Originally Posted by
vyperdriver
Ok fellas...this is the kind of discussions I was looking for. Regardless of what some of my "contacts" have said, I am equally suspicious as it seems to me no one truly knows until everyone knows what happens in the airlines. A lot of conjecture and guessing but some of the points brought out on this thread are what I was looking for. For example...If I were an Eagle Pilot, why would I not be concerned that Express Jet is beginning to fly Eagle Lines out of DFW. Some other regional, forgive me I don't recall the name, is flying lines for Eagle out of Detroit or somewhere like that. Why would I not, if I were an Eagle flyer, be concerned that some other company with some other companies pilots were flying jets with our passengers out of our domicile? It seems to me, that pre bankruptcy, AMR was attempting to sell off Eagle, although I may be inaccurate on that, but I seem to recall that. Why would AMR simply not sell off Eagle to Express Jet or Skywest and have them absorb operations? Express Jet stated at our interview that they were a combined company (operating separately) with Skywest and that together they represented a national carrier as large as Southwest. Does that give them the political clout and funding to absorb Eagle? While that may not put 3000 pilots on the street, it would have the effect of closing down Eagle as it exists currently. Like I mentioned, I'm totally a novice at this, I'm simply trying to understand the business.
I had just typed a large response describing the regionals over the last 10 years and my browser crashed on the iPad. How fitting. But long story shirt is that AMR is just doing today what the others have already done. The American feed was much smaller and with smaller airplanes and they are catching up. American had virtually all flying done with one carrier and they are spreading the love. Over the last 10 years we have seen carriers shrink and grow, the regional that is good today suck tomorrow. Study up on SCOPE at the mainlines and you will see how between Delta and United you will see 300+ airplanes being parked (50) seaters. This will take place over the next 2 1/2 years. The question is who will get airframes and who will park airframes, we already saw SKW secure some ejets but these ate not growth since SKW holdings operates more than 450 airplanes for United alone. They could be growth for Skywest airlines but will mean that it will park 50 seaters at Expressjet. Delta will be parking 50 seaters as well but now Pinnacle is the cheapest, wholly owned and has the 50 seaters with the least amount of cycles. Will they park pinnacle or will they park EXJ (Asa). Eagle has 245 jets, mostly 50 seaters will we see replacements for theses, we are being told yes but no orde in the books and now threatened for concessions. Rah has many ejets but what will happen to the 50 seaters? Rah has an unhealthy balance sheet mainly due to frontier. How about the contract, is no secret rah grew because they underbid. GoJet halted hiring and downgrades all of a sudden. The regional industry is very fluid, eagle is in bankruptcy shrinking and hiring. Why, ask management. Go somewhere where you spend an extended period of time, minimize the commute and don't look back but keep your SA because you might have to make a lateral move. No regional is safe. SKW has been a great regional for years but they are having to compete for larger aircraft but less total airframes, how will this play out remains to bee seen. They are the last man standing sort of speak.