Actually, that would be called "we still have options".

 

I understand the F9 pilots frustration. It's been a very difficult five years for them.

In 2006 during former CEO Potter's reign he developed a grand plan for Frontier. His plan was to expand into mid-western cities with direct flights to Mexico, experiment with point to point California flying and announced the the start up of a new airline (Lynx) owned by Frontier that would operate turboprops to support their Denver hub. Also, in what turned out to be his biggest blunder, he signed a long term contract with Republic to replace Horizon in providing regional jet lift.

It sounded good on paper but Potter began his plan during what now is viewed as the deepest downturn in the national economy since the great depression.

As Wall Street was imploding and the real estate market was tanking Potter squandered millions of dollars of Frontier's assets. He was flying half full (or less) Airbus, paying pilots, mechanics, ground support, outstation personnel while waiting for the FAA to issue an operating certificate to Lynx and then had to hire Express Jet to fulfill Lynx commitments. He had also hammered out a horrible deal from Frontier's perspective with Republic exposing his naivete or unsophistication as a CEO of an airline.

So when all that ultimately led to Potter resigning it was only a matter of a few months after his departure that his successor Menke was forced to file for bankruptcy.

Once Frontier filed bankruptcy the fate of the F9 pilots became bleak.

There is inherent risk in the airline industry when you move to a new company as most of the F9 pilots did. F9 pilots came from regional airlines, charter airlines, the military and every other possible way to work for Frontier. Frontier was a mid sized major airline with one hub and a history of bankruptcy in it's first incarnation. Going to work for Frontier was a calculated risk all the F9 pilots made and unfortunately that risk reared it's ugly head under the direction of Jeff Potter!

During the binding SLI arbitration Eischen decided what was fair and equitable between the four pilot groups. The F9 pilots career expectations had been so diminished by Potter's blunders which had landed Frontier in bankruptcy that he blended the F9 captains with RAH captains in tier 1 and the remaining F9 pilots with MEA and RAH pilots in tier 2.

Native RAH pilots didn't steal F9 pilot seniority. Eischen determined that blending F9, RAH and MEA pilots was "fair and equitable" based on the equities each pilot group brought to the combined airline.

RAH pilots didn't steal F9 pilots seniority. Potter squandered F9 pilot seniority.

 

Interesting take on the outcome. Your analysis of potter's blunders is relatively accurate.

Eischen has definitely made his decision, and if it helps you sleep at night you can say that the RAH pilots didn't "steal" F9 pilot seniority. But, the RAH pilots like to pick and choose the pieces of history that suit their needs.

1. They claim they had nothing to do with the acquisition of Midwest (that acquisition ended badly for all involved and offered no potential benefit for the RAH pilots, other than the opportunity to fly E190 aircraft that they never had the chance to fly prior to the acquisition of Midwest or Frontier).

2. They claim they personnally saved the Frontier pilots from liquidation, and now we owe them our souls. The Frontier acquisition ended with the potential of higher earnings and better quality of life for the RAH pilots, so rather than take the same position they took with the midwest acquisition, they were no longer innocent bystanders, they SAVED US. Now they want a reward for their heroic actions.

You can't have it both ways and be honest with yourselves. Either you had nothing to do with both acquisition or you have everything to do with both acquisitions. So which is it?

Don't talk to me about "inherent risk". How many FFD aircraft did RAH have in 2008? 220+

How many do they have today? 170

How many 190's did RAH have in 2008? 0

How many do they have today? 20?

No one has benefited more from this disaster than the RAH pilots. Keep telling yourself that you didn't steal anything. Are these the same IBT pilots that didn't want to include the Midwest pilots in the single carrier system? Why would they choose to leave a group of pilots out in the cold, perhaps because they were a very senior group of pilots and it would be very convienient if Midwest was not included in the Single Transportation System? Does that sound like the behavior of a group of pilots that was not intent on stealing something from another group? Don't take my word for it read the IBT filing:

"This letter constitutes the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Airline

Division’s (IBT) response to the carriers’ submission of October 26, 2010. The information contained in those responses—together with the evidence submitted here by the IBT—demonstrates that Chautauqua Airlines, Shuttle America,Republic Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and Lynx Aviation, the operating subsidiaries owned and controlled by Republic Airways Holdings, comprise a single transportation system for purposes of representation for the craft or class of Pilot. As explained below, however, Midwest Airlines is not a part of this single transportation system as it is no longer a carrier. Accordingly, the Board should issue a determination that the operating affiliates of RAH constitute a “single carrier” for the representation of Pilots and that single carrier does not include Midwest Airlines."

So, in your world, the RAH pilots have done nothing to effect the outcome of events and they are merely innocent bystanders. How fortunate, I get warm and fuzzy just thinking about their windfall.

In the Frontier pilot's world the RAH pilots, along with the IBT, have done everything imaginable to take everything they possibly can take from the Midwest and Frontier pilots.

Spare me your shangri-la happy version of events.

 

FYI...

Former Midwest Captain and ALPA NC Committee Chairman for YX ran unopposed for the leadership of Local 357. He will take over the reign of the Local 357 1/1/2012.

 

Spot on! I just heard that term on The Daily Show too...

 

The funny thing is, Chautauqua, Republic, Shuttle America have been stealing off the backs of other airlines since 1974, starting with Allegheny Commuter and USAir all the way to Comair and ExpressJet. Where were they when Comair was on strike in 2001? Why should Frontier be any different? Just add them to the path of destruction wrought by RAH.

 

Also known as democracy. You got bought fellas. It sucks. I'll be the first to raise a glass to this being the last purchase ever of a better place by a worse place.

 

Stealing? Hardly. They, like every other regional, are simply bidding on the flying the majors GAVE away. You seem to have sympathy for Comair? Didn't they "steal" flying from Delta? Express jet? That's a lot of mainline Conited jobs being outsourced. You're not very rational with respect to your contempt.

 

Everyone is aware that only 7 people stepped up to fill 7 positions.

This was going to be the first Executive Board election in the history of your property. On top of that, you are in the middle of Contract negotiations and mediation. Your in the middle of a strike vote.

All of this and no one cares enough to run for office, you had to appoint seven people to fill seven open positions.

I can't fathom the mindset of a group so apathetic. Best of luck to the newly "elected". I am looking forward to their version of a welcome mat for their proverbial "brothers and sisters" at Frontier.

I have already heard CM, the new president, claiming that the Lawsuit against LOA 67 isn't a lawsuit against the Frontier pilots. He claims that it is a lawsuit against FAPAInvest LLC. I find that interesting considering that is not at all what the lawsuit claims. LOA 67 could very well remain in place if FAPAInvest were to go away, but that is not what the IBT wants. They want both FAPAInvest AND LOA 67 to go away. The new president better get his story straight before January 1.

 

The difference is Delta and Continental both owned the respective carriers. There were flow agreements and both were considered a great way in the interim to get your experience up while enjoying mainline like benefits and a much better wage than what Chautauqua was offering. Tell me, if Rechaublic wasn't there to lower the bar and lap up the scraps after the demise of the wholly owned airlines, would they still be around? Wouldn't they still be providing a pathway to a major airline job without bending over to do it? As an outsider looking in, this marriage on Frontier and RAH could have been great if they were kept seperate with some sort of flow through agreement. I guess that wasn't enough and RAH pilots felt entitled to much more. It's history and greed repeating itself in different form over and over. Also, to comment on your contempt comment, you bet I have contempt towards companies and pilots that suck the life from a once great profession. F9 pilots, I support you against the cancer of RAH. Just remember there are more like us that value this profession and say no to the degredation.