What's up with 9e

Baronman said:
Probably Colgan announces they won't be able to adequately staff more Q's without 10% more money. Colgan then awarded a contract for 30 more Q's whle the rest of the industry mutters a collective "WTF?!"
Click to expand...
this makes me laugh in a really sick feeling way because it is true.
 
kellwolf said:
From what I can tell, if there's no long term agreement reached by April 2nd, expect and RFP to be tossed out on Colgan's flying. Enter Skywest. It's no secret they've wanted a Q400 operation for a while. Hell, I say we sell them Colgan and call it done myself.
Click to expand...



Or enter CommutAir, who was told by United to hold off on getting more Q300's until the 2nd half of 2012.
 
Pilotforhire587 said:
Or enter CommutAir, who was told by United to hold off on getting more Q300's until the 2nd half of 2012.
Click to expand...
Or how about they are concerned with your guys' staffing so they dont want you guys to bite off more than you need to and create performance issues.
 
jynxyjoe said:
More importantly, can they have it up by April? Don't worry about training, you just flake on it and at the last minute get Bombardier to do it.
Click to expand...

I honestly don't think CommutAir could handle the Colgan Q400s. Let's face it, we are talking about a small airline more than doubling in size, plus opening at least two more pilot bases. Not saying they couldn't hire a ton of guys to fly the airplanes (probably would end up hiring street captains), but the changes to the corporate structure might be what kills the deal.
 
The only reason people are associating Commutair to this is because of the common fleet type, which is understandable. Like Ctab said though, it would be like giving them to the old Colgan. It is not a smooth ride for a small privately owned airline growing so big. United would not be in any better position with Commutair. Actually I think they would be in a worse position, we can operate the plane just fine for them which is ndicative from our numbers, we personally just cannot make money on them because our contract is worse than the paper in the toilet.
 
Fly782 said:
The only reason people are associating Commutair to this is because of the common fleet type, which is understandable. Like Ctab said though, it would be like giving them to the old Colgan. It is not a smooth ride for a small privately owned airline growing so big. United would not be in any better position with Commutair. Actually I think they would be in a worse position, we can operate the plane just fine for them which is ndicative from our numbers, we personally just cannot make money on them because our contract is worse than the paper in the toilet.
Click to expand...

Another thing to think about is that Pinnacle owns the Q400s. That makes it much harder for United to just pull the airplanes and give them to another carrier.
 
ctab5060X said:
Another thing to think about is that Pinnacle owns the Q400s. That makes it much harder for United to just pull the airplanes and give them to another carrier.
Click to expand...

They kind of own them, EDC does and PNCL isn't exactly making payments right now...but I understand what you're getting at.
 
crazyjaydawg said:
They kind of own them, EDC does and PNCL isn't exactly making payments right now...but I understand what you're getting at.
Click to expand...

Pinnacle is making payments. Do you think EDC would have given us a deferral if we weren't? :biggrin:

All joking aside, with Pinnacle being the one paying on the lease rather than United (unlike our -200s with Delta), it is just one more small thing to add into everything else. When you combine everything, it atcually makes more sense for United to work with Pinnacle rather than against.


And a random thought here... anybody else notice that the portions of the operation that is not making money (the Q400s and the ATL -900s) are the airplanes Pinnacle leased?
 
Fly782 said:
Or how about they are concerned with your guys' staffing so they dont want you guys to bite off more than you need to and create performance issues.
Click to expand...


I don't think any airline could take on 40+ aircraft and be able to staff them overnight. CommutAir is short on FO's right now but since the contract was signed they haven't been leaving as much, but we are no where near the point of having to cancel flights because we don't have the pilots to fly them. The company is now working on beefing up reserves to a level I haven't seen since I started working here. I agree it makes more sense for United to work with Pinnacle but how often do you see any airline do what makes sense. CommutAir's fleet size grew by a third this year with the arrival of Q300's and the only problem associated with that was a mechanical issue regarding the FDR's on two of the aircraft. If we picked up the 400's it would be nothing like Colgan getting them the first time. CAL actually came to CommutAir about flying the 400 before Colgan and we told them no for that reason but its different now.

I am in no way saying this is going to happen, but it is a very viable option, just as viable as SkyWest stepping in and making an offer to United to fly them.
 
Pilotforhire587 said:
I don't think any airline could take on 40+ aircraft and be able to staff them overnight. CommutAir is short on FO's right now but since the contract was signed they haven't been leaving as much, but we are no where near the point of having to cancel flights because we don't have the pilots to fly them. The company is now working on beefing up reserves to a level I haven't seen since I started working here. I agree it makes more sense for United to work with Pinnacle but how often do you see any airline do what makes sense. CommutAir's fleet size grew by a third this year with the arrival of Q300's and the only problem associated with that was a mechanical issue regarding the FDR's on two of the aircraft. If we picked up the 400's it would be nothing like Colgan getting them the first time. CAL actually came to CommutAir about flying the 400 before Colgan and we told them no for that reason but its different now.

I am in no way saying this is going to happen, but it is a very viable option, just as viable as SkyWest stepping in and making an offer to United to fly them.
Click to expand...
parts, systems, and operations commonality between the 400 and other series dashes are very small.

It really would be almost the same as Colgan picking them up. Difference is, Colgan got 1 a month, so we could work into it.

It would take a while for any operator to just pick up the planes. Not to mention 30 q400s is a whole lot of $$$
 
TUCKnTRUCK said:
parts, systems, and operations commonality between the 400 and other series dashes are very small.

It really would be almost the same as Colgan picking them up. Difference is, Colgan got 1 a month, so we could work into it.

It would take a while for any operator to just pick up the planes. Not to mention 30 q400s is a whole lot of $$$
Click to expand...
Oh well thats for sure, but I can't imagine that if they did pull the airplanes from Colgan they would take all 30+ at once. For the guys over there, especially the ones we fly with out of EWR I hope they stay with you guys. I also hope that for all the Pinnacle guys I know that have been there for 5 years and got put below 2 year guys at Colgan.
 
TUCKnTRUCK said:
parts, systems, and operations commonality between the 400 and other series dashes are very small.

It really would be almost the same as Colgan picking them up. Difference is, Colgan got 1 a month, so we could work into it.

It would take a while for any operator to just pick up the planes. Not to mention 30 q400s is a whole lot of $$$
Click to expand...
lt also took Colgan a few years of growing pains and a merger that wiped out most managers to get the operation to where it is today.

Commutair would have the same problems Colgan did starting up a new operation. I wonder if United would be willing to go through that again just to save a few bucks...
 
Pilotforhire587 said:
Oh well thats for sure, but I can't imagine that if they did pull the airplanes from Colgan they would take all 30+ at once. For the guys over there, especially the ones we fly with out of EWR I hope they stay with you guys. I also hope that for all the Pinnacle guys I know that have been there for 5 years and got put below 2 year guys at Colgan.
Click to expand...
The hard part to swallow, would be the pilot load coming with the planes. The CA side alone would be 180 ish CA's, with an average senority of almost 8 years. A 5 year colgan CA makes nearly what a 15 year q300 ($66/hr so prob. pre TA rate) CA makes. We would also be bringing our scope, and contract with us. It would prob. work out well for you guys, but, it would be quite expensive... I don't think it's something commutair could swallow right now.
 
I keep hearing people talk about pulling planes from colgan. Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't pinnacle own the q400s not united?
 
Whatever we do, I suggest we all look to the phrases of rapper Richie Rich, who would suggest that we all..

"Ride the motha till the wheels fall off"

And that my friends, is what I will do...
 
Does Pinnacle actually own the aircraft, I was under the interpretation that they were owned by a Canadian holding company, and when all payments, from United and Pinnacle, are in they would go to Pinnacle.

TucknTruck, if God forbid they started pulling airplanes would the pilots go with them? You guys have one list now, I would assume that would mean the f word.
 
Pilotforhire587 said:
Does Pinnacle actually own the aircraft, I was under the interpretation that they were owned by a Canadian holding company, and when all payments, from United and Pinnacle, are in they would go to Pinnacle.

TucknTruck, if God forbid they started pulling airplanes would the pilots go with them? You guys have one list now, I would assume that would mean the f word.
Click to expand...


If it's more than 4% in a 12 month period (which if all the Qs were pulled, it certainly would be), then yes. The pilots should go with the airplanes. How that happens is anyone's guess. My bet is they'd be offered positions as new hires at the new airline.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top