Option Three: Get Narrow-Body Aircraft Into Eagle Livery.
What all thismeans is that AA is facing a crossroads where itmust
deal with an Eagle fleet that is economically deteriorating, and
an AA fleet that needs new-generation 90- to 120-seat airliners.
Mainline American, to its credit, has a major fleet renewal
program, but the absence of any airliners in this size range is
glaring, and for APA members, it’s a red flag. When a new fleet
in that size range is ordered, it’s entirely possible that the intent
will be to have the word “Eagle” painted on the fuselage, and
Eagle crews in the cockpit. And unlike the CRJs and ERJs, these
will be mainline airliners, with cabins and operational missions
that approximate those of Super-80s. (Or, for comparison
purposes, the F-100s that AA retired a few years ago.)
This is where management may propose to fix the capacity
gap by purchasing new 90- to 120-seat jets, with the intention of
“re-fleeting” American Eagle. These may be Embraer 190/195s,
Mitsubishi MRJs or even Russian-built Sukhoi SRJs. Possibly, the
proposalmight be even for a fleet of Bombardier C-Series airliners,
a platform that starts at around 125 seats and might be stretched
to 160 or more. Regardless, this will signal turning Eagle into an
operator of mainline, narrow-body airliners.
Prepare for this: reality is that any fleet renewal plan at Eagle,
other than more CRJs, will probably be focused on new narrowbody
airliners in the 90- to 120-seat categories. The intention is to
operate them in markets and in mission applications now flown
by Super-80s and 737s. They are direct replacements for mainline
flying, regardless whether or not the name of the specific airplane
model has the now-meaningless term “regional” in it.
On the surface, the arguments will be quite compelling.
Watch for the headlines in Flagship News: These new airliners at
Eagle will increase feed to mainline AA at DFW and ORD and
MIA! They will make AA as a system more competitive as other
airlines merge and consolidate! The addition of these larger jets
to the Eagle fleet will result in more job security for all!
Of course, just a look at the fact that AA departures at
ORD are now 63 percent Eagle-operated makes these arguments
entirely hollow. The intent is to continue outsourcing more
American Airlines flying to Eagle.

msg deleted...

apa is getting the 100 seaters

Moonwolf...your talking about hanging out in GA or bite the bullet and go to a regional that people are SPECULATING is falling apart. The pros outweigh the cons in the facts right now. Every regional has it rough right now. You have to start somewhere.

I am 28yoa. I was a UPS delivery driver making $72k working 8a-8p 60 hour weeks. I now get bored sitting at home with all my time off, meanwhile my Oct and Nov paychecks are 101 hours pay (ie, I enjoy this schedule). I couldnt go to UPS pilot from the Left seat of a brown truck. I bit the bullet and ran as fast as I could to the first interview I could get. I got my paperwork done as quickly as I could. Everything in airline biz is seniority based. Guys hired 45 days prior to me never saw reserve or airport standby (they've always been lineholders). So dont hang out writing on APC wondering what you should do. Take this time on your computer and fill out job applications....This job is pretty easy if you put aside commuting and reserve lifestyle for the first 2.5 years.

I just bought a house in Fort Worth and recently off reserve. I can talk to you all day things that I am unhappy about or scared about in the industry (ie, doom and gloom). But some day you and I CAN make good money as an airline pilot. You have to put your time in. Your time put in at GA isnt gonna help you get there. So get your running shoes on and get your seniority number a digit higher than the next guy. You want the shiny jet and I would want to fly a C-152, C-182 or a PA-28 again. The industry fluctuates and your flavor of aircraft of the week will change too. My flavor now is 100LL. Try to block out doom and gloom brother. Every job has doom and gloom. At least as an airline pilot you get a paycheck to do what you love.

Before I came to Eagle I spoke to a few Eagle pilots on their number 2 radio while they were enroute and they gave me doom and gloom. But glad I didnt listen to much of it and all your gonna get on APC is D 'n G. My dad was a captain who retired in 1997 and he said D 'n G was popular even in times when things were good; he was furloughed twice and involved in 3 airline mergers and had a great career. Airline pilots complain and always have, its not something new.

How will mgmt convince APA of allowing Eagle to grow into the 90-120 seat range? Telling APA that it will create more feed for their int'l flights and a more "competitive" airline wont budge APA one bit.

BG just curious, if you are an UPSco employee, don't you submit a letter of intent to the flight department?

because if they dont, they (AMR) via interline with JB and West jet have them do the flights instead of AE and AA. If if this works well, they can reduce domestic AA and allow via interline leading to code share and oneworld membership. There is open skies and everyone can fly from anywhere to anywhere. AE may never be in the driver seat, but APA is going to be waiting at the wrong bus stop.

It seems bgmann wants larger jets at Eagle, but the reality is that it makes little difference to the APA where their flying goes, if it's elsewhere. That is UNLESS they control the flying and for Eagle pilots that means the stapler comes out and as large RJ's replace smaller ones, junior and furloughed AA pilots take the slots (at least captain slots) which is as it should be for the only way that will happen is mutual agreement of all parties.

At least for the first 5 years or so as this ideal would progress, Eagle pilots would see a lot more retraction pay and seat wise before they could get into large RJ left seats and/or junior conventional narrowbody (738 as the 80's would probably be replaced by these aircraft).

Could happen, but the fact is Eagle pilots will be last in the buffet line.

They probably don't like your avatar :)
(they do watch the forums)

I never said that in my opinion AE would get them. I was merely copying and pasting a paragraph in the newsletter.

But...look at the history of AE. AE was once upon a time limited to the Jetstream. Then limited to number of Saabs. Then limited to ATR-42. Then limited to ATR-72. Then they got jets; they were limited to 37 seats. Then 44seat jets. Then 50 seats. Then we could get 22 CRJ-700s. Now we can have +25 CRJs. Now we have first class.

This pattern is significant. Their may even been some planes I missed. But I will take you to debate that there is a significant possibility with the Embraer becoming obsolete AE could be on their way to more than 47 CRJs and with the pattern, could get larger jets. Just saying...I don't necessarily want AE to get large EMBs. I want to be a Major Captain someday and would love there to still be Majors in existence when I am ready.