Saab 340 IAH
 

So if all goes as planed and every SF340 is TU by the end of may what is going to happen to all of these routes from IAH? So many of these towns have invested huge amounts of money in terms of infrastructure and direct subsidy's to keep commercial service alive and I know at least a few are actually profitable. Would XJT be in a position to at least cover some of this lift on a temporry basis, I know back in the day they would run almost 5 flights a day to Beaumont in the ERJ (obviously a poor business decision)

In another thread someone pointed out that Victoria was EAS, so if I understand things correctly Colgan will have to continue to fly these routes until the DOT releases them from the EAS contract? That being said would they leave a few Saab's around or is it conceivable that we could see a Q or CRJ on this route and possiably others?

Someone on Airliners.net posted this about a day from Pinnacle filed.

UA 135's Coming To IAH — Civil Aviation Forum | Airliners.net

They will look at the numbers, and find out if a plane can fill it or else pull it. Silver might get a few with the 1900, and I think they are getting Saabs. Expressjet also has 135s parked, they could put those 37 seat jets on some of the routes, maybe even get some of Eagles since they want to return them.


If there is a market, it will be filled.

Skywest EMB 120s?

Doubt that, those will be beer cans soon.

"Soon" as in probably another 5-10 more years in the UA California system? then yes SOON...

The BRO has done a great job for all the california/west coast routes for UA, too bad Embraer doesnt produce a nexgen EMB120 that would seat close to 50...

Doesn't SkyWest already have a good presence at IAH? I'd imagine they might step in maybe for the time being until a more permanent solution is made? I dont think Silver is any position to move any aircraft to Houston yet (at least by the end of May). They dont have the number of Saabs to cover FLL and TPA, let alone IAH. And they need whatever 1900s are in Florida to stay put for now until more 340's hit the line. Just my 2 cents.

That would be nice. Either the Emb120 or a "nextgen" version of the Dash8-200/300 that would have the speed of the Q.

SkyWest was rumored to have asked for a q200/300 with the q400 engines or performed like the q400 and bombardier said no.

Yeah. I've read that the economics of a 50 seat turbo prop with Q400 speed isn't feasible.

I have family in allot of the city's Colgan currently serves with the SF340 and one thing to keep in mine is how horrible the service has been. This is mostly a slight against Colgan managment who cancels at least 2 flights a day to Beaumont and god know's how many more to other city's. I mention this because who ever moves into these routes is going to have to overcome allot of bad experiences....entire companies (mostly the oil and gas types) almost entirely send there personal to IAH by van or car now. Hell some entrepreneur in Beaumont started a shuttle to go back and forth to IAH for 30bucks a pop and guess who his biggest customer is, that's right Colgan. They cancel so many flights a day now that half the time they just send everybody on the shuttle so they don't miss there connections hahaha.

Even if Silver could spare a few 1900's which I think would work fine for the Beaumont, Waco, Victoria type routes would United even allow this? Also would this flying have to be contracted by United or could a Silver or Lakes come in under a code share?

Our 135's are gona pick up the EAS. From what im told so that means were not doing it.

Not following you. If ExpressJet E135's are going to take over the EAS routes, but ExpressJet pilots won't be operating them who will be flying them?

Yeah I'm lost on that one as well. I thought maybe he was implying that you cant believe what you hear?

I don't know where you get your performance information, but Colgan IAH SF3 operation has a 99.6% controllable completion factor for the last 12-months rolling. Of which BPT-IAH is 99.8%.

There is only one EAS route out of IAH and it's VCT. And I think it's only two or three flights a day.

42.6% of all statistics are made up......My information is from taking this route multiple times, noticed I said taken not flown because Colgan has put me on the "gound shuttle beaumont" van more times than I can count. But don't take my word for it go talk to the rammers, gate agents, or the guy that owns the van company who is making pimp sized grips of paper on canceled flights..... I'm not trying to start an argument here but the bottom line is that IMO Colgan's performance has been terriable for Beaumont and many other city's it serves and I'm simply trying to say that whoever moves into these routes and others has an up hill climb to regain the traveling publics confidence.

Aside from performance I always found the ticket prices for most of the SF340 routes from IAH to be outrageous and completely out of touch with the fact that 80% of these customers live within 2hrs of IAH. I'm not sure if this is a Colgan or United decision but if an operator were to come into these markets like Beaumont, College Station, Waco, Lake Charles ect.. and keep it around 100 bucks per segment, similar to what Silver has done in Montana, than I think you could be successful.

TXFLYER is correct. We put out, sadly
out of the crews control, a crap product in Texas. BPT used to have full flights, now there is an average of 10. We have ****ed off an entire community of passengers due to canceled flights, late flights, hot as hell airplanes, dirty airplanes etc...

I've watched first hand at the product diminish greatly over the years.

No...they won't have to overcome these "bad experiences". These cities are EAS for a reason: because they're in the middle of BFE. They should be thankful to have such crappy service and shut their mouths.

Ummm only Victoria is EAS...

... Thank you. The ONLY city in IAH for 9L (CJC, Pinnacolaba) that is EAS is VCT.

Who cares about completion factor! I mean a flight can be 4hrs delayed and still get completed. So what is the ON TIME performance? That is what matters and just as juice said the condition and reliability and performance is extremely below what to me is considered a good carrier. I flew the saabs down there and was embarrassed, and dissapointed to the people who were constantly affected by our poor performance. Operating peak hrs in summer with on a/c pack operable is just sickening. Im glad
express takin over.

I even drove and still do from houston to tyler just because i know there will more then likely be a delay or cancellation

I was referring to the EAS routes in general covered by 9L. I'd venture to say that many of the smaller non-EAS cities will get downgraded to something like a Cape Air type operation.

Just wait for the next few months, performance is going to be stellar. Glad I'm out soon, it's already a mess.

Not United's style. Expressjet to fill with the ERJ.

May schedules out today for XJT......Saab routes offically on there. Not sure 135 or 145 not specified.

Any idea if this is permanent, or more of a "lets see how this goes" situation?

I don't mean to come across as harsh here... But does it matter??

9L ain't doing it anymore.

Silver airways is coming

I should clarify the only Saab routes I see for May are out of IAD....not sure what up with IAH. Didn't have time to go through every line but there are at least no overnights in Colgan cities.

3000 block hours in IAH sf340 for April reduced to 2000 for May. I'm sure we will see XJT on those routes soon.

I see them as being a band-aide fix. Can't be profitable to run a 135 on the shorter routes (if at all). Maybe Commutair will grab up some more Dash8-200's and expand?

That data is historical values from an internal source. Not made up.

All SF3 flying in Texas is pro-rate meaning that Colgan alone sets the ticket prices. They have always charged an arm and a leg for a seat on all of our Saab aircraft.

Stop championing Silver as the end all be all. This is a company who put Ford air conditioners on their 1900s until the FAA caught them. Silver is the new Colgan. The lowest bidder, bottom feeder, scumbag operation. Colgan led the industry in 1900 and SF3 pay rates, something the Silver folks have a long ways to achieve. I know you are under new management, but this is EXACTLY how the XJT guys treated us until we had a respectable contract.

Poster said Colgan CANCELs half of the flights. That is a lie.

Holy friggin' crap.... HAHAHAHAHA!!

Well played

[QUOTE=SmitteyB;1165310

Stop championing Silver as the end all be all. This is a company who put Ford air conditioners on their 1900s until the FAA caught them. [/QUOTE]

The real air conditioner is from Toyota, so at least they went American.....