Since nobody else has brought it up, I'll ask.

If ASA was offered this next batch of 9 or so 900's, if they agreed to drop 2 for 1 50 seaters........why did Mesaba get the 900's without having to make the same deal. Anotherwords, why did ASA only have to agree to dump 50's to get 90's, but Mesaba just got the airplanes? This makes no sense to me! Either they want to get rid of some 50's, or they don't. Even more peculiar, ASA has a base in ATL, and has extra pilots on the roster (doing nothing and getting paid) while Mesaba will have to hire for this operation, and start a whole new setup in ATL (which has to be somewhat costly).

The whole thing makes no sense.


PS. I totally agree that ASA is just hanging on and hoping D throws something their way, and if nothing materializes soon, they will be forced to 'right size' the work force! There is NO WAY it makes good business sense to carry so many extra employees in tight economic times.

I think these 900s came with new lines. The ASA deal was crappy... 5:1 and I don't even think it came with an increase in lines and if it did, not many. Just 900 flying old 200 lines and in less frequency. Out of all the 900s deals I think the last one would have helped out ASA the most.

Maybe this will be good for ASA ?

Nobody said the new 900s would be operated in ATL.

Wrong! Jerry said that if we didn't get serious about the contract, it would be "economically unfeasible" to place the -900s at ASA. ASA-ALPA told him to pack sand, so he gave them to SkyWest. They (and the pilots who supported them in chest-thumping) ARE to blame!

It's never too late.

If you want private evidence, don't ask or JP won't hear private evidence any more.

If you want public evidence, look at Charlie's memo last week talking about reductions in Flight Ops management and "no growth in the foreseeable future". Read between the lines on that. How long do you think Delta will pay for ASA's pilot surplus? As said, meetings ARE being held this month now that the merger is out of the way. Look for an announcement right before Christmas one way or the other.

My prediction is that Delta takes 30-40 of our -200s by force (the ones they own) and gives us 10-15 -900s. And we furlough the extra pilots who won't be needed now. By the way, that's not growth. It's a net loss of 20-25 planes at 5 crews per plane. Do the math. Pretty close to 150 pilots.

Also Mesaba WILL have an ATL Saab base with 15 airplanes flying everything less than 300 miles from ATL.

Some people make statements with some REAL confidence. I'm not saying they are right/wrong but I can go back to some posts that people made and man, they were way off. We should charge 10 bucks to eveyone and anyone who makes a prediction or strong statement and it never becomes valid. Then again this place would be pretty boring without all that rumor action. Still you could make some good money;)

I see dead people.

I agree:D, no one is Nostradamus. Some of the stuff on here make for good opinion based reading, thats all i look at it as.

That would make sense if there wasn't this whole 80% rule. If that somehow goes out the window then I'll start believing the negativity:D

However you are completely correct about the SKW 900s. I've spoken to many ASA captains that have been around a while and I heard we SERIOUSLY dropped the ball on that one. "Chest thumping" is the exact phrase many of them quote.

Now we cry with every 900 we see awarded to another regional while we see our sister regional operate 17 900s in ATL 5 million miles from their next closet base. Oh the irony....