Sailing,

Sincerely, thank you for your support on the 76 seat issue.

You offer an great counterpoint that keeps the discussion interesting and better focused. My sincere apologies if my posts seem like personal slams, they are not. In some cases, it is just taking advantage of an opportunity to put something out there (which is why we don't see Alpha or Slowplay with us currently).

John Malone could not know that scope would be modified in Chapter 11 because no one knows the answer to that question. It has never been done before.

Guess the part of this rumored direction that has me most concerned is that it violates economic common sense, to explain:

• The first part of Contract 2000 that failed was the ratios and operational restrictions on the RJ's. Economically, we all understand the need for the Company to make money. In times of duress we are all going to want the Company to make the most money possible so we all survive to fight another day. If we outsource more airplanes with lower CASM numbers than our (MD88 / 717?) then economic stress will push us towards lifting those scope restrictions, again. We should not repeat a failed strategy.
• The economic analysis cited supporting outsourcing is flawed. It is as much the result of politics as it is the murky way that regional airline costs are allocated in BTS reporting. You know from your exposure to our operation that we share all the elements of a common transportation system except for the redundant layers of management and Corporate structures needed to keep us separate. If our numbers are not right for operating these airplanes at mainline, then we need to get right on the numbers. However, our Admin has never been tasked with that job and has been reminded of the chain of command when they have tried.

These concerns have been raised to our Association President, MEC Chairman and Senior Reps. Their replies made it evident that they did not understand the issues and were intent on repeating the mistakes of the past.

Scope and unity are the same thing. We can't be unified if half of our flying is performed by someone else. We can't be unified if we are negotiating one man's job away to benefit another man. It is not about a 76 seat line (although your point is well made), it is about UNITY.

BB