Airline Pilot Central Forums - SKW/XJT/ASA fleet bases, merger concerns

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Slaphappy (Post 855454)

give it a rest, skw isn't part of the merger and never will be. You'll take it to court and lose.

Completly agree!! if you read what the company (SkyWest) has told every one on there internal website, combining all three will never happen.. They would drop the XJT deal so fast... And Im sure they have alot of outs when it comes to this subject..

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainNameless (Post 855338)

No. Not assuming SKW will be part of the merger at all. The point is, Skywest pilots WILL be subject to the SKW Inc. total fleet (ASA+XJT+SKW+yet-to-be named-acquisitions) being completely reshuffled among the new/old United hubs in a way that may not be what Skywest pilots have in mind about how they hope the future unfolds. The point is, unless I am missing something, the total Inc. fleet will be allocated as Inc. intends in order to service the new merged United, and that could be a very different future than the present picture. Skywest Airlines is a part of that fleet plan merger or not. That's all. 10 year CPA doesn't stipulate where any of those airplanes will be operated. Could be anywhere in the United system where United wants them, so the comment is regarding the most logical placement of the RJ fleet in terms of aircraft seating capacity. Higher capacity hubs=bigger airplanes. Lower capacity hubs=smaller airplanes. More like 2-3 years, not 10 years down the road.

You have to take into consideration that where we are based at SkyWest plays only somewhat on where we actually fly. A large number of the four day trips leave the domicile on the first leg and don't come back till the last. You have ORD crews doing California flying, SLC crews spending the entire trip in MSP and so on. Even when we were doing hub stuff for Delta out of DFW years ago we never opened a base, lots of aircraft and crews just going down there four days at a time. Same thing with ATL, even though we had a domicile there for a while, most of the flying was being done by SLC crews. SFO and LAX have only been domiciles for two years, yet we've been flying RJs in and out for over 10. The same thing could happen with any shift of the 700s for United/CAL.

I really don't get why all the SkyWest pilots are gloating over the fact that the lists will never be combined. So I'll take it that you all WANT the whipsaw to happen? Really? This industry is truly screwed.

[edit: delete flamebait]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jetlinker (Post 855488)

For the guys who gloat, they don't really seem to get that whipsaw exists. Skywest Inc has been really good about almost matching industry leading contracts to keep the pilot group feeling like they're doing good.

Fortunately, there are many level heads over there who are not as content to keep their heads buried in the sand.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jetlinker (Post 855488)

I want whats best fo my airline and merging lists with 2 other airlines that don't share our culture is something I am 100% against. I am against people are my airline losing senority to others that want their position in base and seat. There is no whipsaw and there never has been one. I've said before ASA has gotten more aicraft in th past 2 years than skywest.

[edit: delete flamebait]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jetlinker (Post 855488)

Just what is this "whipsaw" you are talking about? Maybe you could provide some examples of such between the SkyWest and ASA pilot groups over the last 3 years or so.

I see benefits in one list as well as some negatives as well. For those advocating one list what negatives do you see? Are there none? Seniority for holding west coast domiciles is a big one that I see. The SkyWest pilot group has a lot to lose there. We've got a lot of west coast commuters to ORD, DEN and SLC, many have been waiting for years to get a transfer into California. Merging with anyone else would seriously hurt those pilots chances of ever getting based out west. I'd venture to say there are a lot more pilots wanting into SkyWest domiciles than SkyWest pilots wanting into ATL, IAH, or EWR. The one SkyWest pilot that I've heard pushing for one list lives in ATL, I can see how that benefits him.

Again on the whipsaw. ASA has a better contract than we do and have been getting the growth.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainNameless (Post 855338)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slaphappy (Post 855454)

give it a rest, skw isn't part of the merger and never will be. You'll take it to court and lose.

Well I'd say that will be up to a judge.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainNameless (Post 855125)

Not trying to fan flames here, just floating possible scenarios we may face if this merger goes through.

IAH is going to be United's largest hub. United is most likely going to want most of the RJs going in there to be larger than 50 seats at some point. ORD will be second largest. Same story there, along with IAD and EWR. I would guess the majority of the 50 seat ops would be sent to thinner markets out west where airport capacity isn't as jammed up as it is in the east half of the country.

So as XJT's fleet and ASA's CRJ2s enters the waning years, they will start to get sent west out of the IAH/ORD/IAD/EWR service area and into the LAX/SFO/SEA/DEN area. I think this will happen if SKW is one list or ASA and SKW are kept separate. Crews will not be retrained in new aircraft to prevent pilots from losing their domicile. I guess what I mean is, if you're a 70/90 seat CRJ pilot, you may face displacement east into IAH, EWR, IAD, and ORD. If you're a 50 seat or less pilot with whichever division, you have a greater chance of keeping your (west) base, or being displaced west (XJT/ASA 50-seat guys).

No, that's not how it will work. I don't know where you came up with the idea that the airline can move the aircraft and not give the crews a chance to retrain on a different aircraft. If I am displaced I then have the option of bidding any seat my seniority can hold.

Just an observation because it sounds like a lot of SKW guys are worried about losing their base in a merger. I think it just depends on which fleet you are on, and there may be little anyone can do in the future when United decides what they want and where. I think there may be a LOT of unhappy XJT guys getting sent where they don't want to go if the fleet allocation follows what I think is likely to happen, and are not allowed to maintain domicile by switching aircraft. Anyway, just another example of how SKW pilots are invloved in all this along with ASA and XJT. If you are going to be flying United pax, you are pretty involved.

I don't know, which is cheaper, retraining crews for different planes or paying moving expenses? Does SKW cover moving expenses if your base is sent elsewhere? (OK, maybe that's flamebait).

It's irrelevant because we have the option of bidding if faced with displacement.

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnso29 (Post 855530)

Well I'd say that will be up to a judge.

True. And if the judge says yes all 3.. "Inc." will run from the offer as fast as they can. I think ASA/XJT pilots need to focus on reality.....

Quote:

Originally Posted by amcnd (Post 855650)

True. And if the judge says yes all 3.. "Inc." will run from the offer as fast as they can. I think ASA/XJT pilots need to focus on reality.....

Perhaps they will....but that will not stop XE pilots from supporting it going to court. They have the clause in their contract for a reason. I know they're willing to take the risk. Will it be their demise? No one really knows, and only time will tell.

Has anyone seen dealbreakers? Is the sale already done? I'm just wondering if 'Inc' could just bail out on the deal if the judge ruled in XE pilot's favor.