Originally Posted by MD88Driver

Boeing deploys additional 717s to Qantas, Volotea - Yahoo! Finance

SEATTLE, June 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing's (BA) workhorse 717 continues to figure prominently in the success of established and new operators as the manufacturer's leasing unit, Boeing Capital Corp., announced additional deployments of the modern and fuel-efficient twinjets.
Australia's largest regional airline, QantasLink, will receive an additional five leased 717s to add to its existing fleet of 13 of the twinjets that operate across Australia. Those deliveries will begin in late 2013 after the aircraft are refitted with upgraded interiors to include a full business class experience and new in-flight entertainment systems. The Qantas Group has operated the 717s since 2002.
QantasLink Executive Manager John Gissing said the refurbished aircraft will improve its customer offering and increase the overall level of customer comfort and satisfaction.
"The new 717s, with the reconfigured cabin including business class and in-flight entertainment, are perfectly suited to our Sydney-Canberra, Brisbane-Canberra and Melbourne-Canberra routes," said Gissing. "We're delighted that we can offer this premium product to our customers and we're looking forward to introducing them into the market later this year."
In Europe, startup carrier, Volotea, will increase its 717 fleet in 2013 to a total 15 as it continues to develop its business model of offering point-to-point service to passengers between medium and small-sized European cities. Volotea began operation in spring 2012 with a network built around the 717 that is supported by a comprehensive Boeing solution for operations and training.
Volotea recently surpassed the million passenger mark enabled by its operation from 52 European airports, currently serving 97 city pairs.
"The Boeing 717 is an important element to Volotea strategy," said Carlos Munoz, Volotea's founder and CEO. "In terms of size, it is the right aircraft for the medium- and small-sized cities we serve; operationally, it offers top reliability for our frequent, quick turnaround operations. Most importantly, our customers have grown to value the levels of comfort the 717 provides."
According to Boeing Capital's managing director for asset management, Thomas Hansen, 2013 will be a landmark year for the 717, the single-largest model holding in its fleet.
"Our deployments scheduled for this year will result in all of our 717s doing what they do best, and that is helping customers to make money thanks to the airplane's great operating reliability and their 'big-airplane' style passenger experience," said Hansen.
Hansen added that 2013 will also mark the beginning of a major redeployment of its 717 currently operated by the former AirTran Airways, now part of Southwest Airlines, to Delta Airlines under a sub-lease agreement announced in 2012.
There are more than 150 Boeing 717s in service today since the first airplane was delivered in 1999. The twinjet's technology and fleet performance have earned it the distinction of being the world's best jetliner serving the 100-passenger airline market.

Originally Posted by Going2Baja

If this happens we need to see a change in the rates. Time to pay for seats. 320 = 7NG. 321/900 = 757.

Baja.

Originally Posted by 80ktsClamp

Totally agreed there. The 333 carries more pax than the 777 and is way bigger than the 764, too... not a bad idea to match that up while we're at it.

Originally Posted by hockeypilot44

I am 100 percent against longevity base pay. The guys that want this are at the top of the pay scale, but not on the highest paying plane. We should not even have longevity factored into our pay. It ties us to our specific airline thus reducing leverage. A new hire 717 first officer should make the same as a 12 year 717 first officer. They do the exact same job. We are the only industry where you cannot take your skills to another company for the same price. We should be trying to eliminate our entire scale other than the 12 year scale.

Originally Posted by georgetg

If Virgin joins the Transatlantic JV, the EASK shares get renegotiated and we wait out another compliance period before we measure and a year after that before the company must cure.

If VA doesn't get lumped in with the existing Transatlantic JV, 1.E.8 becomes very interesting. 75% of the flying of Delta's revenue share would flip the balance of flying between DAL and VA in favor of DAL. Measured every Quarter with a 12-month lookback.

Which would you rather see?

Cheers
George

P.S. Hauenstein is now on the Virgin BOD. Also the 2nd largest US destination from LHR is not currently in the codeshare list. I would imagine a forthcoming slot will come as part of some near term negotiations with other players...
Oh and t, your wish is coming true, Virgin is adding capacity in MCO making it all 744 service...

Originally Posted by newKnow

So does that mean that if the NWA-ALPA merger proposal for the SLI included longevity based pay you would have been fine with it? You should have made that suggestion back then and we could have alleviated a lot of heartache.

The problem with your argument in a SLI scenario is that we use our seniority for more than just bidding for equipment and seat.

Every year we use it to bid vacation. Every 9 months we use it to bid for CQ. Every month we use it to bid for trips, days off, and to have a schedule that is either blockholder or reserve. Finally, for every trip that includes more than one captain or FO, it is used to decide who gets what break, who does the walkaround, and who gets to be the ultimate decision maker.

Or, are you saying you wouldn't have a problem with not exercising seniority in these things? If so, can I have your schedule for next month?

Originally Posted by tsquare

I am saying that a case could be made because equipment wouldn't matter. The example of a SEA based AK pilot would hold true, and in that case it wouldn't make sense for them to commute halfway across the country to fly Carl's whale when they could make the same coin driving to work unless they had a woody for it. Then Carl would be able to do the dinner and a movie turns for the same coin and be home every night instead of crossing 8 time zones... I am NOT saying that I would promote it, but it would have a certain logic.

Originally Posted by DAWGS

Where does VX fit into all this? We pump up the Virgin brand, buy 49% of VA, but where does that lead Virgin America? Just makes no sense for us to build the name of a competing domestic brand.

Originally Posted by tsquare

I would rather see the VA JV outside the AF/KLM. And with that in mind, it is a clean sheet of paper. all that lookback stuff you are talking about doesn't exist in that setting.