Jim Higgins Quotations

She showed wisdom way beyond her age and delivered a result for that gentleman that we could only hope to achieve in every situation,

Mr. McCourt was a great person and a great educator.

Phase three is going to be the really tough one. They need phase three to make this a viable company.

My understanding is that the single greatest gap is on the Delta Express issue. Management is saying we need to enlarge it, and pilots saying we don't want it at all. That's a pretty big gap, so I'd be surprised if they reach an agreement today.

I don't know who they are, or know anyone who knows who they are. They don't seem to show anything to back up those offers. I just don't understand the notion they're creating value with this currency that can be used to buy other airlines.

Businesses are pulling back from travel, or they're forcing people to work around to avoid the high, unrestricted fare -- stay over on a Saturday night, that kind of thing.

He had a way of making the viewers feel that he was taking them along with him on a fishing or hunting trip,

We may end this round of talks without any deals getting done. The next round of talks may be more in the nature of niche acquisitions than broad combinations.

I think the Delta Express issue is proving to be intractable, ... ALPA hates the two-tier pay scale. Delta needs that, and needs more of it, if it's going to compete.

I think there's a risk we're going through a period that profits will get squeezed relative to expectations. If economy slows dramatically, there could be real downside risk to numbers. But having said that, if we have a soft landing (for economic growth) and fuel prices coming down just a bit, then things could actually improve.

I saw him Sunday, and it was obvious that he didn't have long left,

I see it as a lose-lose situation. Integration problems with airline mergers are legendary.

That was Harold. Even to the end, he loved to talk about fishing.

We are just hoping to give these people a good start. Most of these agencies are trying to make their life better, so we are trying to give them a good start on that.

We understand that proposed non-labor benefits include such items as full estimated benefit of the alliance with US Airways -- items whose economic value is uncertain in amount and timing, ... Everything we see in this glimpse at a key piece of UAL's loan application suggest a low probability that they will grant approval.

Without those concessions, we think approval of the loan is unlikely,

What really needs to happen is for Northwest, Delta and Continental to become two airlines. But I don't know how you get there. I don't think anyone does anything fast.

Especially if you're in contract negotiations, you help yourself a lot in terms of good will by avoiding layoffs, ... I think the industry has been pretty rational.

I've never seen that level of retro pay. The whole notion of retro pay is a relatively new issue for the airline industry.

The stock prices (Friday) are telling you two completely different things, ... Investors are very confused what is possible and what is not.

People are wondering if the United warning is a sign that the sector was over-priced. You have a series of events letting the air out of things in the short term.

Delta's hard stance is aimed at trying to get the president to intervene. It's increasingly clear this may have much broader implications.

Delta's hard stance is aimed at trying to get the president to intervene, ... It's increasingly clear this may have much broader implications.

Compensation costs are going up. United has seen to that,

You really can't put a railroad in play in an traditional sense. But he could be trying to prompt other changes. There are two attractive pieces of Sea-Land left. This could accelerate their interest in selling that.

This is not a negative for the industry, ... The union leadership at other carriers are going to be hard-pressed to give up anything. What this does do is help to change contracts that are pending.

This is part the jousting that goes on with these things. The pilots will use every significant date to try to highlight the fact they're in disagreement with management.

This is part the jousting that goes on with these things, ... The pilots will use every significant date to try to highlight the fact they're in disagreement with management.

They may want to appear that they consider it, ... I am less hopeful than I was earlier this week. I heard they were making progress in some sticky areas, and apparently they hit a wall.

They may hope Delta takes a couple of punches and is more willing to negotiate,

They don't want to sell anything that's important. That (DC Air) is a competitive straw man. A peanut entrant cannot possibly compete with United.

It was so cool to see them walking. I was seeing groups of 10 to 15. It looks like a wagon train. They're walking in the sand.

It's a good way for them to get what they think they can, what they're comfortable with.

It's the economy, not fuel, that's most important.

It's going to come out to a balancing act between Northwest and Delta,

It's going to be tough to do, ... I just don't think Northwest is going to walk away from this easily.

It's probably equal to about 5 to 6 cents of the per- gallon increase in fuel.

That is a competitive straw man, ... A peanut entrant can not possibly compete with United.

It's not as if the entire airplane is for sale.

Everybody is going to be weak, ... Revenues look like their taking a nosedive, and that's because of the economy. Airlines are a lagging economic indicator and they're finally being hit.

It's clear that DOJ doesn't like the deal, or it would have been approved by now. But the fact that it's up to Justice and only Justice does mean its easier for United to effect a fix here, to agree to the asset disposition it needs to get approval.

It's different from other cities. You go to D.C., and there's just something about it. People are not as laid back. It's all business there.

They didn't actively guide things down, but they talked about things getting better six months out. We've been saying all along that second-quarter numbers are too high and there's nothing I heard or saw today that says otherwise.

They are very far apart on difficult issues like work rules. Delta has a work rule advantage versus other competitors that it doesn't want to give up. And among the pilots, there is a very vocal dissident group, and it makes it more difficult to reach a settlement,

They won't do $10 (per trip leg), ... That's a huge percentage jump relative to other airlines.

I'm feeling personally that 24-hour operation is going to be a detriment to the neighborhood.

If the union's public statements mean anything, they seem willing to force the point. They seem to be confrontational for confrontation sake.

I do think we'll see additional consolidation in the industry.

For the full year 2001, you're talking an 82 percent operating ratio, down from 86-and-change in 2000, and better than 90 percent today.

The climate in terms of labor getting away with stuff they've gotten away with the last eight years is not as good, ... Bush doesn't owe anything to labor. There's a subtle but  important shift in power back towards the company.