Originally Posted by
Sunvox
Talk about spin. Explain to me how going from 557 planes to 255 planes in the UAX fleet over a 6 year period is a loss even if the seats go from 50 to 76 which is not wholly accurate because the fleet already had 100+ 70 seaters.
Originally Posted by
AV82SKI
Just one correction to your fleet facts. The express fleet is not shrinking to 255 aircraft. Our scope currently restricts the 70/76 seat fleet to a total of 255 aircraft. UAL can have an unlimited number of 50 seaters as long as they stay under the 120% block hour restriction. At the end of 2014 the express fleet will still have 557 airplanes.
That is a net loss of 15 airframes for the year. The 50 seaters may be on the way out but the fleet is not being scoped down to 255 airframes.
If only UAX fleet was going to be 255 after six years.
It is easy to understand how pilots forget what the actual 'Scope Choke' was due to the absurd complexity of the language. The 'Scope Choke' was supposedly going to happen because United would
have to order mainline 100 seat SJs to compete with DAL. Even if United announces an order for such aircraft, deliveries won't come until well after DAL's new contract happens. Historically, DALPA has sold SJ scope for contractual improvements. Hopefully, that trend will end, but if it doesn't the UAL MEC will likely follow suit with another DAL - 1 year contract like last time.
The UAX carriers' inability to find pilots who will work for minimum wage compensation is the only factor choking regional growth. It certainly has nothing to do with the UPA scope clause.