Does anyone know the history in aviation of mainline buying regionals? What has been the outcome for the regionals after being bought. Any positive or all negative.

 

Comair. They died.

 

.....and, no. You won't get a mainline number if your regional is bought. Historically.

 

AMR bought the five companies providing lift as American Eagle a long time ago. Four were merged under the Simmons (MQ) certificate, and Executive was kept separate for the extended overwater certification for the ATR's in the Caribbean. They made the purchases to control the product, schedule synergy, and schedule flexibility. A 16 year contract ensued. Flowthroughs, 9/11, flowbacks, and many other things occurred. In general, it was a good thing as it reduced the whipsaw that those merged pilots were put through by management. Now, Eagle-voy is right back where it started, getting whipsawed.

 

I just lol'd

 

Correct, you can expect no more then what is negotiated with ALPA except for AA/TWA that used senator's. It seems that based on history the regionals were extremely under represented in ALPA with regards to mainline buyouts. (Not that we didn't already know it) Is there any mainline that would accept agreements given to them in the same manner a buying mainline gives a regional?

 

Yes, Comair died a death of a thousand cuts. There are others who are no longer around.

AMR purchased the likes of Simmons, Command, Air Virginia, Wings West, Business Express and Executive. As mentioned elsewhere, Executive wasn't merged into what is now Envoy.

I know people who were flying at Command (ATR 42s and Shorts 360s) and Simmons (ATR 42s/72s and Shorts 360s) who were not happy with the acquisition by AMR. As smaller carriers, like Comair, they enjoyed better insurance and travel benefits along with being able to live in base. The merger of all these carriers into American Eagle, now Envoy, ruined that for many of them.

Unlike Comair employees, they did have jobs after their carriers were merged with others. Delta refused to merge ASA and Comair. They said it was too costly to merge the two carriers. That's when most of us knew this was a control issue.

There was a point in time when major carriers did own their own feeders. That cycle, with PSA, Envoy and Piedmont being owned by AAG, is repeating itself.

Prior to Comair being shut down, Delta said they didn't need to own their regional carriers preferring to have "partners." So, now, who does Delta own? Endeavor!

History does have a tendency to repeat itself.

 

AA/Airways ownes PDT/PSA/Eagle, and 10% of Mesa. Not sure there is any benefit to being a wholly owned airline.
Especially when Alpa represents both the mainline and regional airlines.

 

A valid point except ALPA doesn't represent mainline at AAG. LAA is APA (Allied Pilots Association) and LUS is USAirways Pilots Association (?). ALPA does represent all three of the regionals.

 

In all cases, its never been a good thing....