Putting apps out IS playing the long game. They’ll take more than a few weeks to become any sort of firm commitment. Once you see the other cards on the table you can THEN decide if you want to bet or not.

Besides, putting out apps is good practice. Everybody ought to be doing it anyway, as soon as you meet minimums for a career destination you’d REALLY like to have.

Funny you say this. I happen to be a low time CA, but I’m buying a bit more time to see what will happen here. I spent an eternity here as an FO so I could get some PIC time out of compass, that’s why I came here in the first place. So I’m not going to shut that door if I don’t have to. If I had 1000 PIC? I’d be leaving this place for any LCC without hesitation. I’m tired of the regional game and QOL

Also, depends on the LCC.

I’ll throw a theory into the mix for fun

UA wants to consolidate regionals. Mesa contract is ending very soon. Their contract is 30 175s and 20CRJ700s.

UA has 20 firm 175 orders to replace the CRJ700s, which will either disappear or become 550s. The 30 E175’s go to Expressjet, the carrier that UA wants to grow, especially on the 175 side. Expressjet can’t staff that.

ExpressJet (or whatever shell company) acquires compass.


As for our AA stuff, I have no idea. 2023

Most likely this with a twist. Bought but not merged with XJT. And if bought, the AA contact ends early...which could force the merger now that I say it out loud. Otherwise a UAX cpa with dal/ua tail swap, but still down 10 planes as a whole.

UA still has that provision in their FA contract giving any wholly owned regional FAs mainline wages so it’ll still have to go through their shell company, Mana, if any of those things were ever to happen. That’s why UAL doesn’t have any wholly owneds.

Oh, and Mesa operates 60 175s for UA, not 30.

From TSH to Mana Air. All I know is that if Mesa bought us I’d quit.

This place is great but if we furlough/downgrade at all, or end up with reserves flying 8 hours a month and frozen hiring/upgrades (cough cough 2017), I’m gone too. :(

Alternative, happier theory:
We are getting 30 UA jets at 4 a month starting October, new bases, and stay Compass. UA just doesn’t want CPZ to let the cat out of the bag yet and cause panic at the regional that’s losing jets

Right now I don’t think Mesa has enough money to buy anything.

See attached Mesa stock graph:

We were losing 20 a month to attrition BEFORE this happened and have lots of guys who could have gone but we’re building time toward their dream job. Unless there really is a great new opportunity, that loss will accelerate. Regionals out there are offering DEC jobs to anyone with 950 hours and near-DEC jobs to people with substantially less than that. With impressive bonuses.

Heck, anyone with a consolidated type rating is a hot commodity right now, and will have no problem getting a job (and a signing bonus and a second bonus for being type rated) a half dozen other places.

If management doesn’t come through with that “opportunity”, I can picture the workforce evaporating from here so fast they’ll struggle to complete Delta flying. I can’t imagine furloughs being an issue.

I've been spreading this theory since the announcement! So if you came to this on your own without hearing about it inside compass I'm going to count you as a second witness to this possibility. Only difference is that I don't think there will be any buying or merging. I think it will be a 2 year contract with 20-30 planes until exj can get rolling and then they go back to them.... Since UA owns an 80%stake in exj.