Originally Posted by
robthree
Mason,
I think you're splitting rabbits. AMR is a holding company. It produces no product, nor does it sell anything to anyone (except maybe stock to investors).
American Airlines is the 'brand name' airline that sells tickets and cargo space.
American Eagle is a lift subcontractor that has no capacity to sell its product to the general public.
The distinctions are pretty clear to all of us who are familiar with the airline business.
It shouldn't be that hard to differentiate those airlines who sell to the public, and those who sell to other airlines. If the term 'Major' is no longer adequate how about 'Real' airlines and 'Subcontrator' airlines?
Interesting, but not entirely accurate.... there are several cases where you can buy tickets directly from the smaller carriers, even places like Cape Air... you can buy the ticket from them, or get it from their mainline partners on interline and codeshare agreements.
so who sells the ticket doesn't exactly work either.
You're trying to exchange one set of often misunderstood things for a whole new set of soon to be misunderstood things.
I agree, It would be better to have the Govt and Indudstry titles match better... and changing the DOT standards to match a modern economy would be the first step.
Oh, and while I agree Eagle is a lift provider, it is harder to call them a subcontractor since they are a sister company. Up until Eagle was placed on the for sale block in 2007, I am told they didn't even have anything in writing at all with AA about providing lift on contract.
There is no stock that says AA on it, there is no stock that says Eagle on it.... the only stock you can buy is AMR.
Delta on the other hand owns several of their regionals as subsidiary companies. Delta also outsourced (subcontracts) to several non-owned airlines. This pattern is repeated at other carriers as well.
The profit from those owned regionals stays at Delta and with Delta's shareholders.
A primary function of any company is to provide a return to their shareholders... the company has little obligation to make your life easier, or change titles or what they call other companies to make you feel better. Outsourced, Subcontractor, Owned, Regional, Commuter.... it's all the same. What's your flavor of the month? The fact is the flying belongs to the company, not to you and not to your union, if your agreement with the company allows them to hire outside companies, and that makes more financial sense to do for their shareholders, then that is what they will do. Changing their name doesn't change anything except to make people such as yourself feel better.
It's no skin off my teeth, I just think it's a monumental waste of time. We are our own worst enemies, we let scope out of the bag, and changing the name of the companies that got that work won't change a thing except make you feel better, and further divide all off us as airline pilots.
I don't care if it's the guy/gal sitting right seat in a B1900 or the guy sitting left seat in a 777. We're all pilots, and it's time we started acting that way, instead of always fighting with eachother, and trying to put eachother down.