It is true both sides have been stupid, and maybe someday that can change. I understand both parties (APA and ALPA) have to look out for their own pilots best interests before other options. I hope APA can stay strong on scope even if it means a much smaller AE.

 

We hear this whine about the APA having some sort of master plan to screw AE pilots. Baloney.

The truth is AE ALPA screwed ITSELF with a 16 year contract and they want the APA to fix their problems by pushing for a "one-list," effectively merging AE into AA. Sorry, but it ain't gonna happen. APA pilots aren't going to pay for it and AA management won't consider it without huge concessions from the APA.

Will regional feed go away? No, but it can be done by other entities other than AE. And as point of fact, the economics of the 37 and 50 RJ are killing it as we speak. A few loudmouths at AE won't admit that they really don't "own" their own jobs. Their flying there due to an exception to the APA scope, something they knew when hired by AE, and now they think that AE and AA are somehow equals and that they have some kind of right to a place on the AA seniority list. They are NOT equals by any measure of career metric . . . compensation, size aircraft, overall pilot experience, career expectations, etc.

 

You are exactly right. You brought us(AE) into this world and you can take us out of it. My job is a joke compared to yours and I will never be a real pilot as long as I fly for AE. I can't wait until AMR spins us off.

 

Well, the whole US airline pilot industry is approaching a joke as it is, so you're not alone. Nothing is going to change at Eagle until you can negotiate a new contract. AE pilots are a prisoner of their current contract until well past the 2013 renewable date (counting the usual years of stalling by management).

If AE can find a buyer, and that is pretty questionable considering the 37-50 seat fleet that is economically obsolete, at least it might find an major airline to contract with who has weaker scope and it can get larger airplanes. However, as long as scope stands at AA, larger (hopefully meaning better paying) aircraft aren't in the cards if AE wants to contract to provide AA feed.

The dilemna is that while hoping for larger airplanes at AE (and indeed all the regionals), that just decreases hiring opportunities at the majors and keeps compensation down.

This is resulting in a situation where AE is becoming more and more irrelevant with the dying economics of the <70 seat market, is unsaleable due to the fleet makeup, and yet it can't expand to the more economical 70+ seat market due to scope. It's caught in the middle with no place to go.

The big question is will the current scope restriction stand at AA. A relaxing of scope is the only hope I see for AE to survive, and that is highly unlikely given the mood of the APA. I think AA's position probably is they'd like to get rid of AE and contract the feed to the lowest bidder, if they could get around the 70 seat restriction on contracted feed.

But then again, this is the airline biz and just when you think you have it figured out, you get hit upside the head with a baseball bat.

 

Agree 100%. I predict AMR will eventually downsize this ERJ fleet.

 

Thats a bold statement. I think, to be fair, that you should mention why the AE pilots (that make up ALPA) signed a 16 year contract. I am sure when you explain the story people will see how that single action helped this industry greatly in many ways, but also helped the AE pilots.

Of course it was not a perfect situation and it still isnt but the contract was a very important action that helped the feeder industry. So you realy should consider explaining the important history of that decision.

Thanks