Until Q400's (or some other high speed/high capacity efficient turbo prop comes around) start getting mass produced, the 50 seat airframe will always have a place. Just not nearly on the scale it does now.

 

Haha!!! This is my favorite part of your entire post. I can't tell if you're bragging or think we're all genuinely interested in your plans for the evening. Well I watch movies on my day off too so neiner neiner chicken weiner! Sorry folks, I know this contributes nothing to the thread except perhaps a few chuckles. I'll move along now.

 

Nope, not bragging. I don't have the seniority to have weekends off, so my wife and I have our "weekends" on my days off which are usually during the week.

I agree, I don't think anybody on these forums genuinely cares for one itty, bitty second, what my plans are for the evening. My only intent was to let the poster that I was responding to know that I would be leaving the forums and would not be able to carry on the conversation. Thats all.

But back to the movie thing . . . . . not that you or anybody else may care, but we saw Shutter Island. It is a fairly good movie. In my opinion not an Oscar contender, but worth seeing.

 

Because we are used to providing a good product?

We are more expensive because of ACARS, PDCs, cleaners, washers, etc?

Can you provide a source?

And the reason why the CAL CPA is not profitable yet is because XJT was forced to sign the CPA that SKW negotiated with CAL using SKW pilot costs, which are 16% lower than XJT's, according to your CEO.

So the memory foam seats and XM radio in XJT aircraft don't provide a quality product?

XJT reported a profit today.

And you forgot to mention that you are riding coat tails as well.

How much more? Is it 5% more? Do you get paid 50 seat rates for vacation, sick time, training, or any other time you get paid for when not flying?

If we are all RJ pilots and this is an entry level job then should I assume you don't want any pay raises?

Well you management didn't play fair either. It took a federal judge to slap them with an injunction.

Are you talking about the deal to fly 70 seaters for 50 seat rates?

Collectively, even considering those you mentioned, you benefit from ALPA as a whole. Even the Mesa pilots don't get raped by their MEC. Do you honestly beleive that things would be better if there was no union at Mesa? Anyways, if members don't like their MEC, national officers, or the magazine, they have a way to change them.

First of all, its not all about hourly rate. Work rules play a big role. The way we should look at it is, how much does your contract allow you to make compared to how many block hours you flew. The better contracts allow pilots to fly little and paid a lot and thus making the "effective" hourly rate much higher than the actual hourly rate. I will take SKW CEOs word for it and assume that their pilots get 16% less than XJT pilots.

By the way, SKW pilots do NOT have a contract and wont get one soon either.

Just because you have a national union does NOT mean you don't have good relations with your management. XJT is the perfect example of that. I could have said the same exact things about abuse at XJT as you said about SKW. At XJT, it works very very well and yes there are exceptions here as well. Except that people don't have to pay out of pocket to get their jobs back like DD had to and people get an honest hearing at the Training Review Board before being terminated instead of what happened to TW.

[quote=JDFlyer;768023]Intentionally, I don't fly for an ALPO carrier, just as I am sure many of you, intentionally, don't fly for a non-ALPO carrier. Also intentionally, my next airline job will also NOT be at an ALPO carrier.[/qoute]

I can respect that on a certain level. But that doesn't mean you don't ride the coat tails.

Curious, the airline you worked for voted in ALPA, would you choose to quit?

And what are the pilots at your airline doing to negotiate a higher pay rate in work rules for those 70 and 50 seat CRJs?

ALPA has negotiated both pay raises and pay cuts. What is your point?

[quote=JDFlyer;768062]2. I don't pretend to believe my or your management has any control over or influence with the health care industry. Health insurance executives, pharmaceutical executives, trial lawyers, 1200 calorie hamburgers, big tobacco, etc., etc. are the cause of health care costs, NOT Skywests management team.[/qoute]

No, but SKW management does have control on how much of those expenses to pass to their employees. ALPA also has the ability to try and to do something about things that can be legislated like health insurance taxes, etc.

And ALPA cannot get you a medical if you don't qualify under the FARs. I don't think that is was the poster's point. His point was that ALPA helps streamline the process to get your medical back if you qualify. ALPA becomes your advocate, handler, lawyer, advisor, etc when it comes to all things dealing with your medical. The FAA makes the final determination though.

I couldn't agree with you more. In fact, that is why I'm 110% for the FairTax. But until the rules of the game or the game itself is changed, its best to play within the rules to win. And ALPA does that on behalf of ALL airline pilots.

An alter ego carrier? You are the alter ego carrier!

And if SKW is hired because of their high quality, then why didn't SKW get the DAL LAX or UAL ORD flying? I'm not disagreeing with you, just wondering. I beleive that it depends on a lot of things, including quality and price.

And many of your work rules you get because SKW management gives them to you to keep up with the other regionals. They seem to always bring you back up to just above industry average.

I can respect that also. But ALPA has made this profession better, not just one pilot group better.

 

My hat is off to you, that is one heck of a long but very good post!

Your points are all well made and I completely respect your thoughts and opinions.

 

Really? That's it? Haha, I was expecting a little more of a rebuttal. But that's ok. We can agree to disagree.

 

One of the greatest slam-dunks made by Regional Airline Mgt over the last 8-9 years is that they've indoctrinated certain pilot groups into believing that certain other pilot groups should be embarrassed or apologize for having good contracts and work rules.

The simple fact is, that the carriers that are doing well now, agreed to fly 70-90 seat RJ's for the same rate that others were flying 50 seaters.

 

Xjt posted another $17.1 million loss today.

 

Negative ghostrider, $30M profit.

 

only because they cooked the books due to changes in the tax laws. It was still a loss if it hadn't been for uncle sam and It proves all my points in this thread.