I feel the need to correct some additional misinformation.

Yes, PBS has cost the company more than they anticipated. A great deal of that is a result of the "vacation low" provision. I can understand why, as well. I get more time off with vacation low than I did dropping conflicting trips under line bidding, and I get paid guarantee rather than 50-something hours.

However, the PRIMARY reason ASA is losing money right now is a result of our CPA with Delta. When SkyWest purchased the company 6 years ago, the CPA that Jerry signed required that ASA be the first or second least expensive Delta Connection carrier. Should we not attain that position after 5 years, we would be paid a fee-for-departure rate that was below our actual cost. This is the reason BH has been hammering everyone on costs the last few years. When he first took reigns of the company, he trimmed a significant amount of corporate fat. This is also why he attempts, however unsuccessfully, to run the staffing so lean throughout the summer months.

Well, I'm here to tell you that we did not attain the cost structure required to maintain a profit. How do we fix that? Merge with a company whose costs are lower, trim the fat, sign a juicy CPA with Continental, and hope everything comes together at the end. Yes, pre-merger XJT CASM was significantly lower than ASA's, despite a much better CBA for the pilots. Read the 10-K reports if you don't believe me.

I would also like to apologize for the crap that spews from some ASA mouths. It seems like half of our employees have their heads wedged firmly in their stink holes and have no intention of removing them. I wish everyone would do just a sliver of research and step back to see the whole picture.