Maybe BRAVO can turn it into another reality series. The whipsaw of regional airline life.

 

Actually more like an informercial;

Call us now and you will get to fly the jet with not one, but two flight attendants!

1-800-SJS-4ME2

 

Call within the next 20 minutes and we will include a cool pilot hat for free!

Seriously though, I think if the general public knew half of what goes on in the regional airline world they would be shocked. Then again, in this day and age if it doesn't affect them they probably don't care.

 

Yes, it seems they expect complete trust from pilots and other employees and the benefit of the doubt from analysts with a "secret plan". GMAFB. I don't think anyone (and certainly not AA pilots) should base ANYTHING on murky, smoky plans and promises, especially from this source with its history. What we should do is use the past as a litmus in performance and integrity (AKA trust). Looking at U's management, there are definately trust issues, but at least performance can be quantified in the positive. The negative trust issues regarding U for AA pilots compared to those with the secret plan isn't even close.

AMR would like to terminate the pensions still, the only reason they have been forced into the frozen option is that the PBGC used something called "leverage" to persuade AMR away from burdening the PBGC with that termination. Putting leins on South American assets tends to get ones attention......and force one to bargain. I would caution anyone about drawing too much from changing statements about the future. The only thing one could draw on is past practice and current evasiveness. That combination should tell most what they need to know for now.

No, no one can be certain of the final outcome. However, to say they saw no need to outsource is incorrect. That "offer" had a steep price and the price for that was AA pilots not only flying those aircraft, but flying the majority of the rest of the domestic fleet for peanuts competitively (aircraft under 125 seats, i.e., A319's). In effect, AA pilots would BECOME the "regional pilots" themselves having given away almost everything to be the future RJ pilots (even if they weren't flying an RJ). That's a moot point anyway as AMR was already well into their BK filing planning (it would occur just 2 weeks later) and had no intention of honoring that CP in the 1113 process.

It's clear now what they really want and aside from giving Brundage back the keys to the blood-smeared labor steamroller, they hired Frank Lorenzo's lawyer to make sure we got the full message. Message received and understood.

No, we don't know what may be happening behind closed doors. As for statements of "progress", that could just as easily be minor issues and major ones (like scope) go unresolved. I would take that statement with neither optimism nor pessimism at this point. Wall street wants maximum payoff for minimum risk and investment. The creditors right now are willing to let the "process" continue in current format, but know that the maximum value (both initially and over time) is a strong competitive network for AA (actually One World) and that is why U is the best option. Agreed that Parker NEEDS not only a merger, but one specifically with AA. It's the only one that makes his current operation viable in the long-term and it's also the best option to break his major log jam of operating essentially two seperate carriers due to the pilot seniority squabble. That has now become more of a burden then a benefit and will get increasingly worse over time.

 

The swap of Eagle's smaller EMB's for larger RJ's (whomever the manufacturer), likely won't occur till next summer at the earliest. Parker and U could be in control by then and those new aircraft could go anywhere. Likely, some will come to the current Eagle and others will go to one or more of the current U feeders. Eagle will not disappear, but should expect to lose more smaller EMB's vs. gaining larger ones. Once Parker and U start calling the shots, expect a shakeout among the 10 regionals feeding the future AA/U. The current 600 aircraft and 6000 pilot count is too many, IMHO. If the combined mainline doesn't furlough, it will be at least stagnant for a few years and that will produce no movement for those pilots in the AA/U feed network up toward the mainline (likely including those at Eagle with AA seniority numbers).

Deals like this for pilots usually have an inital hangover complete with gas, bloating and heartburn. Let's hope it stops there and doesn't escalate to explosive diarrhea and projectile vomiting.

 

If I were Eagle pilots, I'd be less worried about what AMR might do in the short-term, then what Parker might do (or HAVE to do) in the long-term. It might be U management that ultimately decides the scope of Eagle's future as part of the combined carrier.

 

uh huh , i guess everyone sees what they want to see, if I were in your spot I would be hoping for a USAIR merger.

 

I'm pretty confident you'll never have to worry about being in my spot.

 

I dont want to be in your spot, since quite a few people know exactly who you are, and you flat out violate AMR policy on this website every single day. I would be less worried about what happens with USAIR and more worried about what AMR does about that.

 

First of all who am I ?

This isn't the first time an Eagle thug has claimed to know who I am and insinuated I'm a target and quite frankly, it has now run thin.

Secondly, please quantify your allegations regarding my "violating AMR policy".

My comments and opinions are no different then hundreds of pilots discussing issues at their carriers on this pilots forum website. My carrier happens to be in bankruptcy and seeking to gut our contract via the 1113 process, which is valid subject for discussion as is the position of my union and the actions they've taken since chapter 11 filing. Contrary to that, wingtips advocates illegal job actions by both her pilot group and veiled encouragement by ours and condones pressuring her own fellow pilots into certain conduct which are both violations of her companies ROC.

So Mr. Expert, please back up your allegations against me as to both my identity (a veiled threat in and of itself) and specifically which posts of mine are violations you speak of. These are serious allegations and the identity issue has a threatening tone, so at this point, I'm demanding you back up your assertions/intimidations with fact.

Your move now, Rick........I'm waiting. Make it good Rick, because I'm afraid you may have just opened a legal can of worms between us.