What is this 'anotherwords' phrase you speak of?

Holy @()#! a level-headed post. I truly cant believe what I am reading.

Those orders were "placed" before the acquisition of ASA. ASA was the first to get the 900's paperwork in and the press releases had all been made. Those jets were diverted to punish ASA pilots for not taking a cram down that cut some pilots (the IP's) pay by as much as 50%. Jerry was quoted saying some ASA pilots were earning TWICE as much as they should. It is hard to accept the notion of pay cuts while your airline is making record profits.

Don't forget that Mesaba is a wholly owned. Putting airplanes there helps increase the value of that asset. If SkyWest wants them for SkyWest, or ASA, they are going to have to buy them. (and I think there will be an attempted sale of Mesaba and Compass for reasons that are outside the scope of this thread)

I don't know ASA's numbers, but they're probably similar to Comair. Here are the Comair seniority numbers...

At Mesaba 1.5 years gets you the left seat. At Comair it gets you Furloughed. Looks like Delta has a preference on seniority vs cost.

Here's the piece of the puzzle you're missing. JA and Delta will renegotiate the contract, and JA will give up the 80% in exchange for no longer having to be second from the bottom in operating cost. This will pave the way.

I'm not Nostradamus. I'm not having revelations, I'm talking to lots of people in the know, and putting the puzzle together to make an educated prediction.

Yep!

The 80% clause will be gone, or changed soon. (BTW, nobody has ever determined if the 80% includes the SKYW planes)

I agree with JP on another point, the 30-40 200's Delta owns will soon be gone, however, I disagree that ASA will get any 900's in return. That ship has sailed out of the harbor and ASA missed the boat. You all keep forgetting that Delta is still intending to eliminate 100 CRJ200's from their portfolio. Where are these coming from??? The 40 Delta owns is a great start. If you can't open your eyes and see that ASA is slowly being squeezed out of ATL, our one and only hub/base, then you have blinders on! Every day, a new carrier is replacing old ASA routes. Our ATR turboprop fleet is being replaced by Mesaba Saabs.

The new year will bring many interesting changes........

Cost is King, and ASA loses out in that!

ASA was offered 900's recently but we turned down the offer because it came at a 2 50's for 1 900 deal so management passed on that one.

Again on the 2 for 1.........I don't buy it.

Wasn't ASA awfully close to the 80% ATL flying before we lost all our ATR flying? So, eliminate the ATR's and eliminate 10 more 50's, wouldn't that put ASA below the 80% mark?

Not to mention, Delta can just take away 40 50 seaters that they own without asking permission.

Delta will take aircraft away from any partner, and give the replacements to anybody they want.

Also, if the deal was a 2 for 1 on 900's for 200's, why doesn't Mesaba or Pinnacle have to eliminate 200's everytime they are awarded new aircraft like ASA was told they would have to????

Whipsaw, lies and smokescreens!

I'm confused as to how Delta pays for ASA's pilot surplus. Isn't that a cost that ASA would have to absorb?