6 DCI carriers in DTW starting in April
 

pinnacle
mesaba
Compass
Chautauqua
Freedom
Comair

Has there ever been a merger that had a divorce? Like you know, hey Delta this is northwest, things just arent working out. Lets split and go back to the way it was. You take your kids (regionals), we will take ours back.

With the divorce rate so high in this country i figured it was worth asking.

Well there are 7 of them in CVG.....

Heard Pinnacle is starting LGA flying in April? Apparently its loaded in the Delta schedules already

Welcome to Delta!

Call it the "Comair 2001 effect".

with the draw down in CVG, I guess this is the easy solution

9E already did LGA. From what I have seen/heard it's only a few more cities. Something like 9 from 6- don't quote me on that but the rumor of a LGA hub isn't quite coming true from deltanet listings. That being said when does the DOJ have the usairways/delta approval process slated for?

By the end of this month, with lines built to start around June or July; if appoved.

Have you guys heard anything on your end about the Slot transfer with Usairways?

Get ready to see every regional flying in and out of all the hubs in the DL system. In one concourse you'll see Comair, Mesaba, ASA, Skywest, Pinnacle, Freedom, Compass all lined up next to each other. Its makes for a really efficient operation if you ask me. :)

Sounds like the United operations in IAD, a big cluster f#&@

When are these thick headed idiots going to get it? Ok we understand, once upon a time Comair struck, its over, has anyone hurt Delta since then? No, Putting 6 or 7 regionals in one base hurts all of us. It makes for less efficient schedules at every company. Crappy 4 days worth 15 hours and things like that. It seems like Skywest is the least affected because all they have is Mesaba out there but the rest of us, especially ASA because they are only based in ATL for now......... have to deal with this.

Yep. Looks like DAL is following UAL's lead on this one. Why have wholly owned, or a few express carriers when you can have multiple and have them all bid against each other. Then when the contract is up, (and the contracts are getting shorter), throw them out on their arse and hire another one (see UFS, Air Wisconsin, ACA, Mesa, Chautaugua). You can always find someone cheaper. Not to mention the whole strike hedge thing (Comair). If one goes on strike, the others can fill in and you may even be able to sue/drop the carrier for breach of contract!! :mad:

That IAD operation is like the fall of Saigon!! :D

We all feel the frustration. There is absolutely no movement.

It's a safe bet that two of the six you mentioned above will be gone from DAL livery soon. The remaining 4 will be juggled anyway DAL sees fit to place them.

Looks like Compass, Comair, Pinnacle is being set up for extensive flying on the Eastern corridor and Mesaba throughout the Midwest and the West along with SkyWest.

I expect to see a major reduction of 50 seat RJs in the DCI system in the next couple of years so any DCI carrier with too many 50 seat RJs or turboprops will be feeling the pain, just like Mesaba is currently being punished for having way too many Saabs, which should have been retired a long ago.

Saabs should have been retired a long time ago? How do you figure. Last I checked they were and are still making money, most are probably younger than many CRJ 200 fleets out there.

UAX @ IAD:
-Colgan
-Mesa
-Chautauqua
-XJet
-Shuttle America
-TSA
-GoJet
-ASA (soon)

I do not have numbers to back this up, but I have a feeling the saabs do not make quite as much money as some seem to think. Combine that with expiring leases and the "image/passenger experience" factor, and it is not surprising the saabs are headed back across the pond.

Dear PinnacleFO,

Thank you for submitting your thoughts on the diversification of the DCI network, coming to an airport near you. Unfortunately, I could care less about your crappy 4 day trips worth 15 hours and 4 hour airport sits (hehehehe!). All I care about is dollars and cents. The more of that I save, the more I can put in my pocket, thanks to all of the performance bonuses I currently enjoy as CEO of Delta. Does your company offer fat bonuses? Ha! Didn't think so. Keep up the good work and enjoy the Biscoff cookies.

Sincerely,

Richard Anderson

It's not a really efficient operation, just a really efficient whip-saw. It's worth it for management to have all the redundancy just to keep the line employee's pay rate low.

Chautaugua and Mesa are history.

The saabs never made a lot of money. But they did make money. It was the old NWA mentality. They did not care as long as it made money. All of the EAS routes were not cash crops, but they were not losing money. Delta is all about higher margins and I'm sure saab did not want to lease them again for bankruptcy rates.

Mesa still has 20 CRJ-700s that feed for UAL. UAL is just ending the Dash 8 and 200 portion of the contract.

Hah Ha Ha, This is right on the money. I would not be surprised at all if this is exactly what RA and his executives thinks and says privately amongst themselves. RA did get a $8 million dollar bonus for "successfully" merging NWA with DAL. Just a chump change for him and others like him say like Doug Steenland who got a $24 million dollar bonus after NWA came out of the bankruptcy.

Thanks. Did not know that. The lawsuit that UAL filed against Mesa is for future 70 seaters? IOW, does not affect the current 20 700's?

I think they will be affected. Unfortuntely, instead of going back to mainline UAL flying, they are probaby going to ASA out of IAD.

Nope. Lawsuit only pertains to the additional 10 CR7's. CR7's already in service; are not included and will operate till contract expires, is canceled, or Mesa folds.

FAA registry has the youngest Saab being built in 1998. ASA's oldest 6 -200s were built in '97 with the newest built in '03. Saab quit making them in 1998-99. There is still an occasional -200 that rolls off the assembly line.

They're called Challenger 850s.

We will see if you're right in a couple years when all the -200 contracts come up for negotiation.

Delta is parking every Comair -200 as their leases expire. Since BK in 2005, that loss is 60 airframes with an additional 15 going back this year. About 70 left to go in the next 5 years.

Don't forget that there are a few for sale as well. So if there were to be a buyer; those would go as well!

Yes we will see. I think the biggest reason they are going back is to shed aircraft, not because they are old or a turboprop. Why renew a lease for a saab when you have tons of -200s sitting around doing nothing while you pay leases on them. I really think it was all about timing. Delta needed to shed airframes and this was the easy one.

I honestly think a prop will be back in the DCI system. A 50 seat prop can do the short hops a lot cheaper than a 50 seat jet. I think it is a matter of when can Delta get rid of the -200s. I'm gonna guess 2-3 years and you will see some sort of order.

The other side of the story however is that if -200s saturate the market, it could drive lease rates down. Problem is they will be 15-20 year old -200s, not sure how long those things will stick around.

Delta is prohibited from selling or transfering any Comair aircraft with the exception of 50-seat lease expirations and any airframe that is damaged beyond economical repair.

This according to the concessionary pilot agreement '07, and expires on March 2, 2011.

I don't know how Delta has "loaned" Comair aircraft to Mesaba, SKW, or Pinnacle for "Paint Shop Spares", as this seems to go against the contract. Apparently ALPA doesn't want to investigate it and would rather fight over a downgraded Captains fourth stripe jeopardizing flight deck safety.

XJ only has 2 ex Comair CRJ200 for spares. I don't think they are even being flown by XJ.

We fly them quite a bit actually