hahahaa. Tell that to the Mesaba merger committee.

I wouldn't doubt for a second that when the new APA contract is ratified it will include allowances for more 70 seat feed, probably with a reduction in the E-140 fleet. The new face will be more on a limit of regional aircraft AA can operate with scope limits on seats.

I see what you are saying, but the issue arises that you (assuming the divesture occurs...if it does not this is void) would no longer be employed by American Airlines, so your contract would be with American Eagle and not American Airlines. Scope is not something that can be easily forced upon another entity. Your scope would protect you from things American Eagle might do, but it would be a lot harder to have a judge enforce your scope with American. The waters get pretty muddy, and I can ensure you that their lawyers have already looked into the details.

I should add that the CPA that American Eagle gets with American will define the "scope" of the agreement. Unfortunately, the pilots will have no say in this.

everything we are all saying is pie in the sky. truth is we have no clue, and you are correct AA will not be giving us anything they don't want to give. They don't care what happens to us. This deal is all about what they want, and they will work it for their interest, and their interest only.

I agree wholeheartedly.

If the shareholders are used to only having AA stock, and all of the sudden they have AA and AE, why would they care if AE lost value? Moreover, AA execs definitely wouldn't care since they would no longer be responsible for us. Don't forget that in the process of all this, AA shares will probably rise.

And just to play devil's advocate, it does seem convenient for AA to position themselves to take ownership of the A/C, absorb the pilots, and then liquidate whatever is left. This would give them a staffing advantage pending the new rest rules being released. Every other carrier will be scrambling for pilots, and I think we can all agree that the pool is beginning to dry up. If AA has a larger pool all to themselves, they can adapt quickly.

No, it is not.

THERE IS NO PILOT SHORTAGE...put that Kit Darby/Fair Treatment for Experienced Pilots Act nonsense out of your mind. What there *is*, however, is a shortage of pilots willing to work for regional airline compensation/QOL.

There will NEVER be a shortage of qualified candidates wanting to work at an airline like American.

Yet people in the past got hired at XXX major at 300 hours without being part of a target group but i guess that COULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN yet everything seems to keep running in circles in this industry. But heck you COULD just read some books. If 20,000 people retire, trust me the majors will be scrambling, but it also depends on scope, and many other factors...basically this is too complicated for the INTERNET.:o

There will never be a pilot shortage for anything other than the regionals.

The phrase "past performance is not indicative of future results" doesn't mean anything to you, does it?

You mean the books that describe folks hired at United & TWA and other airlines decades ago, between WWII and Vietnam, when the US airline industry exploded in growth that cannot happen today due to market saturation?

20,000 people aren't going to retire all at once, and you seem to be conveniently forgetting the tens of thousands of highly qualified pilots who are unemployed or employed outside of regional airlines that would be interested in working at a company like AA.

Any "pilot shortage" will occur at bottom-tier operators offering comparatively weak compensation and/or lifestyle like regional airlines, charter outfits, some corporations and emerging airlines internationally - there will NEVER be an actual shortage of qualified pilots wanting to work at top-tier domestic US operators.

But by all means, keep "waiting for the shortage to come" if that gives you the strength to motor on...