[QUOTE=Ellen]Someday you may get to try raising a family on regional pay. You might think differently.

Heres the real deal gentlemen.... Those plans were going to ASA in ATL for long haul to central/south american (we got a waiver to 162nm offshore) then Delta changed the plan and put the airplanes in SLC, as someone mentioned before, ASA base is closing in SLC (yep, that really sux) and therefore Skywest is going to fly those aircraft. (The VP of ops at ASA says they will fly SLC to the east coast, but not sure of the cities)

As for the seat thing, you are all right, sorta???
Initially, they will be configured at 70 seats, then the scope language Delta got on there most recent contract, allows for them to be bumped up to 76 seats after a given amount of time. I read the time frame, but I forgot, it is less than one year.

Now for an opinion, is it better for the regionals to continue to get bigger planes, or is it better for them to go to the majors and you hope that you can someday get a job with them???
There is no right answer to this question. It depends on where you are at in your life or your career. I'm 40, pretty senior, and would get into the bigger aircraft pretty soon. The odds of me getting hired and having a long career at a legacy (I'd be what...40 something when they hire again) are slim. So for me, a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush....

for some young guy just coming on board at the begining of their career, maybe a different story. But remember, it is not as easy as it sounds to land the golden egg legacy job (if they even still exist) Delta use to have a Psych eval, and I personally know several guys that had the perfect resume and didn't get hired because of the psych. Rumor was they even turned down the guy that flew Airforce 1. "didn't fit the profile"

Take it for what it's worth....

Scott
ASA line*****

[QUOTE=rickair7777]Holmes, that's why you don't have kiddies when you are on regional pay.

Ellen, you are out of line with your comment. I'm not sure what you mean by "tried to use their muscle and got gunned down" but that is very short sighted of you. First off, I was at ASA for the last contract in 97-98 and it is always darkest before the sunrise. As for us being greedy? The actual pay of a skywest pilot (not just rate, but rate+profit sharing+1.5 pay for pick up, etc) is more than what ASA makes. It is all about how we get paid. you at skywest make yours off of that formula, we get straight rate. So why don't we want to alter the way we get paid. I can only speak for myself but I have heart this echoed in the halls.... we do not want to give up sure money, for the opportunity to possibly make some back based on the performance of Atlanta rampers. We work at very different companies, ASA is not well run (never has been) and our work force is the deep south is very different than what you have. Frankly, if I worked for Skywest out here I might agree with you, but I don't. We have very different realities and it is not only unfair, but insulting for you to make such uninformed comments.

[QUOTE=Freightpuppy]Wasn't on regional pay when I had my kids. Now I am. Welcome to the real world. The best laid plans......

ASA hiring freeze
 

Hey Stickwiggler,
Slightly off the subject, but not really.... Since you have a bunch of time there, what's your take on the hiring freeze at ASA right now due to the loss of these aircraft to Sky? Any new rumors around the hallways about it coming off and the progress of the new contract?
Thanks!

[QUOTE=swaayze]Ok then, well that sucks. Just don't ever have kids if you are a pilot.......just kidding. ;)

Make sure you send the wife/husband off to work too. That would help. ;)

Spectre,
Any new rumors???? Rumors are all we've got!!!! I sat in a presentation yesterday with Mr. Tutt, V.P. of operations (king tutt, as he is known) and all though the conversation of new hire didn't come up, reading between the lin es the outlook is not so good.
As you may have noticed from my previous post our contract is hung up on pay rate. They don't want to continue to recieve aircraft until they know what the cost is going to be, or at least that is what management would say.
The whole 700/900 going to skywest still needs clarification. They chose to shut our base down because "it didn't make sense to have such a small base" so the decision to shut down the base was made. period. THEN Delta brokered a deal with their pilot for the new pay, etc. and got scope relief that allowed the 900 to come along upt to 76 seats. THEN they were going to put them in ATL and ASA would fly them. THEN Delta changed their minds, again (which they do more a Duke stripper at a Lacross party) and sent the planes to SLC. Since the decision had already been made to shut down ASA in SLC, Skywest got them. Don't let the emotional stuff you read fool you, we were not "gun down". In 9 years at ASA I've realized that they are not organized enough for a conspiracy.
It is my opinion, that ASA management has tried to use this decision on the placement of the 900 to their advantage and imply it is because of the pay issue. It is not. Proof? Do you really think that they assigned the 900's to Atlanta on the hope that our contract which has been expired for 4 or 5 years would magically get resolved and we would take pay cuts? Of course not. They intended to operate those aircraft at our current 700 rate.

But, you wanted rumors, so here goes:
1. The Continental deal is NOT DEAD. They are vigorously pursuing that.
2. I hear that Mesa is on it's last leg, (only 21 million in the bank, chapter 11, etc.) so I'm sure we are going after theflying that will open up there (plus both of these carriers are code share already so I think it makes the reservation thing easier)
3. The original order for 900 was like 18 airplanes, we only lost the first six, be patient on the next 12
4. This is not a rumor, it is the official company plan....but it could change so easily that it belongs in the rumor category. ASA has 165 Captains/165 FOs on the 700. By this time next year they have published that will only be 100 of each. So that is doom and gloom. What does it mean to a new hire? We are all being displaced to ATL, then the reduction in the # of assigned 700 pilots will cause continued displacements of 700 people (usually more senior) to the 200- which of course means no upgrade classes, and stagnation sets in. That is bad for everyone.
5. LAX base- ASA petition the DOT for 10 cities out of LAX on the 700 and 200. That is fact. the ASA base is serious rumor-one I don't believe- and there is a possibility that Skywest will take those flights because Skywest Inc. has somehow petition that ASA and Skywest flying is interchangeable. I don't even know if they can do that, but it is a rumor.

So, what should you do? Get on with Skywest. They are a better company than ASA (opinion) and they are where the growth is (fact).

Long term, again-in my opinion Skywest Inc will continue to do things that make the case for Single Carrier Status and we will merge. For history on how that works, talk to any American Eagle pilot that has been there for 10 years or more. That is how Eagle became Eagle

Mesa ??? :confused:

That's what he said.