ExpressJet Holdings to close ExpressJet Airlines Sept 2 2008
- Thread starter 100LLguy
- Start date
Captain_Bob
Well-Known Member
Re: ExpressJet Holdings to close ExpressJet Airlines Sept 2
I'll be going kicking and screaming back to coex... I've been quiet over the past few months during the internal turmoil that we've been going through. I'm a mod on our pilot's forums, so I try to keep things upbeat and factual. That's been difficult recently as you can imagine.
This really hits hard though, and I feel for the guys toward the bottom of the list, many of whom are current posters here and some of which I personally have written letters of recommendation for.
That said... our union is top notch and is aggressively persuing any and all furlough mitigating options with the company, and they appear to be listening. Kudo's to the company for actually informing us pilot's of this news straight from the CEO's mouth prior to the news releases.
Although I don't advocate posting internal memo's... here's a part of one that I received today that I think is OK to throw out there:
I couldn't agree more.
Load factors were on a pace that exceeded all expectations, and I personally worked and flew with a great number of guys/gals that took great pride, and a keen personal interest in branded doing well. It always does my heart good when I greet the passengers at the end of every flight and I consistently hear about what a great company, airline, flight attendant, etc. we have. You could actually feel the customers pushing for us to succeed...
Wrong time I guess... that's what this whole industry is about, right? Timing.
ExpressJet continues to be a great company to work for, we still have some awesome people, a nice contract, a great union, and a management team that 90% of our workgroup respects. We will hunker down and survive under the coex umbrella for a while... but I suspect that down the road we will be stronger, especially with the removal of the MFN clause and the ability to fly any aircraft into and out of CAL hubs.
Timing... it's not good now... but I still advocate this profession. I trained to become a pilot in the aftermath of 9/11, airlines furloughing left and right, concessionary contracts, and other airlines going out of business. Everyone thought I was crazy... my family, my friends, and even my co-workers. My wife supported me 100% through it all... and as a result, I was at the head of a great hiring wave.
That will happen again... this industry is cyclical after all. However, it really sucks that in the meantime, we will lose a lot of really great folks who have, or will soon become, frustrated with "the game".
It's time for all of us JC "oldtimers" to return to the role of supporters and mentors that the ones before us were. We need to keep the dream alive, and we have a wonderful conduit right here, thanks to D&K. The petty squables need to be put in check for a while and our attention as a collective needs to be turned toward the support of those in our midst who we all helped, mentored, and convinced to get into this profession and who will be directly affected by the current state of this industry.
Hang in there everyone, no matter what airline you work (or worked) for... keep your chins up... and keep being the best you can be, no matter what you do.
I'd still rather be doing nothing else for a living.
As always... Fly safe!
Bob
I'll be going kicking and screaming back to coex... I've been quiet over the past few months during the internal turmoil that we've been going through. I'm a mod on our pilot's forums, so I try to keep things upbeat and factual. That's been difficult recently as you can imagine.
This really hits hard though, and I feel for the guys toward the bottom of the list, many of whom are current posters here and some of which I personally have written letters of recommendation for.
That said... our union is top notch and is aggressively persuing any and all furlough mitigating options with the company, and they appear to be listening. Kudo's to the company for actually informing us pilot's of this news straight from the CEO's mouth prior to the news releases.
Although I don't advocate posting internal memo's... here's a part of one that I received today that I think is OK to throw out there:
I couldn't agree more.
Load factors were on a pace that exceeded all expectations, and I personally worked and flew with a great number of guys/gals that took great pride, and a keen personal interest in branded doing well. It always does my heart good when I greet the passengers at the end of every flight and I consistently hear about what a great company, airline, flight attendant, etc. we have. You could actually feel the customers pushing for us to succeed...
Wrong time I guess... that's what this whole industry is about, right? Timing.
ExpressJet continues to be a great company to work for, we still have some awesome people, a nice contract, a great union, and a management team that 90% of our workgroup respects. We will hunker down and survive under the coex umbrella for a while... but I suspect that down the road we will be stronger, especially with the removal of the MFN clause and the ability to fly any aircraft into and out of CAL hubs.
Timing... it's not good now... but I still advocate this profession. I trained to become a pilot in the aftermath of 9/11, airlines furloughing left and right, concessionary contracts, and other airlines going out of business. Everyone thought I was crazy... my family, my friends, and even my co-workers. My wife supported me 100% through it all... and as a result, I was at the head of a great hiring wave.
That will happen again... this industry is cyclical after all. However, it really sucks that in the meantime, we will lose a lot of really great folks who have, or will soon become, frustrated with "the game".
It's time for all of us JC "oldtimers" to return to the role of supporters and mentors that the ones before us were. We need to keep the dream alive, and we have a wonderful conduit right here, thanks to D&K. The petty squables need to be put in check for a while and our attention as a collective needs to be turned toward the support of those in our midst who we all helped, mentored, and convinced to get into this profession and who will be directly affected by the current state of this industry.
Hang in there everyone, no matter what airline you work (or worked) for... keep your chins up... and keep being the best you can be, no matter what you do.
I'd still rather be doing nothing else for a living.
As always... Fly safe!
Bob
aloft
New Member
Re: ExpressJet Holdings to close ExpressJet Airlines Sept 2
You, me and many others. The damage won't be confined only to those who work at XJT.
juxtapilot
Snowflake
Re: ExpressJet Holdings to close ExpressJet Airlines Sept 2
Sorry to hear this.
Good luck guys.
Sorry to hear this.
Good luck guys.
little_cricket
Well-Known Member
Re: ExpressJet Holdings to close ExpressJet Airlines Sept 2
That blows... Sorry to hear this news. Good luck to everyone. I was hoping they would cut it down to just the good west coast stuff. Oh well, again bummer.
That blows... Sorry to hear this news. Good luck to everyone. I was hoping they would cut it down to just the good west coast stuff. Oh well, again bummer.
Re: ExpressJet Holdings to close ExpressJet Airlines Sept 2
I qualified for and collected unemployment while on furlough from AA, there was no issue with my recall rights.
Perhaps state rules differ (and they very well may!), but I collected for the full 6 months I was eligible for. When you're furloughed you're not an employee. If someone were to have called AA while I was furloughed to verify my employment status, they would have been told I was no longer an employee.
If someone takes a voluntary LOA, and is off work voluntarily, now THEN they're not eligible for unemployment. But if you're involuntarily furloughed, it's the same as being laid-off.
I qualified for and collected unemployment while on furlough from AA, there was no issue with my recall rights.
Perhaps state rules differ (and they very well may!), but I collected for the full 6 months I was eligible for. When you're furloughed you're not an employee. If someone were to have called AA while I was furloughed to verify my employment status, they would have been told I was no longer an employee.
If someone takes a voluntary LOA, and is off work voluntarily, now THEN they're not eligible for unemployment. But if you're involuntarily furloughed, it's the same as being laid-off.
BobDDuck
Island Bus Driver
Re: ExpressJet Holdings to close ExpressJet Airlines Sept 2
No, you get unemployment while subject to furlough just like anybody else.
No, you get unemployment while subject to furlough just like anybody else.
JaceTheAce
Well-Known Member
Re: ExpressJet Holdings to close ExpressJet Airlines Sept 2
Oh this just sucks! I am sorry XJT guys.
Oh this just sucks! I am sorry XJT guys.
DE727UPS
Well-Known Member
Re: ExpressJet Holdings to close ExpressJet Airlines Sept 2
"Timing... it's not good now... but I still advocate this profession."
Agree with Capt Bob. In spite of today's environment, I think there is a future in the aviation career. I'm a mod at another site, as well, and the negative Nancies are having a field day. I can't really refute the situation today, as it's pretty obvious. I'll remind folks, though, that it's a cyclical biz, and somebody will need to step in and take my job in 12 years. I can't say who will take it, for sure, but it won't be any of those that walked away when the going got tough.....
"Timing... it's not good now... but I still advocate this profession."
Agree with Capt Bob. In spite of today's environment, I think there is a future in the aviation career. I'm a mod at another site, as well, and the negative Nancies are having a field day. I can't really refute the situation today, as it's pretty obvious. I'll remind folks, though, that it's a cyclical biz, and somebody will need to step in and take my job in 12 years. I can't say who will take it, for sure, but it won't be any of those that walked away when the going got tough.....
Trip7
Well-Known Member
Re: ExpressJet Holdings to close ExpressJet Airlines Sept 2
Well said Captain Bob, extemely well said as always.
:yeahthat: Im never arguing with you again.
Well said Captain Bob, extemely well said as always.
:yeahthat: Im never arguing with you again.
Velocipede
New Member
Re: ExpressJet Holdings to close ExpressJet Airlines Sept 2
The seeds of this disaster were planted last year when XJT lost the CAL CPA and decided to go FlyI with the idle planes. It didn't work for FlyI either. Mike Boyd has been talking about the demise of the <50 seat RJs for several years. The oil spike is just helping the chickens come home to roost.
The seeds of this disaster were planted last year when XJT lost the CAL CPA and decided to go FlyI with the idle planes. It didn't work for FlyI either. Mike Boyd has been talking about the demise of the <50 seat RJs for several years. The oil spike is just helping the chickens come home to roost.
Re: ExpressJet Holdings to close ExpressJet Airlines Sept 2
FlyI was a different case.
The initial CAL CPA left the company with no assets at the end of the contract and had plenty of severe restrictions. The most recent CPA had fewer but still severe restrictions, but left the company some profit and a few assets. The current CAL CPA leaves the company with a razor thin profit margin after all costs are cut, more assets, allows for a much greater expansion of service to other carriers, allows charter to grow, and has far less restrictions.
I'm surprised that anyone bought the CoEx spinoff in the first place with the severe restrictions that contract offered. It's entirely possible that if the 69 planes went back to CAL, XJT wouldn't be in existence.
FlyI was a different case.
The initial CAL CPA left the company with no assets at the end of the contract and had plenty of severe restrictions. The most recent CPA had fewer but still severe restrictions, but left the company some profit and a few assets. The current CAL CPA leaves the company with a razor thin profit margin after all costs are cut, more assets, allows for a much greater expansion of service to other carriers, allows charter to grow, and has far less restrictions.
I'm surprised that anyone bought the CoEx spinoff in the first place with the severe restrictions that contract offered. It's entirely possible that if the 69 planes went back to CAL, XJT wouldn't be in existence.
Baronman
Well-Known Member
Re: ExpressJet Holdings to close ExpressJet Airlines Sept 2
That's the funny thing. CAL created XJT and the original Capacity Purchase Agreement. They created it in a way that made XJT a good margin, and CAL was able to have an IPO and they kept a significant portion of the shares (>25%). This is the same CPA that they later complained about, and wanted us to cut costs....Of course this was after they were almost completely divested of XJT.
But as long it's a major screwing a regional who really cares.....Majors are not to be criticized by regional pilots.
That's the funny thing. CAL created XJT and the original Capacity Purchase Agreement. They created it in a way that made XJT a good margin, and CAL was able to have an IPO and they kept a significant portion of the shares (>25%). This is the same CPA that they later complained about, and wanted us to cut costs....Of course this was after they were almost completely divested of XJT.
But as long it's a major screwing a regional who really cares.....Majors are not to be criticized by regional pilots.
SlumTodd_Millionaire
Most Hated Member
Re: ExpressJet Holdings to close ExpressJet Airlines Sept 2
Good luck to all at XJT. What's your plan now, Train?
Good luck to all at XJT. What's your plan now, Train?
