Word on this had been going around. Theres a whole thread about it on another message board. I really don't know much about the validity to it, but the problem is that nobody else does either. Prior to this TA, Mesaba's future was not certain. And yes, Comair does have some striking similarities.

What would be cheaper for Pinnacle?

1) Shut down Colgan, divide assets among 9E/XJ and pay former cheap Colgan pilots XJ pay rates... or...

2) Shut down Mesaba, divide assets among 9E/9L, replace expensive XJ contract with cheap 9L labor? Then rebrand Colgan as Mesaba and call it done.

Not saying it was going to happen, I don't really have any clue as to whats going to, or what could've happened for all you guys under the Pinnacle umbrella. Just saying that from an outsider's perspective, Mesaba could've very easily ended up on the losing end of a whipsaw game. You guys were a costly, shrinking airline. You're getting just as much, or more, out of this as 9E/9L. Instead of being potentially on the chopping block, your future and a lot more options have just been secured.

Not trying to say anything bad about the Mesaba guys, I've heard you're a great pilot group. Just trying to say that you were in a potentially precarious situation. Congrats to everyone, it sounds like all of you, 9E, 9L, AND XJ, have all done better for yourselves than you could've each done alone.