I'm slated to be furloughed from MAG in September. Just wondering if anyone had some insight into possible scenarios involving Mesa Airlines merging or being acquired by another group. This is assuming of course Mesa successfully navigates through bankruptcy court. I've heard rumblings of AWAC or ASA/SKW being a good fit... or even being acquired by US Air. This may help me make a decision to either jump ship and start over or hang in there until I get recalled. I'm not posting this to start any rumors...just wondering what possible scenarios there are and the most likely potential outcome.

 

I've had confirmation from several sources at XJT that their MEC met with the Mesa MEC recently to discuss possible MA senarios. Doesn't mean its gonna happen, but it was at least talked about fwiw.

 

All this happened before when ACA/Independence Air went bankrupt. Its just so much easier to buy the assets, drop the liabilities, and hire new people at year 1 pay. I remember the big rumor back then was being bought by Richard Branson to start up Virgin America. Sounds crazy now but there were some high hopes placed on that.

 

Can't you do both? If you're slated to be furloughed in september then why don't you just try to get other employment then or try to get a leave of absense until your furlough to allow you to get other employment now. Both times I've been furloughed I know guys who were granted leaves before their date to start another job...

 

Agreed. Mesa, if they emerge from bankruptcy, will be a low debt, fleet optimized operator (CRJ-7 and 9's only) with a relatively senior pilot group.

In a merger, a company that merges with Mesa maybe gets a long term, low margin contract with US Airways too, but all the Mesa senior employees, as well as the headache of a merger (best case, you give gains to the employees, ala Delta/Northwest. Worst case, the employees fight and drag the company into purgatory, ala US Airways/America West).

If you let Mesa go under, you still get access to all of the assets (someone has gotta' replace the Mesa United and US Airways flying) and the optimized fleet of 7's and 9's, but you crew it with your pilot group. If you need to hire, you lower your average employee longevity.

Unless a company really desires a long term low-margin deal with US Airways, there is little benefit to a Mesa merger on the surface. There could always be an unseen devious management/Wall Street advantage as well, but it's unlikely that a Mesa pilot (or any pilot) would benefit from this.

Agreed. Go for a Voluntary LOA. If you're getting furloughed soon, it is very likely that you will be granted a VLOA. Even if Mesa won't grant one, how valuable is being a junior FO at a shrinking regional?

 

I'm trying for a voluntary furlough right now and they're not giving me one - can you believe that?

 

I've heard you should go directly to PF on this. CP is just too lazy to do anything beyond her basic duties...

 

if it makes sense, then there's no way they'll do it.

 

This is the Mesa business model^^^^^

I was in your same posistion Ferlofodder and Smash, people below me where going to be furloughed. I was willing to take a voluntary, so I could start employement elsewhere. After about 8 emails from CP she couldn't fiqure out if we where properly staffed and told me I would have to wait two more months for a VOL FUR. So she got my two weeks notice instead. It was very frustrating. The thing that really gets me, is when I showed up to new hire at the new airline, there was another Mesa guy junior to me that was awarded a VOL FUR. Go figure, you wonder why Mesa is in BK!

 

If you are at mesa with a furlough pending, I would probably not quit just yet to take another job (unless it's a really sweet deal). If you keep your mesa number it might be worth something in the event of an acquisition.