Speaking of institutional investors, the Merrill Lynch Transportation Conference wrapped up yesterday in New York. Yes, that is why you have seen so many news stories containing various comments by airline CEOs and CFOs in the press the last two days.

The event began Tuesday and Doug Steenland, CEO of Northwest spoke that night at the dinner event.

Tuesday, I was asked by one of the hedge fund folks who I was meeting with what would be the one question I would ask of Steenland at that evening’s dinner. (He was going.) I said that I would like him to explain just how the airline hopes to integrate its new internal regional operation with its external regional operators — and what the grand scheme is for growth going forward — as I am still a bit confused as to how the airline is going to use the various elements together that they now have in place.

Looking over comments that have been made by a number of other airline execs who were at the conference (and that included just about everyone) it appears that there have been no real surprises — but Gary Kelly, CEO of Southwest did talk more about the fact the airline may have to slow down its growth — and JetBlue’s CEO Dave Barger said the airline is looking again at its current business model and it could make some additional changes going forward as well.

I’m still pouring over the webcasts — but again — I haven’t heard anything that has been particularly earth-shaking yet.

And no, United CFO Jake Brace saying that United is still looking for a merger partner is far from news. I had to laugh when he prefaced his comments by saying that “contrary to some reports” the airline was still very interested in a potential merger. Like who is saying they are NOT interested? Pahleez. Oh and did you like the way he attempted to narrow down the potential  prospects as he said this week at the conference in regard to a potential merger partner, “Our focus is on the Northeast, a southern-tier hub and helping us in Latin America.”

Okay Delta. Get out that checkbook and start that merger deal cookin’.

In Jake and Glenn Tilton’s dreams maybe.

Hi guys. Well, let’s see. To give you an idea of what my Tuesday was like, let me put it this way. I spent a lot of the time while sitting in the airport, or sitting on the taxiway, or sitting in the plane (s), composing an op-ed piece for the NYT in my mind on how the airline infrastructure in this country has gone past the breaking point. It’s quite broken already.

LGA, a little bit of weather, and well, it was one of those days. A very, very, long day. I walked in the door at about 3 a.m.

Then Wednesday we had some weather ourselves here at the Worldwide Headquarters, and yours truly ended up with no phone, no electricity, and no broadband. At least we didn’t have a tree in the WWH or on the car — a fate that many around us did have.

Finally — today, we’re back up and on the air.

But as I wade through the airline things of interest on my virtual desk, as I get in gear to start back to work on this week’s issue of PlaneBusiness Banter, just a shot to prove that yes, I really was at funeral of Tony Soprano Tuesday. Well kinda.

My cab driver took the scenic route to LGA from Midtown, the one that wraps around through Queens and not through the tunnel or on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, and lo and behold, what did I see on my right as we crossed the 57th Street bridge but the Silvercup Studios. In case you don’t know, this is where all the interior shots for the “Sopranos” were shot. Yes, the entire inside of the Soprano house, the Bada Bing, you name it.

Then there was my waiter at the Gerson-Lehman airline financial meeting I spoke at. The luncheon was at Smith and Wollensky and the waiter for our group looked and sounded just like Artie Bucco. (If you have to ask, forget reading further.) So given his likeness, and his propensity for dramatic gestures, I decided to ask him what he thought of the last episode. Well, it was like a tidal wave of expressionism burst forth across the room. And boy he knew his stuff too. He went back to things from season one. I meant to get his picture, but by the time my airline financial session was over with the institutional guys, he had quietly left the room — and I only had his animated discussion to remember him by. I think I’m going to send the guys at S&W a note and find out his name so I can ask for him the next time I go there.

As I had told readers last week, we are publishing this week’s issue on Friday.

Yes, I am obviously psychic. I knew I would not get home until the middle of the night Tuesday and I knew the Worldwide Headquarters would be headless (technologically speaking) for much of yesterday.

Uh-huh. Whatever.

As most everyone had expected, AirTran has apparently been successful in getting three AirTran-friendly new members elected to the Midwest Airlines‘ board of directors.

“Midwest Air Group, Inc. (Amex: MEH), parent company of Midwest Airlines, today announced that based on a preliminary review of the proxies voted at today’s annual meeting, it appears that shareholders have elected three directors nominated by AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI) to Midwest’s board of directors. The Midwest board consists of nine directors.

The company also announced that its board has determined it will permit AirTran Holdings to make a presentation to the Midwest Air Group board regarding AirTran’s proposal. The board noted that it has made no determination to engage in negotiations with AirTran. No date for the session has been established.

Timothy E. Hoeksema, chairman and chief executive officer, stated that the election of directors constitutes a definitive action by shareholders. “While we are disappointed by today’s results, we recognize that our shareholders have spoken. If today’s election says anything at all, it says that our shareholders want us to listen and that is what we intend to do. The board remains fully committed to creating value for Midwest shareholders.”

This news comes after AirTran extended its offer for Midwest until August 10 on Monday. The previous deadline was June 8. AirTran also said Monday that 59% of shares have now been tendered in favor of the offer.

Yep. This is kind of like Chinese water torture. I think we all know where this is headed, but Midwest is not going to go down without a fight. So it’s far from over.

Well, not really. But I am in New York. Unfortunately it is a short trip. Very short trip. I’ll be back home tomorrow night.

But (drum roll please), I did get to fly Delta today, and that included a nonstop on a Shuttle America Embraer 170 from MSY to LGA.

Comments? I like the way Delta is using a lot of pre-recorded professionally done audios for various functions — both in the gate area and on the aircraft. Even though I was on a Delta Connection flight, the professional audio for the safety run-through sounded like the same voice to me.

One thing about the flight attendants on the flight. Very professional. Very accommodating. No giggles. Just a good job.

However, there were no markings of any kind on the Delta gates in N.O. – which meant folks kept going up and asking anyone they could find if they were at the right gate. The big LCD screens were still behind the gate stations — but none of them were working.

The flight was maybe 2/3rds full, if that. Because of that I had two seats to myself. No complaints.

We did have turbulence most all flight — we were really rockin’ and rollin’ there for a while — but we all know that is out of the hands of any of us.

Interesting mix of birds at LGA, as there always is. I also finally got to see one of the somewhat iridescent Air Canada light blue/green liveries. Everyone who has seen it is right. It does look great in person — but it just doesn’t translate well in photos.

Also saw a couple of old dirty ratty looking Northwest red tails. And one Delta wavy tail that looked like it needed a new paint job …..like yesterday.

Funny thing happened after an otherwise great flight. They could not get the jet way to work right. Or at least they couldn’t get it to get where it needed to be on the side of our aircraft. After about a 20 minute wait, we were finally told we were going to deplane by airstairs.

It was 1953 all over again.

Those getting on the plane had already been herded downstairs as well, and there must have been at least 10 or 12 security types milling around making sure one of the sheep did not get away from its respective flock.

Of course, the good thing about that whole little snafu is that our luggage was out and circling way before we even got down to baggage claim.

It was a beautiful day in New York. It’s nice to be back. If only for a short trip.

Not surprisingly the HBO Sopranos’ message boards are hoppin.’ And I must say I think some folks over there have come up with what could be a valid interpretation of the end.

And I quote,

“Tony gets shot but instead of the viewer being a passive watcher we become Tony and feels what it’s like to die instantly. All this motion is building up and when Meadow walks into the diner – at midstride – everything goes blank. That’s what being shot is all about. Immediate darkness, quiet…nothing. I thought my cable went out but the blank screen only emphasized the suddessnes and stillness of death.”

To which someone else added,

“Ok, so why does nobody see what happened?  It was the saddest, greatest, ending of the greatest series ever.

The suspense was enormous, the emotion intense, nothing “lame” about it.

Will she park in time to get inside? Will she make it in time to die, or be the only remaining living family member. It’s quite clear the guy who went to the bathroom, and the 2 hoods who came in before Meadow, where there for one reason. Tony whacked Phil, Tony got his. BUT, not only did Tony get his, so did everyone…even Meadow, as she did get there just in time.

Chase ended the best thing to ever hit tv with grace and mercy, yeah they all got killed, and there was no need to show us the gory details.

It’s just…over.”

Ah, ambiguity. Ain’t it great?

Heh.

Shows how much I know. Tony wasn’t shot — but he might have been in another 2 minutes. And no — while they were at a table, they weren’t in the kitchen in the Soprano home.

I wonder if David Chase will include all three endings they filmed as part of the last season’s DVD set?

It appears that it was not just weather that was making travel miserable for many today. We knew there was some kind of ATC issue on the East Coast, but was not sure what. Reports now say that the Atlanta NADIN (datalink) went down either late Thursday or early Friday morning — and as a result the FAA then rerouted the system’s functions to another system in Salt Lake City, which then overloaded due to the increased volume of data.

Nice.

And heck, the FAA hasn’t even installed VISTA yet!