LOL! I love how they think EFB are somehow going to bring in the masses. I saw this a few weeks ago and it really cracked me up. Let's look at the realities for a second.

Literally every regional now, except one or two, offers signing bonuses (some 10k or more) and some even offer hotels each month for commuters. RAH/TSA have first year pay mid 30s to 40 bucks now. What are we selling? 50+ years of stability (past results do not garuntee future success) and EFBs.

They could have done a lot to actually attract newhires with the TA, but they dropped the ball big time. The next 6 months will be very telling as to what may happen after 2017. If they come back to the table quickly it tells me they have definite plans moving forward. It's so annoying how they are so secretive all the time. If they know something then say it (after its 100% official, looking at you CD) because honestly if you announced something positive you would start to reattract some of for guys who would like to come, but aren't sure. You do that as well as a nice signing bonus and maybe hotels - problem solved.

As for the short term, and I am just thinking out loud here, but I really hope and wouldn't be surprised if we got back to ORD. Think about it. Your taking 20 or more 50 seaters from Eagle (will never call them Envoy) in Chicago and bringing them to PHL. I refuse to believe that our PHL operation is not going to change as stated in the email from CD. 20 planes is a lot!!! Yes PDT is going to, eventually, get rid of the Dashes (at least some), but there isn't enough gates and room to all of a sudden add 20 jets next year and expect where still doing the same number of departures etc etc. No way.

If you took 20 - 50 seaters away from ORD why the hell wouldn't you send 20 of ours to replace them? I get Eagle is supposed to get 175s, but still. 50 seaters serve a purpose out of ORD. We are a Midwest company. PDT has ALWAYS been East coast. You then could utilize your grossly underutilized MKE Mx hanger and ORD flying would lead to more WI overnights (GB, Madison, ATW you know your actual HQ). This helps the company as they get some big tax break every aircraft that is in WI overnight.

I've also noticed DCA is loaded with more and more regionals in the world now. I see a lot more PSA 200s and the Republic 175s. I have even seen some 145s. Where the hell are we? A year ago the world was 95% AWAC with 1 Dash and maybe 1 PSA.

It just seems odd to me that, in the next year, we will be getting squeezed in PHL and our presence in DCA seems to be declining, but to think nothing is going to change.

 

I think being the launch customer for a new navigation chart program that no one in the US has ever used, will really bring the new hires in!

 

Both UAL. Photos were taken about a year and a half ago.

 

50 seaters are going away at every airline over the next 5 years. It isn't about fuel prices or whether or not an airline can staff them, it's about fixed cost and gate space.

 

The parking of 4 planes in January should soften the influx of PDT jets to PHL and it will take a while to get them all in where it actually impacts AWAC's lift.

In DC most of the mish-mash of regionals is to cover for Republic, but I'm sure in six months they will have solved their cancellation issue.

The parking of planes will help the FO crunch in the short term and I hear there will be an upgrade class in January but I haven't heard how large.

Either way they are going to need to step up recruiting because that plane parking, which is due to high time airframes, will only have a limited side-effect of assisting staffing.

 

The latest word was AWAC wasn't parking any planes because they were asked to cover what others couldn't. You know they are parking 4 planes? One of the original said, "soon to be parked because it's old" already has new paint on it.

There's an INCREASE of RAH planes in the world, not a decrease. Gate space has always been limited at DCA. Larger airplanes (read mainline) are taking over the actual gates and the larger RJs (RAH) are being pushed to 35X.

 

Surprisingly enough, AA doesn't fly to ATW.

 

Just because there is an increase of RAH planes in The World doesn't mean they haven't had to bring in PSA and Envoy to cover their flying, it just means, as you stated, that mainline is taking the gates.

It was in FEB of this year that the company pulled back from parking their planes because AA was begging them to keep flying. I just heard this today that we are going to actually do it and park and part-out those planes.

I am not sure of the number but it is around 4. Obviously the planes they paint are not the ones that are going to time-out.

 

"Originally Posted by CAirBear This helps the company as they get some big tax break every aircraft that is in WI overnight."


It appears the tax break is not as advantageous as it once was according to comments made to a recent NH class. I know Rankin used to sell it as something they were using to titillate American during talks.

 

In also noticing quite a bit more 900s in the F gates in PHL too now. I would hope for an ORD base, would be very senior none the less but I would bid it since I'm from the area and I could move back home.