Skywest will need some 700's in ATL, were doing ASE to ATL in FEB. As far as I understood, we only have 900's in ATL. Still not sure where the plane will come from. It will have to start in SLC?

 

sad, but what does he care, he has made his millions...................and the sad thing is the people he has abused over the years let him

 

So back to the Southwest/SkyWest rumor...

The fact that they are reducing their hiring and growth next year provides a little more of a possibility. Also, our company wants a new pay scale in by January 1st. My guess is to get an accurate cost of flight crews for the future. At most airlines, rumors never happen. However from the people who have been at SkyWest long enough to have heard rumors before, they say most rumors at SkyWest happen.

I still can't see it happening. But as I have said before, ask any legacy guy if he thought rj's would have the presence they have in today's world. RJ900 SLC - PIT? Wow...

 

CR7's in ATL being flown by ATL crews……………not going to happen! Yes I'm sure they will flow SLC and DEN ASE crews out and back but because of the special training involved it just wouldn't make sense to reserve ATL crews specifically for ASE (like they do in SLC & DEN).

Mark my words; no ATL crew will touch a CR7 out of ATL unless it's a deadhead!

 

If SkyWest was awarded any sort of flying with Southwest, it scores another victory for management and ultimately the guys that get crapped on are the Southwest guys.

Just another regional F'n up anyone's dreams of being a mainline pilot.

With that being said, the SkyWest/Southwest rumor to me has little credibility. It'd make little sense for the SWA business model. Most SWA guys that you bring this up to laugh at it.

 

Thank you for seeing beyond the short-sightedness of some SkyWest guys, its ultimately a loss if it happens

 

SWA has almost tapped out their market niche...city pairs which can support several 737's each day. In order to continue growth they will have to leave their niche...personally I applaud their tremendous discipline in staying in their proven, profitable niche for so long.

To continue significant growth, they need to expand their paradigm with new airplanes (either larger or smaller, but smaller makes more sense) and/or new operational philosophies. There are several ways they could do this:

- Buy RJ's and fly them themselves. The upside is it would make pilots happy...the downsides are numerous: new training, new Mx, new ground handling, new computer systems, etc, etc. They could probably fit RJ's into their existing operational model, ie operate them just like 73's but in smaller markets.

- Code share with an existing airline(s): Actually they are already doing this with ATA to cover markets which the 73 and their OPSPEC is not suitable for (international and over-water). International ops DO NOT fit into SWA's operational model because a "quick turn" with a trip through customs can take 2 hours. The idea of using an RJ code share to get into Mexico is not that far fetched...especially since mexico is an appealing destination for SWA's bread-and-butter customer: low-end leisure travellers.

- Sub-contract a regional provider. The downside to this is that they will have to sign a long-term contract, and it will probably be fee-for-departure (ie all the risk is on SWA for making the business model work). The upside is that they could achieve very tight control over operational details (paint schemes, crew uniform, pax handling, etc) to preserve a seamless SWA experience for the pax.

I agree that the SWAPA pilots have a HUGE amount of control over which way this goes. But it's possible that they might allow some outsourced flying in order to enhance the core business on which they all depend. Replacing 73's with RJ's probably won't be allowed, but they might decide that a limited outsourced RJ operation poses less threat to their job security than a risky re-engineering of the SWA core business model to include in-house RJ's. The good news here is that the SWA pilots WILL have a significant say in the matter...unlike most of the rest of us.

 

Do you actually think a regional airline is forcing mainline Mgmnt to off load flying?

Do you think that regional airlines sit around thinking about how they can ruin THEIR industry and the careers of THEIR pilots?

Please, Mgmnt does what Mgmnt feels they have to do in order to further their company’s futures! After all, most of the airlines out there are simply supporting cast. They’re motives are to grow and remain profitable by positioning themselves so that their services are attractive to mainline carriers. This has been the basic business model for feeder airlines since the beginning of codesharing.

If a carrier feels that they can improve their business by acquiring supporting cast then they will do so and only they will decide at what level to acquire those services.

Don’t forget the three basic principles of life………….Adapt, Move or Die!

BTW, I am not saying SKW will start feeding SWA but to say it will never happen or that a regional is ruining our industry is asinine.

 

If Southwest were to add RJ's to its fleet... SWA pilots would have to fly them.

 

Outsourced, fee for departure RJ feed would destroy Southwest's proven, profitable business model by jacking up their CASM and torpedoing their marketing strategy.

Southwest pilots have had PLENTY of opportunity to sit back and watch what has happened to the careers of their colleagues at legacies who have allowed progressively larger jet aircraft to be outsourced. Anything is possible...but for this reason alone I don't think this rumor is probable.