I believed he pushed too hard this morning and this fell out of his ass...was to big to go down after three successive flushes so he decided to post here....

 

I'll give you that, but folks point'n the finger at me and many other of us at Eagle for decisions we didn't make. For most of us at Eagle, this is where we had to start to get into the airline industry. There wasn't a mainline carrier that would hire me with 1,200 hrs TT. I spent 13 years turning wrenches on F-15's, so I've had to pay my dues to get to where I am now. Many of us have similar dues paying stories, but for me, this is where I wanted to start because I wanted to work for AA.

I support you guys, but I feel the same is being reciprocated. Now, I just wanna do my time and get away from AMR. I say this job is better than sleeping in a tent in the middle of the desert in Saudi Arabia, but I'll work 13hr shifts, in 130 degree WX, 6 on/1 off, just so I don't have to hear how "I" took flying away.

Good luck to you AA guys...hold scope!

 

When APA is serious about stopping outsourcing they will find a way to get Eagle under their wing. It will be painful for APA, and Eagle, but it is in everyone's best interest long-term.

 

So far it's merely "intent" to acquire more CRJs. The wheels on this one have slowed way down in the last month evidently....

 

You American guys and gals have got to retain a strong scope language against outsourcing. Give up pay or work rules but do not budge one inch on the scope or you will end up like my fellow pilots and myself. Jobless while some regional flies your lines at dog food wages. We thought our language was strong and look what happen to us (Midwest). We were run out of town and replaced by lower cost, in some cases %70 lower wages, and less experienced crews who don't care about you or your career. Also, look at your "Code Share" language. That is how RAH got a foothold in Midwest and eventually took it over.

Good luck.

D.R.

 

strictly speaking, outsourcing would be in the BA/Iberia venture in the Int'l market. Outsourcing domestically would be the same GUAGE equipment to another operator. That was Reno and Canadian Air. When it ends up at the regional level whose CASM's are easily double mainline, then it is trying to salvage a market if possible before dropping it. If the market supports it, mainline will fly it. Mainline is not searching for tickle feed, they have always sought the cream that rose to the top. They are trying to preserve the network with RJ's if it can be saved. Movement between markets goes both ways: to the regionals and then back to mainline. Honestly, it would be foolish to do all of your sampling in this economy and make universal statements about regionals taking all the flying. It's survival mode gentleman. Look longterm.

 

This is econ 101, not a conspiracy - you have hit the nail on the head.

 

Noone is pointing fingers, just expressing frustration at the obvious whip-sawing occuring. In the past 15 years, regional carriers that previously only flew 50-60 turboprops on 100-200 NM routes to feed major carrier partners at large hubs have now expanded to 250+ RJs flying longer-haul, hub-and-spoke 500-1500 NM routes previously served by major carrier partner's larger aircraft. What many don't realize is that major airline jobs are going away, being replaced by lower-compensated regional jobs, and that is bad for anyone who wants to make a career in this business.

Economically, it makes sense; but what it really is is lower-cost relacement of higher-paying upper-middle-income jobs in this country. Look at Wal-Mart, K-Mart and Target, replacing full-service department stores such as Woolworth and others. Employees who earned higher salaries with full benefits are now laid-off or unemployed, while employees at discounters make much less with little or no benefits to speak of. (Read Lou Dobbs' "War on the Middle Class).

Someone earlier in this thread made a comment about Bob Crandall desiring all AA/AMR domestic flying to be flown by AMR Eagle pilots, and all AA Int'l routes to be flown by AA pilots. That would require about 200 AA large mainline jets with about 2500 pilots; AMR Eagle would need about 450-500 RJs with about 5500 pilots, approximately. Now, with AA's CBA vs. Eagle's CBA, that would outsource/replace/supercede roughly 6000 mainline jobs, which would go away and never return.

Is that what you or any other young pilot 'paying their dues' want? Do you want to be a regional pilot forever or do you want to fly at the major airlines? Because rest assured, if regionals keep expanding, and swallowing up mainline routes, there won't be any major airline jobs to aspire to.

 

Last I checked Eagle is limited in size to a certain percentage of AA flying; correct? So, they have not, nor have they ever, grown beyond that restriction. They have been continuosly hiring over the years because the job is so crappy that they had a very high turnover rate. Yes, they have hired a few thousand pilots over the last several years... and they have lost just as many as well; it was a status quo holding operation. Eagle increased in size because they purchased their subcontractors and made one airline out of several smaller ones, nobody has done any serious growing since 2001. Eagle has parked more planes than the 22 CRJ's they are getting. Last time I checked ATW, AA has been accepting 3-4 new 737's each month for the past several months that I've been watching it. As for routes, they go back and forth all the time. For example, I used to ride Eagle to Austin from RDU to visit family, for the past few years now I've been much happier to be riding the MD80 on the same route...

 

If AMR did not have the smaller jets to shift those flights to, the route would go unserviced. There isn't enough demand to run an 80 with the same frequency.... and if you don't have the frequency the pax will shift to the other company that does. So, in effect, by shifting those routes to the smaller plane, they are allowing AMR to remain somewhat profitable on routes that they woudl otherwise have to let drop.