Nick
Well-Known Member
I don't see how there couldn't be a base out there. There will be 50+ flights a day in a few months. Having the nearest reserve crew a 4 hour flight away with flights every 3 hours is not a viable option, and vastly more so when part 117 comes into effect in just 8 weeks (!). You can only find so many crews sitting around a terminal and re-route them as if they are a spare crew, until that strategy eventually becomes inadequate.
Additionally, the shuttle product being discussed here is part of an overall greater strategy on Delta's end -- it is not that the Embraers were put out there because they are temporarily covering for another fleet that's getting mods or something. They were chosen because with the shuttle product, they offer a mainline feel as far as comfort goes, over a CRJ-900 with the valet checking mobscene in the jetway and small first class seats etc. Truly a shame they are not part of mainline; that is another topic of course.
Until Delta either:
1) Throws in the towel on the California shuttle (don't see that happening for a while because they just started it and they appear to be at least committed to trying to win a lot of customers out there, and times are much different than the last LAX push in 2007/2008 with ExpressJet)
or
2) Finds an alternative suitable aircraft for the routes (717 fleet size would need to be almost fully matured to 88 in order to send a group out west, I would think, and I don't see the CRJ-900 doing the flying either, for reasons mentioned above)
...then the flying will continue.
In my mind it is quite a big difference from the seasonal shifting of flights through SLC, SNA, and LGA.
It wouldn't necessarily mean massive shrinkage of one of the other current bases, either -- looking at the overall route structure, one can see that they each serve a legitimate purpose, particularly keeping in mind the fact that the flying will continue to shift around the country in the years going forward, regardless of the west coast presence.
Additionally, the shuttle product being discussed here is part of an overall greater strategy on Delta's end -- it is not that the Embraers were put out there because they are temporarily covering for another fleet that's getting mods or something. They were chosen because with the shuttle product, they offer a mainline feel as far as comfort goes, over a CRJ-900 with the valet checking mobscene in the jetway and small first class seats etc. Truly a shame they are not part of mainline; that is another topic of course.
Until Delta either:
1) Throws in the towel on the California shuttle (don't see that happening for a while because they just started it and they appear to be at least committed to trying to win a lot of customers out there, and times are much different than the last LAX push in 2007/2008 with ExpressJet)
or
2) Finds an alternative suitable aircraft for the routes (717 fleet size would need to be almost fully matured to 88 in order to send a group out west, I would think, and I don't see the CRJ-900 doing the flying either, for reasons mentioned above)
...then the flying will continue.
In my mind it is quite a big difference from the seasonal shifting of flights through SLC, SNA, and LGA.
It wouldn't necessarily mean massive shrinkage of one of the other current bases, either -- looking at the overall route structure, one can see that they each serve a legitimate purpose, particularly keeping in mind the fact that the flying will continue to shift around the country in the years going forward, regardless of the west coast presence.
. So with all this talk about the LA base, what would you guys think the chances are of a new-hire going there when the base opens? Any chance for MSP if/when that happens? I'm thinking I'll probably finish up IOE at the end of February meaning March would be my first month on reserve which is about when Phase II starts up.
