Originally Posted by Rightseat Ballast

Yes. two RAH certificates have been approved for branded flying. Those approvals are just contingency plans. With Airways and United on ever unstable ground financially, RAH needs a plan for its aircraft should a major partner go away. Independence (ACA branded) came to be only because it lost its contract with United. ExpressJet did branded flying because it lost a significant amount of Continental flying. Neither airline went branded because they thought it was a good idea. They did it because they needed to generate some revenue, even if only enough to prolong the inevitable. RAH would do branded flying under the same circumstances, with the notable exception being Mokulele should RAH choose to assume further control.

RAH management wants 190's, and they are pretty good at getting their way. Labor contracts are merely bumps in the road to them. I have no preference either way at this point. You can tell me that getting 190's at RAH is career suicide, but this is coming from the guys who have watched the mainline job crumble beneath them. Age 65 extended my career at a regional. Mainline weakness in regards to scope has extended my career at a regional. You all make it sound as though I am the one choosing to settle for less and undermine my future, but it has always been the votes of mainline pilots and politicians that have dictated the length of my regional career. I put myself at a regional so that I could be qualified and experienced when the majors needed to fill seats. I am here because I wanted to better my career, to move on. You gave up the seats that I am stuck flying. And until you all at certain majors begin to show the backbone (AMR and CAL have held the scope line pretty well), the only thing I can look forward to is a bigger plane at my company.