New Routes for Mesaba?
 

With NWA phasing out their DC-9s, does anyone know if Mesaba will be picking up new routes to replace them (or even Compass/Pinnacle)? I've heard rumors that the 900s and 175s will being getting more/longer routes to make up for the loss of the diesel 9s.
Also, if you have heard of any hiring in the future for mesaba any information would be awesome...I am on reserve right now in the 900, and I want to see the light at the end of the tunnel... you know what I mean!

I've been at the training center in Eagan for the last week in the SIM (CATII certification, etc...). I had the chance to ask members of the training center what they had going on at a company potluck. Right now, they are focused on conducting recurrencies. One instructor (who was also my instructor back in Oct.) said that he didn't forsee any new hiring taking place for the next year. That was the first time I heard something that contradicts a rumour that hiring would pick up again in the Fall starting with the fellas/gals in the pool.

Another big RUMOUR is that Mesaba will be getting additional -900's and the -200's will be fazed out (due to fuel issues). For Mesaba, it'll be easier to transfer the existing -200 crews to the -900 since they only require "differences" training and there aren't many.

As usual, I was given this with the typical disclaimer...subject to change.

Dude, I've flown with captains (and I'm sure you have too by now) who were on reserve for the last 8 years....went through the bankruptcy....upgraded and are back on reserve again....anyways, it's hard to complain unless you've walked in their shoes. But, I see where you're coming from...;-) Reserve is no fun and I'm one of the lucky ones high enough to choose a reserve line only if I want one. Best of luck.

Mahsabah = da nine killa.. lets make a sticker... mainliners luv mahsabah

The other thing....for Mesaba to get more -900's would probably mean concessions to some degree. All I've heard since I've been here is how management likes to dangle the idea of getting more airplanes in front of the pilots' noses if the pilots are willing to take concessions.

It's your preference!...comes to mind.

EFIScompmon....I love that moniker. Been thinking about changing my moniker to: "APU deferred" :rolleyes:

DELETED...............:rolleyes:

The number of 76 seaters are capped out as soon as the joint TA is signed by DAL/NWA. FWIW

The light at the end of the tunnel it to keep the DC-9's and add more of that size of aircraft to mainline...that way you can have a career to look forward to.

BINGO!!! It seems alot of people forget to look at the BIG picture.

Instructors aren't in the know, as much as they think they are. They don't know any more of substance than the rest of us. The meaty bits of info can't be public for obvious reasons. HR doesn't even know when the next class of new hires from the pool will be!

BTW - they're not our routes... they're NWA's routes that they allocate equipment to. If they allocate the saab, 900 or some 200s, then we fly 'em. Nothing is ever set in stone and that's why our route map changes so much.

The majority of the 900 flying is replacement for avro flying that went away to the 200 when the fleet was parked. NWA pilots can't get too bent out of shape about what Mesaba does... after all, we weren't created and spawned by NWA and have working with NWA and their pilots since the 80s. After all, it's their scope that allows our very existence. We do the flying they don't want.

Hang in there guy... reserve for some was short and sweet, but reserve isn't a new concept either and shouldn't be a surprise to any new FO.

I understand the whole reserve concept... I wasn't trying to come off that I was complaining. Dont get me wrong, I am 100% happy about working with Mesaba, i have just heard a wide variety of information from all sort of people here not only about reserve and routes, but when we are getting more a/c and the possibility of furlough.

I know that nothing is final until its in writing, i just would like to hear what other people had on their minds right now. To the guys flying the dc-9, i apologize if i came off rude, not my intention...

However you need to justify it to make yourself feel better, but It's still 76 seats, just like the other company you are not so vaguely referring to.

I don't need to make myself feel better because I don't feel bad. My point is that as Mesaba or any other Airlink pilots we shouldn't feel bad to have the jobs we have. Mainline cast away certain bits of their flying and that's what we do. I don't feel bad one bit, since this is my path in career progression, just like everyone else. My point about being spawned from NWA wasn't a slam at the CP pilots what so ever. I was trying convey that it's BS for mainline pilots to complain about the flying we do at the Airlinks because THEY GAVE IT AWAY. Further, in CPs case, they used the opportunity for their own long term benefit by allowing CP to happen.

I don't however chomp at the bit for more flying at the expense of mainline, since I'd like a job there someday. I've been at Mesaba long enough to realize the more that gets farmed out to Airlink, the prospects for mainline jobs diminish.

Ok, everybody who was hired in the last year, what is happening right now is the norm for Mesaba. Stagnation.... All the movement of last year is abnormal. Get used to sitting where you are at because in this company, growth doesn't happen too often. I'm sorry to keep sounding so negative, but this company isn't known for happiness and rainbow kisses. Just ask any of your captains and they will tell you the same. We are at the tail end of the good times and anybody hired now will have to accept the fact that you will sit reserve for a very, very, very long time.....

I wouldn't necessarily agree with a very, very, very long time....Just wait a year and things will probably change drastically. I know guys at Northwest are just waiting to see with how much money they will get with the Delta merger, then they are retiring asap. things will change...people will move.

Don't worry about what we think because it isn't personal anyway. Do the best you can for yourself, get your 1000 pic turbine and get out to a major job...

Dude - I wouldn't exactly go to that extreme. Mesaba has always been one of the better regionals to work at. Granted, our company is not the same company of the 90s and before 9/11. Since then our mgmt has jumped on that same bandwagon most other airlines are all on... cut cut cut and let the employees shoulder them burden with little or no thanks for our work.

I still think we ought to be thankful at XJ... it could be much worse. To all our new guys (everyone hired since Ch11 emergence)... hang in there as said. Growth is coming to a close, but who knows what the merger has in store for us. You could be at worse places to ride out the storm. Everyone who wanted out who had the qualifications to leave could have done so since Ch11. The ones that truly were sick of it are gone... the ones that stayed must not think XJ is so bad. Think about that.

Oh... and by the way - NWA is not parking all their DC9s. They've actually slowly been parking them for awhile now, but are really accelerating the parking of the -30s this fall. Going into the merger there will be a sizeable fleet still flying around, namely the -40s, -50s and a some -30s.

I hope not and so should you! :confused:

Ironically, I think 9E's and mainline's interests might be aligned on this one--XJ takes over our rotes and DC-9 routes with the 900s!!!

If you want to get into the 9E game, those routes and those airplanes were never yours to begin with. You might want to think twice about posting on a mesaba thread when you are talking about your airlines interests.

Huh? They're all NWA routes... it's just a matter of what airplanes are allocated to the routes by NWA. It has nothing to do with Pinnacle. NWA has been allocating capacity to demand from the word go. Old DC9 routes became avro routes, which became CR2 routes which are becoming 900 and 175 routes. Old saab routes that probably warranted a bigger plane became CR2s the whole time your company was growing and Mesaba was shrinking. It's apart of the business and as long as NWA controls the marketing times, flight schedules and which gage of Airlink plane goes where, it's out of our control.

What major would that be????? Considering most have furlough notices out. I hope the 747-4 in your profile doesn't mean you are as out of touch with reality like most of the senior widebody pilots at US mainlines.

I'm sure the NW guys with tons more experience really appreciate this post.:rolleyes:

Easy there Bert - the original poster is just trying to further his career like the rest of us. As mentioned before, this isn't personal, just the way the airline business works. Mainliners can "take it back" if they want it... they're in control here, not us. But will they?

No pretty soon it's going to be 3 or 4 airlines and Skywest flying domestic. All former jr mainline guys will be flying for Skywest and the former regional pilots will have to go fly freight or tow banners or even CFI to who ever is dumb enough to be a pilot now.

So what is the solution? What are we supposed to do as regional pilots? Should we just not take the regional job for the matter of principle? I and most every other regional pilot just want to put in our time and move on to a major.

and every single one of those guys will have about four thousand hours less than the average mesaba guy, son you are on the wrong forum for this paying dues garbage.

I doubt that. If anything Skywest will also decrease in size and will probably start on its downward spiral unless UAL, US Airways and DAL changes their course, which is highly unlikely. Get off this forum go to your own Skywest praising thread instead of spewing ludicrous rants here.

Oh great more "my regional owns those routes" and "your's doesn't" arguments :rolleyes:

You work for NW "Airlink". None of the routes belong to XJ,9E, or Compass.

How does any route belong to XJ, I would love to hear the answer to this?

I don't think he was saying they were XJ routes... he was replying to nicholasblonde who seems to think XJ is stealing NWA as well as 9E routes. THe only routes that can even remotely be called "XJ" routes are the EAS saab routes that XJ bids on.

I'm replying to your replying to his replying to nicholasblonde's replying to....what was the question again???

Haha... not sure. That's what happens when people don't read the whole thread, things are taken out of context. Here? NEVER!

Ya I think yr right...I guess I didnt read the whole thing...
Im sure I was half sleeping when I responded.

btw...I think a lot of people on here overanalyze a lot of things and get caught up in wording (one of the reasons e-mail, text, and forum communication will never be as effective at expressing thoughts as face-to-face or telephone conversations).

Maybe instead of saying "XXX lost a route to XXX" I should say "mainline reallocated a route from XXX to XXX because XXX operates a bigger more efficient aircraft." This way I can avoid confusing people who read way too far into things and somehow think that saying the word "lose" implies that we "owned" a route. I never once meant to imply that 9E "owned" those routes...I was trying to say we "lost" those routes to Mesaba because mainline (who owns the routes) "gave" them to Mesaba because they operate a bigger a/c. Sorry if people take offense at someone stating benign and factual information.

I never said anything against XJ. I ride you to work sometimes and you are a great pilot group and I have nothing but respect for you.

How long have you been at XJ sigep_nm?

that's the understatement of the year!!
:D