Originally Posted by
Fred Flintstone
I used to fly for ACA. We had 87 CRJ 200s and owned all the UAX flying out of IAD. Morale was high, pay was pretty good and our operating stats were top notch. Then UAL decided we were making too much as a company and pulled our contract in bankruptcy court. In case you weren't watching, Indy shut it's doors 18 months later after going through a $350M nest egg of UAL money. It was fun but the resulting unemployment for 1600 pilots was pretty painful.
Don't take anything for granted in this business. Good luck, with fuel this high every flight a 50 seater makes is a financial loss. Just sayin...
Didn't ACA get what it wanted? They didn't want to accept new UAX deal, threatened UA with leaving the UAX program. UA called their bluff and the employees of ACA suffered the result.
Unfortunately for the ACA employees they were the only people that didn't recognize the inevitable. That cut in fee percentages from UA would have been less than the resultant unemployment for the entire workforce.
I could see DL weeding out ASA. If their performance on the DL side is similar to the UA side then I could fully understand getting rid of them. Tried getting to and from NYC on ASA the past couple of months. Maintenance, crews, maintenance , crews were the reasons for cancellations and massive delays. Also, I thought mainline had the market cornered on surly FA's until I rode ASA.
It happened to Comair, ACA, Rio, Air Wisky and a few smaller carriers over the years. It proves the theory that the mainline doesn't NEED any particular express carrier. For in the regional industry there is another mercenary waiting to take the job for less money.
L