yes, this is what i am refering too. we may not be doing as much flying for nwa, but for the company and the pilot group it will be a wash. we will still have the same amount of planes, and will require the same, if not more, amount of pilots.

 

My best bud works for Delta, and I asked him about them merging with either NWA or United and he informed me that there are no talks of this sort going around CVG or ATL. Everything is all speculation and rumors started by the media and other employees. Did you get your info from Kirk Herbstreit?

 

We have options on 60 additional -900's. PT himself said the 16 are only an investment and are not to make money, they are to get options and additional bases. LAX and SLC were heavily discussed (and mgmt even said they thought it would be one of the 2 bases) and ATL ended up as the start platform.


Pinnacle Corp is trying to branch into every carrier with colgan flying for multiple carriers and now 9E flying for NW and DL. Obviously NWA is the main client and without that client the Pncl Corp is no more. With addition of 60 -900's and a reduction down to 104 CRJ's (if NWA pulls the 20 once we get the -900 options) it is still growth. Also in the ASA we can swap 1-1 -200's for 70 seaters and its only an OPTION to remove 20. With XJ trying to staff the -900s they currently have plus the issue of Compass and XJ owned by NWA and having staffing issues themselves (can't hire fast enough) I doubt we will see a loss in flying anytime soon. Plus Colgan is getting more tprops. Pinnacle Corp is growing- there are just some big pains on the horizon (staffing/contract).


Back on topic of a merger-

It is obviously just a rumor but I would see the 2 as a good fit. NWA does have 70% of the gates in IND's new terminal on lease. MEM has been dwindled down to mostly a regional hub in the later years. I could see IND being grown to the main hub with MEM being an RJ/saab base. Just my $.02

 

NWA can only take away these planes if they pull them out of service. They cant just take them and give them to mesaba. Its in the contract. Pinnacle is done giving mesaba planes after the 15.

 

My understanding is that if you strike anything is fair game. Also when it comes to northwest any contract isnt worth the paper that its written. If you dont believe me go talk to a mesaba pilot.

 

nothing is fair game, even if we strike. the contract still belongs to us. and yes you mesaba guys had it bad because they were in bankruptcy. the only way they could get rid of our contract now is if they were to go back into bankrupcty and get a judge to throw it out.

 

That is a good question - isn't a strike technically a breach of contract? If the pilots strike, does that automatically void the current contract?

 

That is a fairly accurate statement. 50seat RJs are on their way out so Mesaba does not really need more than 15 from Pinnacle especially when NWA has the option for 94 additional CRJ900s. What could happen is NWA could decide to pull out a large number of CRJ200s out of Pinnacle and deactivate them. In turn, NWA could place more CRJ900s to XJ service. At least this is the talk going around coming from the top down from NWA.

 

I tend to agree here. That is why I think, NWA will just pull out a large number of CRJ200s out of service from Pinnacle and exercise the option for 94 additional CRJ900s for XJ. Why? because CRJ200s are not as economical to operate as CRJ900s and there has been a lot of talk from NWA to pull out a large bulk of flights from Pinnacle for some time. Pinnacle will do just fine though because Delta will probably wind up giving Pinnacle more CRJ900s for their operations.

 

Not quite- within the contract we have a stimpulation of X amount of days before they can pull planes. Obviously there is a heavy fine to pay, but if mgmt doesn't get us a contract its more pain for them. I *think* its 10 days of a strike before they can pull planes. I would have to go back and check and I don't have time to do that at the moment.