Originally Posted by JetJock16

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

Originally Posted by JetJock16

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.

Originally Posted by JetJock16

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.

Originally Posted by BoilerUP

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.

Originally Posted by rickair7777

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.

Originally Posted by meritflyer

Forcing? No.

Attracting regional services by flying flashy DC-9 sized jets for wages 50% less than the DC-9 guys make? Absolutely.

Management will always look for a way to off load wages and costs to increase net profit. You're a fool if you believe that regionals haven't given mainline management a reason to not hire 190 or 737 pilots/aircraft or use -900's as leverage in pay negotiations with mainline pilots.

Originally Posted by meritflyer

I can see there is plenty of Kool-Aid over at SkyWest. You must've been one that voted out ALPA.



I catch your drift here..

Cant wait to see a certain Utah based company acquire the -1000's and ultimately keep the pay the same for -700, -900, and -1000 while supplying mainline with 100+ jets at a fraction of the cost. Great way to keep the pilot group healthy isn't it? Hope you enjoy SKYW enough to stay there for the rest of your life.

Originally Posted by JetJock16

I Regionals are not the root of our problem it’s just the movement of our industry into its next cyclical phase.

Originally Posted by meritflyer

OBVIOUS...

Originally Posted by meritflyer

You must've learned that in your "10 years" of management experience.

Regionals are not the root, you're correct there. It's regionals flying mainline sized jets for pennies on the dollar and pilots accepting that.

You'd be great at airline management. I can hear you now to a new hire regional class.. "Guys, a 737 is not much bigger than what you're already flying. The pay is $5 more an hour. Its this or get closed out."

Originally Posted by JetJock16

I'm fighting but I’m not fighting my fellow brethren like you are. You should know, that is if you’re actually an airline pilot, that when you're apart of a labor group one voice can easily be drowned out.