Bzzt

Yes and no. My future is not at a legacy I know that, I'm too old and is never attain the seniority I need to have a decent life. I'd like Envoy to stick around so I could just stay here, but my guess is this company won't be around long enough to accomplish that goal. I figure my future is in corporate or charter so that's what I'm focusing on now.

JetPilotMan

Envoy and the regional model is about to fail. Anyone who doesn't recognize that is in for a hard ride. Simple as that! The less than 70-90 seat market is not competitive.

Richard Anderson, Delta CEO is on CNN Money today and stated, "Well we're going through a massive transformation right now at Delta and we're turning Delta back into a mainline airline, what that means is we're upgaging the fleet, and we're growing the mainline airline, which is airplanes flown and operated by Delta employees, and dramatically reducing the connection operation, rather than what has happened in this industry in the last 25 years which is we've put too many people on 50 seat jets for 1000 miles." Why - Economics of the airplane, customer expectations, and market we would have served with 10 50 seats replace with 6 of a larger airplane.

With fewest canceled flights, Delta wins best title - Aug. 8, 2014

The DOT transportation statistics bear this out. Mainlines are moving their operation BACK to mainline and away from regional flying. Majors know they can't get enough pilots (at regionals), they know they can't keep paying these rates, they know they can't control the regionals as they begin to fail and they recognize that there is more efficiency and dependability (less moving parts so to speak) in a mainline only operation...

Listen for yourself. That's why I posted the link. Watch the video for the comments --- not in the text version below the video. Richard Quest interviewing Richard Anderson at Hartsfield in ATL.

Also, I think ALPA knows and wants the exact same thing!!! and so should you. UNTIL this happens, we will not be in the type of paid profession we all spent a lot of money and sweat to get to. The sooner this happens, in my humble opinion, the better!

Why Delta and why now...Anderson's the best CEO an airline has seen in decades...Most Delta pilots will tell you that. Delta and its employees making money hand over fist, he's monetized almost everything... Delta is leading the pack...watch what they are doing (and their related feed) --- (wonder why SkyWest is getting rid of 155 CRJ-200 airplanes in the next 18 months....now you know).

AA (and AE) has traditionally been last to embrace change...but my bet with this merger is they do it sooner than later to try to not fall too far behind Delta (as right after mergers a company is best positioned to benefit)...

And yes, I'm an Eagle/Envoy pilot not a Delta or XJet plant hovering in this chat room!

Bzzt

I can see that market trend but there will always be some market for truly "regional" feed. I think Envoy could have filled that niche and given stable employment to those of us who want to stay here, I fear that opportunity is gone now.

air101

SkyWest is NOT getting rid of 155 CRJ200's... they are losing 4 this year, and 22 next year... the majority of those aircraft coming off contract are E145s and fly for United.

Get your facts straight.

CBreezy

Envoy is and was too large for American to be a niche carrier. The pilot seniority list looks too much like a mainline carrier than the Republics and Compasses of the world. The best shot you have of being a niche carrier, in my opinion, is if the top half of the company retires or moves on. It is truly unfortunate that it's taken this long for things to start swinging back in the right direction. I feel bad for those who've been stranded and abandoned by this business starting in 2000. I can only hope Richard Anderson starts an exodus from the regionals.

JetPilotMan

Yeah...that will be the Great Lakes...sorry. Not where we need to go as a profession and not what will attract folks spending $150+ for ratings!

As for Bzzt and his "we don't have a pilot shortage"...yeah...we do. And yes, I've been in this industry long enough to have heard decades of the likes of Kit Darby saying it's coming. ALPA knows it but is positioning itself to see a consolidation. ALPA is also trying to protect (rightfully in my opinion at this point) the 1500 rule. And frankly, ALPA is a major airline union and until the majors have a hiring problem...ALPA won't see the problem.

As for our decision...it was the right one. So was ExpressJet/ASA and Republic. We need to get over this "we're a regional pilot so we're inferior "!@# stuff.

What's our power...stand up and say, "I'm a highly trained professional. I've spent untold years of training, thousands and thousands of dollars in education, and I deserve better". I WILL NOT ACCEPT POVERTY WAGES WITH A 10 YEAR TERM TO PERPETUATE THIS INDUSTRY.

You actually do have power...you have the skill that NOW is finally in demand. Time to insert a stiff piece of metal up the butt and demand, throughout this industry, that we are paid what we are worth. Good lord, I taught undergraduates that expected and GOT wages higher than our senior captains RIGHT OUT OF COLLEGE. The era of 50K being a high wage for a highly skilled, trained, college educated individual who has spent what we spend on education and a degree are OVER. NO kid these days is gonna put up with that (and I'm not a kid---wish I were in my 30's again)...neither should we.

JetPilotMan

Funny, the larger a carrier gets, the more likely these regional managements are to move the flying and break them down. Comair is a good example. WE are a good example...we're down about a 1/3 in 18 months! ExpressJet is about to be next (gee, wonder why)...for regional management, smaller means control.

RE: top of the list...that is what is going to kill us (and funny -- not ha ha funny) --- it's AA management's fault. Pay the top guys at least the DL wage, add a sign on bonus over two years or something so that our most senior 1/3 can move and sustain a career. THEN most of our costs would be decreased so as to be competitive. That won't happen and so I don't see any way for us to become the competitive model that for the short term these FFD contracts will demand (and this is what will hasten our demise AND every other regional FFD's demise). That's also why our AIP and management offers have been unconscionably long 10 year (equates to 14-15 year) duration. That is the only way management can spread their costs out long enough to make it work in the regional FFD model. They say it is airplane costs...no it isn't. If it were you'd see the same durations at RAH, etc. It's labor cost costs versus FFD payments. The Majors are squeezing them and they have nowhere else to go. Problem is not just one is being squeezed and the labor cost dynamics are changing. Hence --- in my humble opinion-- Richard Anderson's and Delta's move to change the FFD dynamic.

JetPilotMan

2014 and the first half of 2015 will be a significant transition period for SkyWest, and to address the challenges we have made key leadership changes and fleet changes, such as:
o In May 2014, SkyWest announced Russell “Chip” Childs as President, SkyWest, Wade Steel EVP, SkyWest and Michael Thompson, COO, SkyWest Airlines
o In the second half of 2014, SkyWest expects 56 of its unprofitable 50-seat aircraft contracts will naturally expire and the aircraft will be returned to lessors. SkyWest also expects an additional 101 unprofitable 50-seat aircraft contracts will naturally expire and be removed from service by December 31, 2015.
o SkyWest added eight E175 regional jet aircraft as of June 30, 2014, expects delivery of 13 additional E175 aircraft by December 31, 2014 and the remaining 19 additional aircraft by August 2015. With the training and other start-up costs associated with the E175 aircraft launch, SkyWest anticipates the economic benefit of the E175 aircraft will become evident by the second quarter of 2015.
o SkyWest invested approximately $26.8 million for E175 specific spare parts, engines and tooling as of June 30, 2014 and anticipates investing another $10.0-$12.0 million for similar items by the end of 2014. SkyWest also invested $33.6 million into E175 ownership equity as of June 30, 2014.
see:
SkyWest, Inc.

I simply am quoting from a financial statement which is consistent with Delta's CEO announcement tonight. If you have other information, quote it here and quote your source.

Bzzt

We're being shrunk considerably, I think we will be small enough to have a spot in the new regional market, rather we would have but again that ship has sailed.

air101

SkyWest INC not SkyWest Airlines... the 50 seaters that are being parked are the 145's and fly for United. Only a very few handful are CRJ200s.. .

From internal communications today.

" Specifically at SkyWest Airlines, a total of four CRJ200s will be removed from service through the end of this year, and an additional 22 CRJ200s will come off contract in 2015.

To recap some of the previous conversations we’ve had about our fleet, in 2012 we made an agreement with Delta to remove 66 CRJ200 aircraft for the addition of 34 CRJ900 aircraft. The 3 CRJ200s we’ll remove in 2014 (and 1 CRJ200 in Jan. 2015) mark the completion of that agreement with Delta."