I think the reason most people say "ditch branded" is because of how unprofitable it has been. While startup costs most likely contributed greatly to the problems with the branded flying, continuing operation in the market with the aviation landscape in it's current condition, may not be the best idea, and as many people see it, branded is a money hole. I believe that Xjet knows this though, and while they're probing to find markets that will yield the best results for the branded flying, if any codeshare offered them a contract that would ensure profitability, they'd be fools not to jump at the offer, and pull planes from branded to do it.

The wording in this stuff makes it sound like a whipsaw attempt, which as we all know won't be good for the expressjet pilots, nor any of the other pilots operating under skywest management.

I'm not real sure how the CAL scope stuff works out, but i'd have to assume (since talks are going forward) that they could care less what other carriers you're operating 51+ seat aircraft for, even if it's on the same certificate? Either way, it'll be quite a fight....good luck to everyone, hope it all works out for the best, have friends at all three companies (xjet, asa, skw) and wouldn't want to see any of them lose their jobs in the future....good luck fellas.

 

So there was in fact a real email sent out by ALPA regarding this deal?

Is the branded flying losing money or not? Some people say yes and other say no. What was announced during earnings? Too lazy to look it up on my own, thanks!

 

no disrespect to you but i would like to post the email but i believe it is best left within the company. The key points have been stressed in posts on this board. in short the email briefed a meeting between skw management and our union on friday. SKW management told our MEC what they would like to have happen, our management gave the usual speech and they gave us just enough info to make us wonder.

 

I don't know what to believe any more, so thanks. Has the union MEC offered their perspective on it and made any recommendations as to how you should vote if it comes to that?

 

Nope, all we have is a snapshot of what was said at the meeting. I think many of us are waiting for more info before we form concrete opinions.

 

I don't understand what Skywest Inc. is doing with this deal. What we hear from Xjter's is that Skw Inc is out to nail them. But Skywest hasn't shown that in the past, that I've seen, with any group that they've bought or taken over....I may have missed something though. They've done good for ASA right?
If Skywest comes in and creates the turmoil in the ranks that it sounds like from the Xjt Alpa email, and 700 pilots get put out of work just to get hired back under a "new" agreement to start all over again, then the next Union drive at Skywest may turn out a bit different. Wasn't Skywest managements line during the union drive something about working together and they were there to look out for the workers? If this is the way they act now it totally shoots down their position. They would have just screwed people royally!
My opinion is that there is something we are missing and it isn't the raw deal that the email makes it out to be (I haven't read it so I'm no expert). Think on this, Mesa goes bye-bye and thier Erj flying is now up for grabs. Xjet needs it and United needs it covered. Xjet covered for Mesa out of Dulles a while back and did really well at it. Who know's
I'd just like to say good luck. We're all counting on you.

 

Right now the airplanes operating on branded flying, DAL, and charter are top notch (for 50 seaters). If we have any chance at additional flying, it's with those airframes. However, if this ceo of Skywest lets Kellner push him around, he'll probably shift those good airframes to CAL and take away the ERs and 37-seaters. If those are pulled off of CAL flying, they will be parked for good because no one wants them.

Don't count on CAL pilots caving on the scope. They have had a front row seat to see what happens. The two most financial sound legacies CAL & AA have zero (CAL) and minimal (AA has 25) jets above 50 seats.

 

My branded flights are largely FULL at this point, rare if we have more than 2 or 3 seats open (SAN is always FULL!, Long Beach and Reno too).

Every person I know who has flown on a Branded flight tells me how great the service is; fuel is hedged at $2.40 a gallon, JR has landed huge community grants for service and training..... those people saying Branded is a hole usually don't operate in Branded and still pledge allegiance to Continental, if not believe they are Continental.

I believe the best bet is to continue Branded as JR states until the fall, and re-evaluate the service. Even if a furlough took place (which XJT has not offered to their pilots to this point), I would recommend taking on the additional airframes and EXPANDING the branded service. A temporary furlough might actually save XJT pilots and promote the expansion into our own venture. The current plan calls for a large expansion of our charter servece (and it apparently is a big revenue source)

We are all just pilots here with no true statistics on where the money comes from. I just fly the plane, and have minor input on work rules via ALPA votes. SIMPLE - believe in XJT management, they have protected us time and again from concessions and furlough - this is one management group that I truly believe has our best interest at hand, and is not adversarial with the MEC.

SKW has simply tried to press a hard sell to a company that hasn't expressed an interest in selling themselves. No-one is parking 50 seat jets idle in the desert, and SKW needs 205 airframes to secure the CAL contract. XJT is in an excellent supply/demand situation.... AND HOLDS FIRST RIGHTS TO LEASE ANY AIRFRAME released fromt he CPA.

BRANDED IS TAKING OFF; NAME RECOGNITION IS HERE!

 

And that's no accident!!

 

The letter is out there in internet land. If you really want to read it, you'll be able to find it.