the Sheraton in 30 minutes.BTW google translate Mal Pensa from Italian to English, that about sums it up nicely.
