All they need is a stipulation that all +50 contracts will not be renewed. As they expire, the aircraft transition to mainline service. It would be a sore deal for the regionals but would smoothly transition the planes back to mainline.

A few things: First, CALs current contract with XJT has a 2 for 1 replacment clause to bring in larger aircraft to replace the 50 seaters. Second, the former CEO at CAL and the former CEO of XJT had the beef, niether one of them is still there. Third, XJTs contract can't be touched for another 5 years. Finally, why is no one mentioning that the new XJT CEO came from UAL as the former VP of United Express operations? You think thats a coincidence? I guess we'll see.

The bottom line is, with XJT doing more regional flying than anyone else at either carrier, there is no way the new airline will pay for 190 50 seaters to fly around for another 5 years without doing something about it.

Also let me add, XJT just got a pretty good size contract with UAL within the past few months. If UAL was planning on merging with CAL and getting rid of XJT, why would they sign a 5 year contract with them so recently?

That is possible, but will cost the pilot group dearly...will the senior guys sign up for a decade or more of financial suck just to secure the future for those who come behind them? There's your answer I suspect.

Nobody is planning on getting rid of any regional right away...it will take several years just to settle the terms of the SLI, then a few more for implementation. Five years is not long in the grand scheme of things...if they need to ax XJT, they will have time to do it.

Actually they might have deliberately entered into that contract to use it as a scope placeholder against labor..."but we just signed a contract with them, we cannot afford to buy them out of it this early"

Do you realize the magnitude of the feed we're talking about replacing? XJT operates nearly 250 airframes for the combined carrier. We're not talking about some small little regional that operates 20 or 30 airframes here. Somebody would have to do a lot of hiring and a lot of a/c buying to replace these routes. XJT currently dominates IAH and EWR for CAL. They operate far more flights than even mainline. I guess if they tighten scope back up all these jobs could be filled by furloughed UAL and CAL guys. In the end that would honestly be the best thing for everyone.

UAL and CO pilots have the last chance to rein in on scope and take back flying to mainline UAL and CO pilots. If they don't, then expect the same fiasco UAL management brought upon UAL pilots for the last 10 years.

The days of the 50 seat and possibly 70 plus seat RJ flying is coming to a fast close. I think 100 seat aircraft should replace most of the domestic flying for mainline flights and UAL/CO pilots better make sure 100 seat flying is to be done by UAL/CO pilots, otherwise their junior pilots are doomed. They should be prepared to fight tooth and nail on this one issue. They may even have to fight their own senior wide body CAs on this one.

It wasn't a 5 year contract it was one 2 year contract for 10 and one 3 year contract for 10.

CO/UAL wil probably just retire 50 seaters and replace them with current 70 seaters. There is plenty of overlap and I wouldn't expect CLE to be around very long.

It was more than just 2 ceos not liking each other. XJT has always been a burden for cal as not only do they own their aircraft but still have to pay a high fee to have them flown. Given the history it seems CAL is either trying to put you guys out of business or just get rid of you.

Its no secret that XJT is in financial ruin, every quarter is loss. XJT’s new ceo also specialized in taking companies in and out of bankruptcy. It seems that is the only thing that could save xjt right now and that’s why I think they got that new ceo.

I hate to sound like a broken record but the XJT mec made a big mistake not making a deal with skywest and allowing the buyout 2 years ago. You guys would be in much better shape and have a much better future.

Exactly, I do not see CLE making the cut, IAH and EWR are too important to touch.

deleted.... not worth it