WhiteH2O

New from the Big Sky Airlines web site:


Delta Connection
Beginning April 8, 2007 Big Sky Airlines is proud to begin operating as a Delta Connection Carrier from Boston to Albany, Massena, Ogdensburg, and Watertown, New York as well as Bangor, Maine. More destinations from Boston will be announced soon. For schedules, pricing, and reservations please go to www.Delta.com or you may click on the Delta Connection button to the left.


Perhaps the fact that Delta is going to be doing advertising for the new routes will be a saving grace. Also, that answers the original question of where they will be flying to.

Ellen

I agree with Nick. I am somewhat familiar with Big Sky. Montana based carrier without service to Kalispell and Great Falls? I believe they also axed Spokane, Moses Lake, Pocatello, Walla Walla . . . What's next Billings, Helena and Boise.

http://www.matr.net/article-18836.html (guess this didn't happen)

http://www.nwcn.com/statenews/idaho/....56c9c422.html (Oh another casuality)

http://www.newwest.net/index.php/top...kane/C457/L35/ (When does it End?)

Ellen

Check this out Nick . . . Seems he leaves in his wake BANKRUPT and dead airlines. Get out NOW!!!

TRAVEL ADVISORY: AIRLINES; New No-Frills Contender
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By TERRY TRUCCO
Published: December 25, 1994
The latest entry in the growing low-cost, no-frills airline sweepstakes is Vanguard Airlines. And many of the people behind it, including Vanguard's chief financial officer, Fred DeLeeuw, learned their trade at People Express, the famous budget airline of the '80s.

To avoid going the way of People Express, which went out of business on Jan. 31, 1987, Vanguard is set to expand slowly.

Initially, the airline, which has leased two Boeing 737-200's, will fly just two routes: Denver to Kansas City, Missouri and Denver to Salt Lake City, starting Dec. 4.

One-way peak fares from Kansas City to Denver are $79 (off-peak fares $59). Peak fares on the other route are $65 ($45 off peak). For more information, call (816) 243-2100. TERRY TRUCCO

___________________________

ATLAS AIR PROMOTES FRED L. DELEEUW TO SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGIC PLANNING

Purchase, NY - July 6,2001 -- Atlas Air, Inc. announced that Fred deLeeuw, previously Vice President of Corporate Finance, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning. In his new position, deLeeuw will be responsible for fleet planning, mergers and acquisitions, alliances and joint ventures.


He joined Atlas Air in 1996 after 26 years of experience in the passenger airline industry, coming from Vanguard Airlines where he had been Chief Financial Officer. Prior to his tenure at Vanguard, deLeeuw held various financial positions at Texas International Airlines, People Express, Continental Airlines and Northwest Air.


"Fred has made major contributions to Atlas Air's financial successes over the past several years. He has played a particularly key role during the Company's transitional period of the last few months, with dual responsibilities for many of the Company's financial matters as well as its ongoing strategic efforts. In every instance, he has performed exceptionally," said Richard Shuyler, Chief Executive Officer of Atlas Air, Inc. "This promotion is well deserved, and we are proud to welcome him to his new position."


deLeeuw lives in Brookfield, Connecticut with his wife Jan and their four children.


Atlas Air, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CGO) and is a United States certificated air carrier that operates a fleet of Boeing 747 freighters under ACMI contracts. These contracts include the provision by Atlas Air of the Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance for some of the world's leading international carriers.

Nick

For a short time I was hearing talk of Helena going away. It wouldn't surprise me to see all "for profit" runs disappear and all management picked up and moved to the Northeast. Whatever is best for the CEO is ALWAYS best for the company and it's employees. Boise is probably gone by the end of March. March 21'st is floating around as the probable closing date for Pocatello, Walla Walla, and possibly Jackson. The only way we'll find out the official date is by asking the hotels and they haven't heard anything yet Anyway, thanks Ellen for shedding some insight on our wonderful leader and company!

mccube5

Are these routes you guys a referencing making the company money? If they are why would they give them up?

Nick

Truthfully, I couldn't tell you if the non-EAS routes Big Sky has are making money or not. The problem with this company is that they have absolutely no advertising budget or common sense. EAS is easy because it is guaranteed money, little effort after the routes are awarded by the DOT, and causes the company no harm if an airplane is empty or full... or if the weather sucks!

The company went into Pocatello, for example, expecting to match the 25,000 passengers Horizon carried the year earlier. Well, when Horizons billboard advertisement is still showing Horizon 6 months after Big Sky starts flying there... how does Big Sky expect to get any of their passengers? Our management thought we could match Horizon but we fell WAYYYYYY short of that # in 2006. Rough guess would be maybe 1/5th the amount(and that's a generous guess).

The route Big Sky dropped through Great Falls, Kalispell, and Spokane was absolutely profitable and Big Sky pulled out. Every time I flew that route the airplane was full. My guess is that they were in need of airplanes that they needed for EAS crap and were willing to do anything to get what they needed. Either that, or they couldn't find a fuel company that would fuel their airplanes because they were 5 years behind on their fuel bills .

What is probably comes down to, though, is our CEO being from the Northeast and wanting to get back there. If you look at where the company is headed it is straight East. Springfield, Midway, Boston, Fort Lauderdale...

SOMEBODY HIRE ME PLEASE!!!

ERJ135

Big Sky is supposed to have a job fair at the Holiday Inn in BOS Fri and Sat. from what I hear they cannot recruite for a Watertown base.

Nick

All I have heard is that the pilot domicile will be in Boston and the maintenance base will be in Watertown.

WhiteH2O

I heard that the pilot domicile was supposed to be in Watertown, but about 20 people called and canceled their interviews. I don't know if that is the reason or not, but they are now saying that the pilots will be in Boston. They are probably going to get a bunch of people to sign the training contract, then switch it back to Watertown. Just a guess.

Nick

Sounds like something Big Sky would do... The company has been calling a bunch of our FO's asking them what it would take for them to upgrade. Apparantely Big Sky is having a hell of a time finding enough street captains to hire. Your thought of hiring, having you sign the training contract, and then changing the domicile is very interesting and very possible. Some FO's have said that they will upgrade if no training contract has to be signed... who knows if the company will do it, though.