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The American Eagle Story - the later years

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The American Eagle Story - the later years

Old 02-22-2015, 11:00 AM
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Default The American Eagle Story - the later years

This should be fair warning to those regional pilots filled with smug because their airline is in growth: In 3.5 short years, a once great regional has been decimated to near nothingness. It can, and likely will, happen to you at some point as well. The robber barons of today are the greedy and gluttonous likes of Doug (I have 6 DUIs) Parker. All they care about is the bottom line and if they can throw you to the curb like yesterday's leftovers to make a few bucks, they will.

This is definitely worth the read:

So much has happened in the last few years that it is worth a trip down memory lane to see how we arrived where we are today.
Early 2011 - American Eagle is taking delivery of 27 CRJ 700s. New hires are totaling 40-50 per month.
Aug 2011 - Captain upgrade time drops from almost 10 years in 2010 to 4. If everything stayed the same, it would drop to around 3 in just under a year.
Sep 2011 - American Eagle has over 3400 pilots on its seniority list.
Oct 2011 - AMR files for bankruptcy. Hiring immediately stops and 76 new hires are furloughed.
Apr 2012 - American Eagle closes SJU base.
May 2012 – American Eagle pilots begin bankruptcy negotiations for a new concessionary contract that would include a new sweet fleet plan.
Aug 2012 - AA and US Airways begin talks
Sep 2012 - American Eagle closes LAX base
Sep 2012 - SkyWest given contract to operate 23 CRJ-200s out of LAX
Oct 2012 – American Eagle pilots approve concessionary bankruptcy contract with the sweet fleet plan language removed and changed to a gentleman’s agreement
Nov 2012 – 3,141 pilots on envoy seniority list
Jan 2013 - Republic granted 47 EMB 175s with an additional 47 options. Envoy pilots receive 0 aircraft in exchange for their bankruptcy concessions
Feb 2013 - AA and US Airways begin formal merger
Feb 2013 - ExpresJet begins operating CRJs from DFW
May 2013 - 2,994 pilots on American Eagle seniority list
July 2013 - Pedro Fabregas appointed president of American Eagle
July 2013 – American Eagle’s pilot union rejects a B-Scale proposal as directed by ALPA policy. Management specifically references Endeavor's lower costs as the reason for additional concession (See Jan 2015)
Sep 2013 - Pilots at PSA, supported by ALPA, approve industry bottom contract that includes a B-Scale to ensure they receive American Eagle aircraft
Dec 2013 - AA and US Airways merge and American Airlines exits bankruptcy
Dec 2013 - AA orders 30 CRJ 900 for PSA with option for 40 more
Dec 2013 - AA orders 60 EMB 175s with options for 90 more. These orders are then used to threaten American Eagle pilots
Dec 2013 – Just 10 days after exiting bankruptcy management returns for additional concessions to honor the sweet fleet plan.
Dec 2013 – 2,778 pilots on American Eagle seniority list
Jan 2014 - American Eagle renamed envoy air
Mar 2014 - (12:00) envoy pilots reject a second attempt at another concessionary contract
Mar 2014 - (12:02) envoy pilots notified that they would not fly Chautauqua ORD flying when ORD VP drags new SkyWest jet out and parks it in front of ORD crew room
Apr 2014 -2,604 pilots on envoy seniority list
May 2014 - Under armed guard PSA’s new CRJ 900 is unveiled……in DFW
May 2014 - Mesa awarded 6 CRJ-900’s without concessionary demands
Jun 2014 - Compass awarded 20 EMB 175s without concessionary demands
Sep 2014 - envoy pilots notified that AA will transfer all 47 of its CRJ 700s to PSA
Oct 2014 - envoy begins to close MIA crew base
Nov 2014 - Mesa begins DFW operations and will become the largest operator of regional jets in DFW
Nov 2014 - envoy pilots notified that 50 jets will be transferred from envoy airlines to help solve staffing. 20 to Piedmont, 15 to TSA and 15 to ExpressJet. Oddly, this move backfires and attrition sky rockets
Dec 2014 - (12:00 PM) envoy pilots accept concessionary contract with the promise of 40 EMB 175s and 90 options.
Dec 2014 - (2:00 PM) AA awards employees 4% raises, not to include envoy pilots
Jan 2015 - 2,370 pilots on envoy seniority list
Jan 2015 - Endeavor pilots receive $80,000 retention bonus (See July 2013)
Feb 2015 - PSA given 24 additional CRJ-900 options, reducing envoy’s promised options by 24.
Feb 2015 - Mesa orders seven additional CRJ 900s, reducing envoy’s promised options by an additional 7. The agreement also includes an undisclosed number of options to purchase additional CRJ900 aircraft that would also reduce envoy’s promised options even further.
Feb 2015 - Flow through pilots are notified that the flow through has been temporarily stopped
Feb 2015 - envoy pilots notified that the company will close its NY EMB base with the CRJ base to follow.
Feb 2015 - Compass begins flying EMB-175s from American Eagle's old LAX base

Envoy’s current known future – 2 bases, ORD and DFW. 88 E-145s, 40 E-175 plus, maybe, 34 options. Total fleet count if no additional options are given away, the remaining available options are delivered and no additional aircraft outsourced or parked, 162 aircraft with roughly 1800 pilots.

The trend line remains in the wrong direction even after capitulating to their demands. The promises are still being broken and we are still shrinking. You can only beat a dog so long before it just dies, especially if you give it a bowl of water and then beat it some more for licking your hand. Good luck to us all.
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Old 02-22-2015, 11:07 AM
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Original posting by Boing over at EL. Not sure if s/he was the original author but a lot of effort to make that so credit given when deserved...

But agreed, good idea to share it with as many people as possible. Wonder if a similar one for Comair could be made.
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Old 02-22-2015, 11:15 AM
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Originally Posted by snippercr View Post
Original posting by Boing over at EL. Not sure if s/he was the original author but a lot of effort to make that so credit given when deserved...

But agreed, good idea to share it with as many people as possible. Wonder if a similar one for Comair could be made.
Yes sorry should have given Boing credit. I added a few things but in general it was a great timeline and perspective.
I urge the younglings thinking of getting into this industry to realize that the pretty picture painted in your head, and reinforced by airline sponsored/run Facebook and YouTube videos(boldmethod.com), is NOT reality.
In the end, you are a glorified bus driver who spends 3-4 nights per week at the La Quinta in Montgomery AL, Cedar Rapids IA, Grand Island NE.
The airplane really does do most of the flying and your biggest challenge is complacency due to boredom and infinite repetition.
People don't look at pilots like the glamorous heroes of yesteryear.
And the big one: you are an absolute piece of meat, at the mercy of being thrown to the wolves by management at the instant they begin salivating over a slightly cheaper prospect. You WILL likely never follow the career timeline you thought, but management will always dangle the few success stories to make you think you can win the lottery.
If I had it to do over again, I likely would not have gone down this road. This coming from a regional "lifer" stuck here, mostly not of my doing, for 24 years. I have it rich compared to my poor FOs today too.
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Old 02-22-2015, 11:44 AM
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What is really depressing is the rate at which it all falls apart.
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Old 02-22-2015, 12:58 PM
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Timeline is pretty close to that of Comair, Business Express (aka Independence Air) and so many others. Do not think it cannot happen to you. The RAA needs to turn these regionals over to keep the cost down. History has a way of repeating.

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Old 02-22-2015, 02:13 PM
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ACA turned into Independence. BizEx was bought by L-Eagle.
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Old 02-22-2015, 02:15 PM
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Originally Posted by RJ Pilot View Post
Any words on displacements? With a base closing and planes leaving, it's inevitable.

Goodluck!
Somewhere in there we need to add "RJ Pilot gets fired from Eagle, while eating cheetos in his moms basement, claims to be a G5 CA flying to closed airports. Best day ever"
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Old 02-22-2015, 02:17 PM
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Originally Posted by RJ Pilot View Post
Any words on displacements? With a base closing and planes leaving, it's inevitable.

Annoyingsig!

Nothing in the works yet. The base closes 4Q 2015, so I'm sure it's going to be a while before they sort that out. It would be helpful if they announced where the 175's are going first, that would help done people plan a little.
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Old 02-22-2015, 02:21 PM
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Originally Posted by RJ Pilot View Post
Bizex wasn't independence air. You don't know what are u talking about son.
^^^^^What he said.

BIZEX was a DelCon carrier in the northeast that was folded into AE in 2000-2001.

However, ACJet (a separate certificate holder under ACA Holdings) took over some of BIZEX's route structure out of LGA and BOS.
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Old 02-23-2015, 10:24 AM
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The point is that Eagle was a viable and "go to" regional for new hires a short time ago.
Read the timeline that is 3.5 years of beat down to see how fast the king can become the pauper.
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