ExpressJet Update?
 

Hey guys, just curious whats going on over there? I know you have some guys on furlough, has the company said anything about additional furloughs or is it all just rumors? It seems like Charter has been generating some good revenue but I know that side of the industry is always up and down....Just curious what the Fall looks like for you guys.

Pretty quiet lately in the rumor department. I've heard rumblings that CAL wants to reduce our flying further but haven't seen anything concrete to support those rumors. Charter has been doing reasonably well since most of the big contracts are college teams and NASCAR. There are about 10 airplanes doing United Express flying out of ORD and IAD for the next month or so. There is some hope that this temporary United stuff could lead to a more permanent contract but given UAL's history with us and current mantra of "lowest cost at any price" I am not holding my breath. Still have about 300-350 on furlough with no word on more furloughs. That may change depending on how the block hours change in the fall with CAL.

The rumors is that possibly 200 furloughs but this all depends on CAL and a other things. There are no talks about call backs, just 347 people that want to be called back.

I'm sure all of us F'ed TSA would appreciate your longterm ERJ145 help in ORD and IAD!:eek: 300-350 furloughed is just crazy though, good luck to Xjet pilots.

FWIW, I flew with an FO who was recently in re-current and "Pedro Mariner" mentioned that CAL normally reduces the flying by 7000 hours from August to September but this year the number is closer to 11,000. Line values will suck.

I also heard 11000 from a buddy of mine but he said that's including the ual flying. Either way another 200 furlough would put you guys close to 550 on furlough. That's ridiculous! Best of luck with everything, let's hope for some good news.

I should point out that the 11,000 may be system-wide and not all from XJT.

I think you meant not all from Continental...

"I heard, I heard, I heard"...... this is why guys at the bottom of anybody's seniority list should not visit these forums. This stuff will drive you crazy

Actually, I did mean XJT. In other words, CAL may be dropping 11,000 hours from their system, including CAL, XJT, Colgan, CHQ, etc. As opposed to dropping XJT's block hours by 11,000.

doesn't anyone remember the flying expressjet did for United last year...it didn't turn into anything long term last year, what's the difference now?

The thinking is, When United (I have heard not if, but when) files for Bankruptcy they will re-evaluate a lot of their expensive feed via CPA's with RAH & SKW, hack up some of those CPA's and use the new low cost feed................XJT

Congratulations Mesa:D (just kidding)

you emb 190 pilots are too good for us 50 seat guys right.... haha PAYRATE

Thats assuming UAL goes into BK, and the UAL brand/logo survive the BK this time around with the change in BK laws.

Funny, when UAL was in BK before, RAH was able to underbid and SKW was able to get their costs down at the expense of the other two existing UAX carriers. If it happens again, well, it's just history repeating itself.

People at our company want a long term deal with UAL, and of course more flying is always better. But I wonder if they realize how truly crappy it can be when your company is a contract vendor for UAL.

RAH won't be flying any 50 seat RJs for United after this year. They are already coming out of service.

Doesn't mean that 70 seat operators would be exempt from a cost cutting measure.

You think that a 70 seater is less efficient than a 50 seater?

Nope, didn't say that. Can you show me where I did?

I'll repeat it;

Doesn't mean that 70 seat operators would be exempt from a cost cutting measure.

More than likely, 50 seat feed is going to be cut. 70 seat feed may be also, may be expanded. But to clarify the above, if it comes down to a BK AGAIN, doesn't mean that UAL won't play the existing carriers against each other, AGAIN. If 70 seat carrier A is able to reduce cost below 70 seat carrier B, who's going to get the flying? Who's going to lose flying?

Make sense?

Where would an XJT thread be without ToiletDuck? :rolleyes:

seriously.........................

Oh the hypocrisy. United (or any other major carrier) will not be looking for another long term 50 seat contract carrier. It would most certainly be 70+. Now you see expressjet guys hoping their company is able to underbid everyone else. Where is the pride guys? You're now hoping to become the "cheap" labor? Gotta love it.

Btw, where has anyone heard United is unhappy with skywest or rah? A BK may or may not affect those companies, I don't know. Personally, I think a BK would result in additional regional flying up for grabs as opposed to the redistribution of the current contracts.

XJT pilots aren't trying to undercut anyone......:rolleyes:

Do you guys seriously think whats left of UALs scope allows for unlimited 70+ seaters? Why does everyone assume 50 seat markets are going away? There may be less of them but they are still there. I just don't get why United would bring XJT on this summer for "overcapacity" when they have been cutting routes left and right. There has to be something else going on. Then again, what do I know.

More than likely true

Very possible.

This is NOT true. First, not EVERYBODY at XJT wants it. Second, if the company does "under bid", is that lower bid based on cheap labor? Do we really need to go round after endless round about the concession at XJT and the rates that are STILL higher than most others and the work rules DIDN'T suffer?

See above. You are obviously ignorant of what happened when XJT took a concession. It happened because CAL squeezed them into to a a corner, and to hold onto LESS flying than what they previously had. It wasn't an attempt to be cheaper and undercut another pilot group. Please, try to prove me wrong on this point.

If you have been paying attention to the other times this has happened, how "happy" the legacy was with the regional vendors had NOTHING to do with it. What made the legacy "happy" was getting the cost down. Being in BK or not.

Well, thats what we're talking about here, isn't it?

XJT is a dying airline just like Comair.

Did everybody forget about Gojets? they are getting planes as fast as bombardier can produce them at this point. Who is to say United won't dump RAH and SKW to put more Gojets planes in. I'm sorry but RAH will be tasting it's own medicine really really soon.

As far as expressjet, hope you guys get out of this soon, get some new flying, and start calling back. It's sad to see one of the last few remaining regionals with a decent contract struggling like this.

XJT took a pretty good kick to the deli package lately.

But please, with all your knowledge of this industry, please expand on your points? While you're at it, any chance you could tell us where you got your crystal ball, because I'd like to get that model myself.

And since that thing is so good, what's it say is going to happen in the next 6 1/2 years for XJT?

Every check airman and or union rep I have talked to said they do not expect more furloughs this fall. We will have more COLAs and plenty of RFLs in Sep and Oct but we may need every one for next spring/summer and a 6 month furlough doesn't help anyone. Remember last October and how we barely had any lines? The company also turned down the union's early out offer saying it doesn't make financial sense right now, we see that as a sign that no staffing changes are needed. Knock on wood.......

But we are dying much more slowly (a 7 year slow-death profitless CPA with 6 years to go!) whoo hooo! Just hope we can get a few more profitless CPAs. Nothing like being essentially a public utility for the majors.

Looks like someone gets it. Something at the company has to change. Currently still operating at a loss after closure of branded so something has to give. Lets hope it's not furloughs or a round two paycut.

or that they don't get 190s and pay their pilots $37 an hour to fly them :confused:

The regulars can't do it that's why. TSA has contract problems, Skywest is busy elsewhere, Mesa is in deep S they don't even have people to staff their operation. I don't know anything about the shaniqua UAX flying but I do know they're getting axed later in the year. Xjet will have to do a whole lot of underbidding to get around the regulars, UA knows they can do the operation. If UA goes BK it will be like 911 again with a bunch more regional flying and less mainline flying.

no kidding, maybe TD should be more concerned about that rather than the future of XJT

FWIW, I am the EWR Union Rep (F/O) and I am not so sure they are correct, call me if you want to discuss, phone numbers on our ALPA website


Also for all the brainiacs that rant and rave how the 50 seater is dead, looking back the past 5-10 years the strongest airlines inlcude CAL, AMR, and SWA how many 70 seat jest do you guys see flying for them? AMR has the tightest scope (other than CAL) for 51+ seat jets, look at DAL, USairways etc all the 70 seat jet feed in the world didnt help their balance sheet. You people thing 70 seat regional feed is the saving grace for majors, it really isnt

How many 50 seaters does Southwest have?

Sorry champ, my bad... I misunderstood you

How many 70 seaters do they have? Thats the point he's trying to make dude.

Is that a question? If it is I don't understand what you're asking. If it's not then it doesn't relate to anything I said.

I'm plenty concerned about it. Start a thread on it and we can discuss it. I figured that an XJT thread would discuss XJT. I know the reality of the situations and when the time comes where I'm capable of making a difference, rather than being some internet armchair quarterback, I will. It's a little ironic that a person who runs around dissing another pilot group and their company left and right feels insulted when someone says XJT isn't in good financial health and needs a different strategy. I guess I could sink to the same level and start calling people "scabs" and "Cancers of the industry" as you have but I actually like talking about the topics made with a certain amount of sincerity since what affects one affects us all. This is a thread about XJT on a public forum. We're all free to talk about it and there's no reason we can't so long as we keep it professional. Stop crying all the time.