Keep in mind too that furloughs are very expensive. The displacement bill for the Saab parkings and ATR shifts is going to be pretty big. Since AMR is classic for pinching a dime out of a penny, they are probibly looking very closely at the numbers and will decide ultimately what is in their best interest. The union will try to convince management of our cause but the only sure bet is that mgmt will have the numbers to back any decision they make.

In this light, no matter what your opinions of skywest may be, it is aparent that they are probibly the best run regional airline right now. Ask any Chicago FO and they will tell you that the ORD base is very overstaffed. I have friends on reserve who have flown less than 10 hours in a month. That company with their insightful managment has chosen to stay fat and wait for things to pick up. Sure, they can pick up flying from other contracts; something eagle's golden handcuffs at AA prevent, but they have still decided that paying a few first-year FOs is cheaper than furloughing/displacing them.

Best of luck to everyone, its going to be a stressful time for all.