Skywest Q400 rates
 

Hey everyone. We here at Horizon have recently learned that Skywest management are surveying their pilot group to learn whether there is support for potentially flying the Q400 at CRJ 200 rates.

I'm not sure if it is normal practice for SkW management to get input from the pilots on pay rates, especially for aircraft that are not on property, or even on order. The timing of this particular poll however looks somewhat suspicious to us at QX.

Many of you may not be aware, but the pilot union at QX is going into a pay rate arbitration in early september. Our management team are hoping to demonstrate to the arbitrator - who will IMPOSE pay rates on us for the next two years, that QX Q400 rates are considerably higher than "industry standard". Our management team was greatly dismayed by the recent gains made by the folks over at Pinnacle/Colgan with their new contract, which will eclipse current QX Q400 rates in a couple years. They would love nothing more than to be able to point at a published Q400 payscale at a large CPA carrier, operating in West coast markets, that was considerably lower than our current rates. Our management team obviously has been in close talks with yours over the last several months over the CPA deal, and they are experts at the divide and conquer game.


It is of course up to you to decide how to answer the poll. In doing so however, please consider the following:

a) the Q400 is certified for up to 78 seats. (ours have 76)

b) the Q400 costs less to acquire, finance, and fuel than the CRJ 700. It has the lowest break-even load factor in the industry.

c) Q400 block times are just a few tenths off of CRJ times on stage lengths of 400nm and less.

d) Your management team is aware of all the above. If they are serious about potentially acquiring Q400's (from whatever source) they know they can operate them profitably at pay rates ABOVE your current CRJ 700 rates. If they aren't serious, your answers won't matter to you - only to us.

Bombardier has a marketing website with some good comparison info: Q400.COM - Home Page

Thanks for your attention, and good luck.

This is not correct.

These Q400 rate talks between SAPA and Mgmt have been taking place for a very very long time. Mgmt wanted them in our last pay proposal but SAPA would not negotiate as it would force a rate that would be below standard. So Mgmt agreed to an ongoing discussion.

SAPA has asked for input from the pilot group. If rates are agreed upon by SAPA and Mgmt they will be put out for a vote. From what I can gather Mgmt. wants CR2 and the pilots want CR9, the problem I’m hearing is that our CR2 rates would be 2nd highest in the industry behind QX, todays values.

It's my understanding these talks are based upon a UAL RFP for Q400 flying out of ORD and DEN. The RFP's been around a while but the UAL/CAL merger has jump started the fishing for bids so they don't have a single operator of Q's.

The original poster does have a point that the renewed interest in Q400 rates seems very convenient timing wise given horizons pay negotiations. I wouldn't be surprised if this is a tactic by Skywest management to earn brownie points with alaska by forcing you guys to fly for lower rates.

Anyway I don't think the Skywest pilot group has been given a clear answer on who the proposed rates are for exactly. As usual though a lot of the information we get around here is by word of mouth.

Fwiw we did get an email not too long ago asking if we'd fly the q400 for cr2 rates, I replied that I wasn't interested and it seemed like most the people I talked to weren't interested either.

Seems like SKW is trying to set your rates for you

CRJ 900 rates to fly the Q400 or they can take a hike.

Most I talk to feel the same way.

Not sure if thats going to happen. I hope it does. Currently, we're $4.00hr behind the 900 rates at PNCL. The Q Capt rates top out at 114hr with the pay bump each year through 2015. :confused:

Keep in mind all the rates you see on APC's SkyWest page are incorrect and have not been updated since our pay package took effect. Our CR9 CA's top out at a little more than QX's current Q400 rates.

That's nice to say, but in reality the call is WAY harder and WAY more complicated than that. It's good to be fired up though, normally it would give your negotiators some more leverage. However, since there are no actual negotiators, it's not likely to make much of a difference.

Unfortunately it is somewhat correct. Chip wants the Q400 for CRJ200 pilot rates and said it is Delta that is interested in them (He told me this in the crew lounge about 3 weeks ago). I have only found 1 person at Skywest that said they would agree to fly them for 200 rates and I have spoken with many pilots after my conversation with Chip. I do not believe there is any way this pilot group would do that. I wouldn't worry about us flying them for our 200 rates.

It was clear his agenda was to try and pass this information along to the pilot group through me. Whether I believe anything he says or not is another story...