Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 4

[aloha-anon]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 4

Interisland airfare wars benefit student boarders

A letter to the editor? This is what your offer as evidence? Good thing you are not on Mesa's legal team!

[mel]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 4

oh come on now mel.

You will quickly forget my posts and fly the cheapest airline to save a nickel if that airline be Hawaiian or Aloha or Air Thai or Value jet. By your own admission all you care about is PRICE. Forget about the ethics involved. YOU SAVED ANOTHER NICKEL.

Right?

I am not trying to offend you so don't take it personal Mel. I have decided you are a very nice guy and not much different from other travelers, but you won't win this argument anymore than Mesa will win in Court. It's not your fault. Defending Mesa is not going to be easy for anybody. This isn't your fight. You are an innocent bystander.

PRICE IS THE BOTTOM LINE. I AM NOT ASHAMED TO ADMIT THAT. In cash strapped, tax high Hawaii, every damn penny counts when you have to spend it on something that disappears after 35 minutes or so. So to maximize my penny or dollar I look for the cheapest possible price for the time that I want to fly.

But people like you who are industry insiders don't give a shit about what the public pays because it is all about the protection of your own paycheck. I can see that, so in that regard we will always be on the opposite side.

Yes, the legal battle betwen Mesa and HAL or AQ is not my fight so I could care less about the ethics. You're right. It's only price and right now the prices are low and people like me are taking advantage of it.

So if Mesa loses then I lose as you prophetize here... so be it. The public also loses too.

Until that happens, I will enjoy my discount trips back to the Big island. After that people will travel way less.

In the end, all you lovers of HIGH PRICES, HIGH TAXES and increased COST OF LIVING in Hawaii will have won the day.... again... as it has been for the last 50 years or so.

And just a point on the item regarding the Kamehameha Schools quote. That was not in the Letters to the Editor section, but rather a feature length article by one of the students there which is part of the weekly student showcase feature at StarBulletin.com.

[1stwahine]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 4

I rode on go! to the Big Island this past weekend. The difference ~ I purchased my bottled water.

Service, courtesy, everything AWESOME!

The price.

I didn't pay any special price. I paid Full Fair! At the time they were offering $30.00 fares but I wasn't able to get it. No matter, I still wanted to go to the BI. It didn't matter if it was go!, Aloha or Hawaiian AirLines.

Whoever was on the phone with me to booked ~ I was going to book book.

go! has brought cheaper fares to our islands PERIOD.



Auntie Lynn

[Star of Gladness]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 4

And because of your constant harping on this I am going to make sure I never fly Aloha after the prices go up beyond $39. There!

How is anon (or anyone else ) being critical of a company being led by a known criminal and a man the Securities and Exchange Comission called 'a liar' considered "harping"?

I for one am facinated by the air war and all its ramifications the past year and the upcoming trial. If anon wishes to be our in-house professional analyst why chase him away? I don't see him posting on any other forum. he has GOOD ACCURATE info. Keep posting!

Mel, you are attacking anon personally and not debating his facts. Not cool! Let's not chase him away or start a flame war. If he posts anything that is wrong or false then let him have it. Until then, enjoy the ride ya?

Anon, where did you get the court dockets from? I know it is "public" but I cant find them anywhere and the newspapers dont report anything lke this. Good job, you should start a blog!

[Star of Gladness]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 4

In this mornings "advertiser" Looks like go!'s predatory pricing scheme is working wonders. Aloha should not last much longer. Then the prices can go back up. We will all soon thank go! for removing the real low cost airline and giving us 50 seat junk instead.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/ap...52/1001/NEWS01

"At these low prices, this can't go on forever," said Peter Forman, author of "Wings of Paradise, Hawaii's Incomparable Airlines," and a former DC-9 captain who flew for 20 years with a Mainland carrier.


"The average pricing has to return to at least $50 a ticket for any of these carriers to make money."


Aloha's net loss came on the heels of a $24.3 million deficit sustained in the first quarter and other losses last year. The discount fares also weighed on Aloha's top line, or total sales, which was down $6.25 million from the $96.3 million pulled in a year earlier.


Forman said go! isn't making money either. That may be partly reflected in the stock price of its parent company, Mesa Air Group. The Phoenix-based company's stock closed at $8.95 a share on June 6, 2006, the day go! began operations. Yesterday it closed at $4.86.


"In the long run, what needs to happen is some sanity needs to return to the interisland market," said Forman.

[Star of Gladness]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 4

Star bulletin also has an article this morning http://starbulletin.com/2007/09/18/b...s/story01.html

Says Aloha already lost more this year than all of last year.

...but no info in either article about the dramatic pre-trial hearings anon shared with us.

[Star of Gladness]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 4

Pacific Business News also chimes in, but they just arent the same either since Dicus left...
http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/s...7/daily11.html

What hawaii needs a good solid INVESTIGATIVE reporter who isnt afraid to expose the truth no matter how unpopular it may be.

[Star of Gladness]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 4

Some key motions that were recently decided:

1. HAL may use evidence from the Aloha v. Mesa trial over Mesa's objection. (Garfinkle's recent depo?)
2. Hearing to determine if Mesa should be sanctioned for 'spoilage' of evidence will be heard FIRST, before the trial. -- HAL has accused Mesa of shredding/ deleting relevant documents. -- The judge said that the ruling on this motion will be postponed until after the trial. (Probably to determine if the evidence would have been relevant or not.)
3. Garfinkle and Wang moved to exclude testimony that would prove damages for their conduct. Those motions were denied.
4. Garfinkle moved to 'bifurcate' (separate) the trial into two different trials was denied 'without prejudice'. This means that the motion may be filed again. This indicates that Mesa and Garfinkle may indeed have competing interests. If they start pointing the finger at each other the judge may have to bifurcate and try the two parties separately.

Sounds like Mesa and Garfinkle are spending lots of money on motions that keep getting denied. Are there any more pre trial hearings for today? What else was decided? This is quickly getting better than the movies.

[aloha-anon]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 4

Criminal defense lawyer to represent Mesa CFO

Peter Murnane is alleged to have erased data that could have been used in court

Mesa Air Group's chief financial officer, accused by Hawaiian Airlines of deleting court evidence from at least three computers and a portion of a network server, has hired prominent Hawaii criminal defense attorney Brook Hart to independently represent him.

Hart is the attorney representing Adam Mau-Goffredo, the accused killer of three people at Tantalus on July 6 of last year.

Murnane's retention of a criminal defense attorney might indicate that Mesa is trying to distance itself from Murnane or that Murnane might be facing separate penalties.

Attorney Robert Marks, the Hawaii counsel for Mesa, said in a declaration filed Tuesday that the Assistant Disciplinary Counsel at the Hawaii Office of Disciplinary Counsel said Murnane should be advised to seek legal independent counsel.

Murnane retained Hart as his attorney, and Hart subsequently advised Murnane not to give sworn testimony to Mesa's counsel in response to the allegations raised by Hawaiian's motion for sanctions.

Murnane, Hart, Marks, and Jonathan Ornstein, chairman and chief executive of Mesa, all declined to comment yesterday.

Hawaiian Airlines General Counsel Hoyt Zia said "the court filings speak volumes about Mesa's actions. We are looking forward to our day in court."

http://starbulletin.com/2007/09/20/b...s/story01.html

Looks like Murname is afraid he will ENJOY THE RIDE over and over again courtesy of da braddas & friendz down at OCCC.

I hate to say it but I TOLD YOU ALL SO. Truth is always stranger than fiction with Mesa.

[Star of Gladness]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 4

Does this mean HAL vs Mesa will become a criminal trial ala Enron now?

How exciting for Hawaii to be center stage!

[joshuatree]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 4

I hate to say it but I TOLD YOU ALL SO. Truth is always stranger than fiction with Mesa.

I really don't know what exactly you have told us so. I don't think anyone here has ever said go! was a boy scout. I've certainly said on more than one occasion that it's just a matter of what kind of penalties will be involved. Maybe Murnane will go to jail, maybe not. But that doesn't shut down Mesa, afterall, it's a corporation. If at the end of the day, the court let's go! continue to operate after the penalties and they choose to do so, what will you do then? Hopefully, you have a plan B tucked away for a rainy day.

[aloha-anon]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 4

I really don't know what exactly you have told us so. I don't think anyone here has ever said go! was a boy scout. I've certainly said on more than one occasion that it's just a matter of what kind of penalties will be involved. Maybe Murnane will go to jail, maybe not. But that doesn't shut down Mesa, afterall, it's a corporation. If at the end of the day, the court let's go! continue to operate after the penalties and they choose to do so, what will you do then? Hopefully, you have a plan B tucked away for a rainy day.

Actually this lawsuit along with Aloha's lawsuit has the potential to wipe out all of Mesa's cash reserves and then some. With the pilots leaving in droves there is a perfect storm brewing at Mesa.

Mr Murnane certainly doesn't trust his own management, why should anybody else? Of all people I would think the CFO's opinion is a good indicator of the stability of a company. Mesa is a sinking ship.

[aloha-anon]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 4

Does this mean HAL vs Mesa will become a criminal trial ala Enron now?

How exciting for Hawaii to be center stage!

I would wager whatever we can imagine, the truth will be far more wild and outlandish in the end. I know of at least two books being written about this very air war right now.

[zztype]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 4

I just booked another California trip for spring break. Guess what? I DIDN'T book on Aloha! Why pay for Aloha when all you get is OMNI INTERNATIONAL?

BAIT AND SWITCH!

[joshuatree]

Re: Hawaii's Interisland Air War - Chapter 4

Actually this lawsuit along with Aloha's lawsuit has the potential to wipe out all of Mesa's cash reserves and then some. With the pilots leaving in droves there is a perfect storm brewing at Mesa.

Mr Murnane certainly doesn't trust his own management, why should anybody else? Of all people I would think the CFO's opinion is a good indicator of the stability of a company. Mesa is a sinking ship.

Possibly and I hope that you are right for your sake because I really don't think HA or AQ has any plan B's. If somehow go! manages to stick around, I see HA and AQ scrambling. Don't forget that should Mesa break apart, there's always someone that may step in to buy them out and carry on. In fact, that's pretty much HA's and AQ's story. If Yucaipa didn't buy a stake, I really don't think AQ be around today.