Airline Pilot Central Forums - My perspective on Colgan's Growth

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Quote:

Originally Posted by DMEarc (Post 293594)

You seem to be quite new in this industry, so let me educate you!

The Q400 payrates are insulting to the pilot group here. The ALPA drive failed by 4 votes. It is our own fault because there was a mentality here that it would pass without question...So people thought

"Well hell, why do I need to vote? I want ALPA but I don't have the time to vote".

That is a terrible attitude to have and we're suffering for it, so we understand that.

Secondly- because we lack representation, we didn't have a say in the Q400 payrates. They are TERRIBLE. And it is the MAIN reason why VERY FEW of our pilots want to go to that airplane. We have underbid NO ONE. We have stolen NO ONES flying. We didn't ask for it. When most of us came to Colgan we were an EAS/At-Risk company threatening NO ONE. Within 2 years we have become "bottom feeding, scum sucking, scabs" of the regional industry. None of us asked for the new flying or airplanes.

I thought we were in this together, considering we are an ALPA-driving carrier right now, but I guess not. You're solution is sticking them in with scabs.

ALPA will pass in August, we will negotiate better payrates. CERTAINLY not Horizon rates, but certainly deservable payrates and continue growing the Q400 operation. Unfourtunately for you it will be in IAH next.

DONT FORGET- EXPRESSJET UNDERBID AWAC and SKYWEST for the DELTA CONTRACT.

But- I guess thats okay, isn't it?

Good post. But this is a pointless pi$$ing match.

Quote:

Originally Posted by captchris (Post 293607)

Good post. But this is a pointless ****ing match.

THANK YOU!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyguyniner11 (Post 293608)

THANK YOU!!

And I forgot to mention...Saab gets off on this kind of stuff.

Quote:

Originally Posted by captchris (Post 293380)

it also sucks that some others are flying 70-86 seat jet aircraft from coast to coast (PIT-SLC for example) for 50-seat rates (Mesa, Gojets, Republic, SKYW).

I love how you don't know what you're talking about yet say it so definitively. Comparing SKW and RAH to Gojets and Mesa is the biggest joke ever. It's also already proven how the payscales for the 70+ seaters is accurately adjusted based on industry standards.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToiletDuck (Post 293611)

I didn't compare them---I grouped them. You think SKYW+RAH are compensated well to fly 70-86 seat a/c?

Oh and I'll throw Pinnacle in that group too. My apologies Dr.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Juice (Post 293247)

Colgan is keeping it a Regional, not a E-175 "regional" which has 4 day trips which start on the west coast and end on the east all the while flying mainline routes....that should be your issue...GET IT!!

Umm.. last time I checked (or bid), no 175 operator ran such pairings.

[quote=KiloAlpha;293617]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Juice (Post 293247)

SKYW does some long hauls.... CLE-SLC and for a while PIT-SLC. (i realize they are not a E-175 operator too) :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swedish Blender (Post 293457)

Everyone undercuts at the regional level. AA used to fly 87 seat F100s for 150+/hr. What are current rates for 90 seat Rjs? 100/hr? Every major pilot thinks the regionals undercut. The bigger regionals think the smaller ones undercut. Welcome aboard.

Not a fair comparison. At the time F100 guys were making 150/hour, A330 guys were making nearly 300/hour. Now the A330 guys make something like 180/hour.. I guess those 330 CAs are undercutting the industry also :rolleyes:

"DONT FORGET- EXPRESSJET UNDERBID AWAC and SKYWEST for the DELTA CONTRACT."

well you wont see an xjt guy buying groceries with food stamps. awac, skywest, and expressjet are all great companies that actually pay their pilots currently respectable wages. If a company can win a contract and still maintain a respectable wage, qol, and benefits then they deserve it. Chq won the CAL flying and they are a quality company as well. I do disagree with some of it but their pilots are also trying to improve this industry instead of cutting it down.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMEarc (Post 293594)

Good to hear that is the prevailing attitude over at Colgan. However, I do take issue with your last statement about ExpressJet "underbidding" AWAC and SkyWest.

There is a difference between "UNDERbidding" and "OUTbidding" someone. In the case of XJT and Delta there were several things that made XJT's bid more competitive than others. I think Delta realized that AWAC would not be able to get the operation up and running quickly enough due to the lack of airframes, crews and a presence West of the Mississippi. As far as SkyWest, there is a clause in SkyWest's contract with UAL that does not allow them to serve another carrier out of a UAL hub (such as LAX) unless that service is to/from the other carrier's hub (ie LAX-SLC for Delta). Delta wanted a carrier that could operate flights all over the West Coast and to Mexico from LAX so that would not have worked for SkyWest and United.

So what it came down to was that ExpressJet provided the airframes, quality of service and flexibility of operation in the time frame that Delta demanded. I would get your facts straight before you go accusing us (XJT) of UNDERbidding another pilot group. Now, if you want to accuse us of being more competitive with a reputation of flexibility and excellence, that is fine by me:D