SKW/XJT/ASA fleet bases, merger concerns
#11
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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..
#12
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From: RJ Captain
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.
#13
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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]
[edit: delete flamebait]
Last edited by TonyWilliams; 08-14-2010 at 05:31 AM.
#14
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Fortunately, there are many level heads over there who are not as content to keep their heads buried in the sand.
Last edited by TonyWilliams; 08-14-2010 at 05:32 AM.
#15
[edit: delete flamebait]
Last edited by TonyWilliams; 08-14-2010 at 05:32 AM.
#16
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From: RJ Captain
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.
Last edited by TonyWilliams; 08-14-2010 at 05:33 AM.
#17
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From: B757/767
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.
Well I'd say that will be up to a judge.
#18
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From: Captain CR7/CR9
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).
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).
#19
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#20
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From: B757/767
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.
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