Hey Bar,

Go back and talk to your dad....the DA20s were gone when Purple BOUGHT Silver......727s & DC10s.

Regards,
BG

 

I am to curious not to ask why Mesaba is your least favorite? Was it the 50+ years without an accident or the training department that was thought of as one of the best in the industry. Or up until now a labor contract that was one of the best.

 

Unlike many of Delta's finest around here, as a SWA guy I try to limit my participation in another airline's sandbox to the occasional lurk. But I gotta say, some of the comments about SWA's recent press release sure have a...



....tone to them.

Relax. The ATL market is plenty big for the both of us!

 

I'd be interested in knowing that too. I've been in the JS of many regionals. Mesaba pilots have always had their act together in my limited experience.

 

BG,

Thanks for your forbearance with my example. Many of the Tigers guys said FedEx saved them and ALPA saved their careers. My point was, don't look at the airplane and make assumptions about the pilots. Although Tigers had the bigger airplanes, FedEx was the far better career.

Mergers are not ideal, but they beat the alternative of giving management a choice of which pilots to fly the company's business.

 

Interesting comment. Especially since it is coming from an employee of a company that did it's damndest to send USAir (and others) to that graveyard that you now accuse others of whistling past... ATL might be big enough for both of us, and SWA's participation will be good for us because your dismantling of the true low cost carrier in that market will raise overall fares. (Which IS good for everybody concerned) But make no mistake that DAL is not going to allow Clark Howard to enjoy his wet dream of watching us go out of business. It is already obvious that SWA has changed it's model and business plan save GK's insistence on leaving millions on the table in the form of bag fees (perhaps his ace in the hole for when times get really tough). SWA has reduced flights in ATL, just like they did when they poked the bear in MSP. Them's facts.

Oh, and SWA is announcing 3 flights/day between ATL and MCI... DAL has 7. Welcome aboard.

 

Northeast was a great airline, I remember the Yellowbirds from when I was a kid,good crews,poor management from the scuttlebutt.

 

Usually the Mesaba pilots will speak for themselves on the subject, convincingly. So I will yield the floor to them. My concerns with Tom Wychor's actions have been outlined on this board in great detail. What is more important is that ALPA authorized his actions.

Like any group, there are some really good folks there too. Mesaba here on this board is a good guy, and there are a couple of friends flying there also.

I'm a big believer in redemption and I think Wychor has done well for his pilots. But his actions were a bit of a reversal from when, speaking officially for the Mesaba pilots, they fought the ASA and Comair pilots PID effort & subsequent attempts at gaining job protections at Delta. Then Wychor sort of copied Lawson's strategy. The difference between Lawson and Wychor was that Lawson wanted to include the Delta pilots in scope negotiations, Wychor excluded the Delta pilots from scope negotiations.

Ironically, folks here got so mad at Lawson's stupid ineffective political letter, not understanding that Wychor actually did something that has a great deal more significance when it comes to undermining the Delta pilots. Most of my support for a merger has to do with managing this new power that the regionals may enjoy to do deals with Delta management in our absence. A merger is the best way to get that under control (under our MEC), JMHO. Again, IF (BIG IF) Pinnacle becomes an alter-ego.

What Wychor did is the exact threat I outlined when we divested Compass, if anyone remembers.

 

So you have a beef with Wychor only or do all Mesaba pilots give you heart burn?

 

Jimmy Buffet in a hammock!

I said professionally it was best to accept the Pinnacle pilots and all anyone is interested in is why we shouldn't ?

Wychor hit a grand slam for his pilots. I'd prefer he be on the team for the Delta pilots than play against us.