Originally Posted by
Trip7
As I understand it from Mainline United pilots there is no more room for additional 76 seaters until United establishes a SNB aircraft. The contract is essentially the same as Delta's so I believe United would have to add a 717 type aircraft, remove 50 seaters, and add 76 seaters based on a predetermined ratio per SNB aircraft.
Which will be a while. They can't even get guys through training at mainline due to all the extra training from retirements. New hires are still sitting in the pool, no interviews at all this year to date and not expecting to do so until probably the fall.
They can't even get the 737 filled with pilots, they are increasing 767 usage in DEN 75%.
They don't have the resources to get another aircraft type on property, let alone train for and staff it right now. It will be a while.
For now, you will see XJT management put out memos that they have been able to keep some aircraft flying for cost at the mainline carriers, some of them will get parked, but then you can watch Skywest pick them up from the desert, put new engines on them and either increase their 50 seat CRJ flying or park the BROs. The ERJs will probably just be parked.
What mainline hiring is happening will probably keep from furloughing, and XJT as a whole will be shrunk quite a bit, especially the ERJ side. Some of the new hires will jump ship for Skywest, compass, Mesa, go jet, whoever is posting fast upgrades at the time.