What other carriers? ExpressJet is, at the moment, only operating as Continental Express. The only exception is our charter department, and that is completely independent.

You're right, it shouldn't come down to that. That's why I urge all CAL pilots to write to their MEC to shoot this UAL agreement down. I think it will hurt both pilot groups if nothing is done....and there are LOTS of CAL commuters that rely on XJT.

seems to me like UAL ALPA is cheating on one of their UAX groups that they already entered an agreement with.

from my MEC's website:

Recently, the United Airlines MEC changed the jumpseat priority codes for the UAX carriers. United's MEC attempted to secure priority jumpseat rights on United Express flight numbers behind those pilots jumpseating on their own company aircraft. They were unsuccessful with exception to Trans States who already had these provisions in place. This resulted in United MEC offering reciprocal jumpseat priority to Trans States pilots. The jumpseat priority changed as follows: On a United Mainline flights - UAL pilots have priority followed by TSA pilots as K1, followed by Skywest, Chautauqua, and Shuttle America pilots as K2, followed by Mesa pilots as an L priority which included all other offline pilots groups.

I'd be curious as to who these other carriers are as well.

I thought you had or have something with UAL?

Nope, XJT has only done short term/temporay flying for UAL, with this summer being the longest at around 3 months. For that brief time, XJT was higher than other offline carriers. That flying is done, an that's the only time it was granted.

The crux of it was, they were treated like every other UAX carrier, it took away the int'l JS. No using the JS prvilege to occupy an open seat in the back of the aircraft. And last I heard, XJT STILL has that problem, not sure if UAL has resolved the issue yet or not at the insistance of the XJT JS chair. And for anybody that knows, yes, I know XJT has int'l JS issues for carriers other than XJT.

Now if you have a direct line to Larry the forehead Kellner with first hand info about this RFP that's out, then it might develope into something different.

So you were placed higher than if a CAL Pilot showed up?

Look, we could argue this till the cows come home but apparently it was ok for you to get priority when the UAL contract was in effect but now its not ok for us to do the same.

This thing will be forgotten in the not so distant future and I'll bet we'll move on and be just fine.

When Continental pilots start flying United Express routes, sure, give them priority.

When CAL was Skyteam, did DAL have a higher level on CAL? Did CAL haves higher level on DAL?

Never mind. Deleted.

Let's be perfectly clear. They are not "United Express" routes and you guys do not own them. You operate those routes by contract through United. If United was to cease operations, you cease to fly them as well. If you cease operations, United just looks for another way to fill the void. They are "United" routes. When the next line of 90-110 jets appear, they will flown by United pilots on United routes.

Regarding jumpseat priority, I hate to break the news, but it's United's jumpseat and United can do what it wants with "it's" jumpseat. If the RJ folks decide to play the childish, we are going to use the jumpseat as a weapon to get what we want, feel free to act amateurish. The tale no longer wags the dog.