Skywest/union

jtrain609 said:
You don't hear folks blaming Continental online.

You do if you work at ExpressJet, though.
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Well thats kinda weak, like I said train I really feel for you guys but it gets old hearing how its everyone else's fault that this is happening to XJT when everyone knows its is what CAL did to you guys. If CHQ is that much cheaper (I don't really know if this is fact) operating the same equipment its your own managements fault for not staying competitive, its not like we took pay cuts or our QOL went down dramatically when we picked up the CAL flying. I really do feel that the one of the main reasons CAL did this was because they didn't want what happened to Delta when Comair went on strike.

But back to the topic, and I really do wish the best for all the good folks over there at Express Jet.
 
I must not have made myself clear, let me try again.

You don't hear about it online because the folks that know where the real blame is at are not 1st year spikey haired FO's who get on aviation message forums. They're the captains that have been around for years and years and years and know the score. Those folks have better things to do with their time than get on an internet forum and bitch. Spikey haired FO's, who have no idea of what's going on, on the other hand, have tons of time to sit on reserve and start crap online. Make more sense?
 
There is so much misinformation here it is scary. I think everyone needs to sit down, open a beer, and relax. No deals have been made. ExpressJet has not announced furloughs yet, if at all. We are not removing airplanes from Continental service for another 18 months, if at all. SkyWest has not come even remotely close to an acceptable offer for a merger.

The only thing that occurred this week was a meeting between SkyWest management (led by a very arrogant Jerry Atkin, from what I hear) and the ExpressJet MEC. After this meeting, our MEC published exactly what SkyWest put on the table, which is not close to reality.

I will be the first to admit that our Branded operation is not doing well, and therefore we have continued to lose money. Should we shut down that operation, a furlough is likely, unless we do not find a home for those 30-something airplanes. If anyone here--including SkyWest pilots--believe that ExpressJet is the only regional airline in trouble right now, you better snap back to reality. We all are in trouble. Fuel is not getting cheaper, and our major airline partners are still in the red. United, which accounts for a massive amount of SkyWest's business, is suffering tremendously. Delta, which accounts for another massive piece of SkyWest's business is looking to reduce regional feed and is in the middle of merger talks with Northwest. Midwest Airlines is not doing exceptionally well in terms of financials, either.

If you want my opinion, this is a desperate move by SkyWest management to eliminate a major competitor for cheap. They can back-door their way into a Continental deal, eliminate the competition for Delta feed (which is exactly what ExpressJet is now with our LAX base, since we are adding more planes to that operation), and have a backup plan should something terrible happen to United. The SkyWest pilots here need to take a long hard look at what is going on in their world before they start worrying about the hardball between ExpressJet and Continental. In short order things can become very rough at any of our airlines.

Personally, I just am hoping the industry as a whole does not collapse under the weight of $200 per barrel oil. I want to ask the SkyWest pilots: What are you going to do to protect your interests should things go south at United or Midwest?
 
FlyChicaga said:
Personally, I just am hoping the industry as a whole does not collapse under the weight of $200 per barrel oil. I want to ask the SkyWest pilots: What are you going to do to protect your interests should things go south at United or Midwest?
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As you alluded to, and if you didn't I'll say it anyway, that's what the 1 year reevaluation of ExpressJet doing flying for CAL under Skywest is for.
 
jtrain609 said:
I must not have made myself clear, let me try again.

You don't hear about it online because the folks that know where the real blame is at are not 1st year spikey haired FO's who get on aviation message forums. They're the captains that have been around for years and years and years and know the score. Those folks have better things to do with their time than get on an internet forum and bitch. Spikey haired FO's, who have no idea of what's going on, on the other hand, have tons of time to sit on reserve and start crap online. Make more sense?
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Indeed it does. :)



FlyChicaga said:
What are you going to do to protect your interests should things go south at United or Midwest?
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Haven't they told you that nothing can ever go bad at SKYW? Jerry is the smartest guy alive and would never let anything bad happen to his pilot group or airline! :sarcasm: x a big number...
 
Good advice, Chicaga, but I'd take it one step further. All you RJ pilots better quit worrying about each other and worry about the Tprop operators. Its the Colgans and Horizons (after they shed their CRJs) that are going to replace you.

The simple fact of the matter is that a Q400 does 50% more work for half the fuel.

50/70 seat RJs are deader than Pterodactyls.
 
Velocipede said:
Good advice, Chicaga, but I'd take it one step further. All you RJ pilots better quit worrying about each other and worry about the Tprop operators. Its the Colgans and Horizons (after they shed their CRJs) that are going to replace you.

The simple fact of the matter is that a Q400 does 50% more work for half the fuel.

50/70 seat RJs are deader than Pterodactyls.
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I can't say I disagree. Personally, I see a large shift in the current state of the industry. I foresee regionals flying strictly turboprops again, scattered with some 50-seat aircraft. I just don't see the 50-seat jet going away completely, but there sure won't be as many flying around.

At the same time, I also see the 70-seat regional jet becoming a dinosaur in the near future. I have always viewed 70-seaters to become what the 37-seaters have now. The future seems to be leading towards 30-seat turboprops for small markets, 70-seat turboprops for medium markets, 90-110 seat jets for the medium/large markets, and 150+ seat jets for the large markets. Regionals as you see them today will be very, very different.

Plus, unless we develop some new technologies to further reduce fuel consumption, we are going to be in a world of hurt in this industry in the new few decades.
 
Two stories. Unrelated to each other, yet strangely relevant on different levels.

A buddy of mine was taking CHQ's first 170 on the "look at my shiney new plane tour" of the UAL system. Of course, there was the VP of stations and some other personnel on the plane.

They arrived in DEN. People were crawling all over the jet. All the people were raving about the cabin, yada yada. This one cat comes in, looks around, and sits down in a seat. He looked just depressed. After he left, my buddy asked the VP of Stations who that guy was. The answer was "Jerry Atkins, Skywest's CEO"

OK, that was weak.

Story two....well, not so much a story, as an observation, or really just a statement.

All this change in the regional industry is very reminiscent of what was happening around '99. There was a major shift in equipment. RJ's were the rage, and all the same thread above can have names changed and equipment types.

In 9 years, I saw a complete equipment swap in the commuters. In another 9 years all the brand new shiney Q400s will be yesterdays news.

Best of luck. We all need it.
 
There is no reason for anybody to get upset at anybody. Even at current oil prices, pretty much everyone is losing money and soon will be on the path to the street.
 
FlyChicaga said:
I want to ask the SkyWest pilots: What are you going to do to protect your interests should things go south at United or Midwest?
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Well, at least 34% of us had the ability to look forward a bit and see that such protection was a necessary thing. Too bad it wasn't at least 51%, but that is one very dead horse at the moment.

The rest of your post was spot on too. If any of my fellow SkyWesters believe that we are immune to the bad times...a very serious reality check is needed.
 
bike21 said:
The rest of your post was spot on too. If any of my fellow SkyWesters believe that we are immune to the bad times...a very serious reality check is needed.
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I think and hope most know but the few people I know at SKYW, albeit good friends of mine, hide it very well. Granted the most senior one I know has only been there 8 months so I think they are still in the "Honeymoon" phase and are just excited to be at an airline.

Hope for the best, plan for the worst, and something in between will usually happen.
 
Velocipede said:
Good advice, Chicaga, but I'd take it one step further. All you RJ pilots better quit worrying about each other and worry about the Tprop operators. Its the Colgans and Horizons (after they shed their CRJs) that are going to replace you.

The simple fact of the matter is that a Q400 does 50% more work for half the fuel.

50/70 seat RJs are deader than Pterodactyls.
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And THIS is exactly why we're fighting so hard on the scope issue with us and Colgan. I can't really see a good reason past using them against us during contract negotiations for Pinnacle Corp to have bought them. They claim it'll lead to more contracts for both sides, but I don't see that happening......
 
Maximillian_Jenius said:
...seriously dude, seriously. Lol, doooooooode, you must be effin' trashed! :p
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Awee...the prehistoric bird...the spelling is what got me...my bad.

Just a little. tipsy..a long layover here in Houston..the crew all walked down to Papa Murphy's and some saloon with some crazy Asian "massage bar" next to it.. (no, we didn't give them business, but made for some great laughs).
 
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