I have always been positive about our future at pinnacle but with the creation of compass, if it passes I am starting to think that mesaba and pinnacle might be in some trouble.

I am starting to think that Pinnacle might shrink a little bit at a time until we get a contract, and then we might stay at that size.

Compass is replacing Mesaba's avros if it passes as well, and I hope for those guys, that doesnt happen.

What an evil man Steeland is.

 

First of all, spell his name right. It's Steal'in

 

What....?

It is Northwest's flying, not yours.

If the Northwest pilots are able to regain that flying, then more power to them...

 

Yeah, if mainline flys RJ's then RJ driving will be better compensated and have better QOL in the long-term.

 

Is it supposed to be mainline guys flying those planes?

 

Actually, it's not. They gave it up, voluntarily. gional jets were below them.

And they aren't "regaining" that flying. They will be flying those jets on a separate seniority list for the same rates as other regional airlines out there (or worse). This is nothing but a whipsaw between Compass, Mesaba, and Pinnacle. The lowest bidder is bound to get the flying.

This does nothing to improve pay or QOL in the long run. Instead it, once again, pits one pilot group against another, in competition for the same flying.

 

Yes, Mainline NWA furloughees...

You guys better start getting used to this new trend, because it has already caught on at US Airways, and obviously NWA is next. Soon thereafter the rest of the industry will probably follow.

"Trend" meaning this. The starting job at these majors will not be in a Airbus or Boeing. If you want to move on from the regional you are at, chances are pretty good it will be like starting over rather than moving up.

And these operations will not just prevent a lot of growth that you had assumed you would be getting into (70 and 90 seaters). The growth/upgrades you all seem to assume is your "right" will probably instead reverse, as the need for 50 seaters diminishes.

 

Hate to say it but first in response to a previous remark made on this thread NO compass will NOT raise QOL on the RJ level.... If you look at the TA postings most of the Compass pay scale is about $5/hr to fly 90 seaters that what 9E is paying us to fly 50's. Second lets not forget what happened to those poor MDA boys. Mainliners who thought they were getting a good deal flying the 170's are now sitting at the absolute bottom of the CHQ (regional seniority list). So possibility one (god help us all if this were to happen) compass forms gets sold out to another regional and they are all on the bottom of a seniority list such as 9E or CHQ's... Or possibility number two in time bigger and bigger A/C go to compass and eventually as far fetched as it may seem you have B744's and A330's being flown at an almost RJ payscale.... So you tell me is Compass really going to help the industry? Think about it. On a side note the TA is NOT radified yet. To me this means that management is jumping the gun a bit if I were a mainliner I'd be PI$$ED and ready to burn the house down. Also I think that a simultaneous NWA and Delta strike might be a good thing considering the message it would send when a little over one third of this country's air service suddenly shuts down then maybe everyone will get the clue and start taking airline labor as a whole seriously.

 

Ya you're right. But think about this what ever regional you do work for (if you even work for one) or may work for in the future is a contractor just as we are. So all of your flying belongs to someone else as well and when your payscale and benefits get cut and you get furloughed or lose your job, dont expect any of us to feel sorry for you or take your side and I sure as HE!! wouldnt want to hear a complaint from you. Just food for thought.

 

I do not work for a regional.

I wish there were no regionals around to work for.

Thus I am glad to see any progress made in regaining as much of the flying done under the colors of a given airline, by THAT airline's pilots.

I do think that the flying that has been the recent pervue of the regionals is going to dry up, much like the turboprop flying that regionals used to do a lot of.

You will still have some RJ's around, just like there are a few turboprops still flying here and there, but a lot less RJ's than what you see nowadays.

Fact is, 50 seats is just not worth the fuel cost. Sure, some routes might make sense, but that number is a lot smaller than the number of RJ's that are out there today. Fewer RJ's means fewer RJ jobs. Add that to the fact that all of the new 90 seat, and now some of the 70 seat flying is going to remain with the majors, and that avenue of growth drying up as well, further pinching the job situation at the regionals (with growth slowing at the top).

Mainline pilot unions are now willing to accept payscales and rules at/below the "regional" norm to protect ourselves. Scope alone sure did not do the trick. To stop any further flying being outsourced to the regionals, obviously the pay will be at/blo yours.

Why...?

Because taking a paycut down to regional wages, is far better than having to take a position at the bottom of one of those regionals. Both the US Airways and Northwest Pilots learned their lesson from the "MidAtlantic/Republic" mess.

Things are beginning to change...