AAL Increasing Fleet; DAL and UL Shrinking
 

Read more here:

The U.S. Pilot Shortage Continues to Rear Its Ugly Head -- The Motley Fool

:cool: Didn't even read the whole article. UAL and DL are growing mainline while shrinking regionals. Totally misleading title.

The article says as much as well. AAG isn't growing in the right sector. UAL/DL are moving in the right direction by removing most 50 seat lift and replacing it with mainline lift.

Sorry, for some reason the mods have a very small character limit in the thread subject line, it is hard to get a point across in the title a lot of times.

AAG will likely follow the rest of the industry. As is usually the case though, being an industry follower as opposed to an industry leader, it will end up costing them more in the end.

The odd thing is, US Air was one of the first mainline companies to establish an E190 fleet. When Parker took over, he had a perfect opportunity to grow the fleet and fill the 90 - 110 seat market gap. Instead, he wasted millions trying to pressure the regional airlines into lower costs to only have market forces to require him to reverse almost every cost cutting initiative.

AAG shareholders have paid him millions and he has accomplish nothing in two years. They should have paid him to sit in his office and do nothing and AAG would still be better off than it is today.

They've also spent over $6 billion on stock buybacks in the last two years. Conceivably this helps to raise the stock price......but in this case it hasn't. It's a failed policy. The stock is at its 52 week low and flirting with all time low territory.

While I don't understand what Parker is doing (besides being at the helm of an airline making billions of dollars), I love when pilots criticize airline management as if they're completely incompetent and are somehow inept.

Looks promising for envoy

Fresh out of bankruptcy in the current airline market place, the airline is making money despite him, not because of him.

Not sure how the 3 WO are doing with attracting pilot's, but me thinks Parkers path to the majors plan is going to fall flat. Not attracting enough pilots to even keep his regionals staffed.

Have a friend who works at PSA and says it's the worst career decision of his life. He said even Mesa would have been better for more reasons he could
List. He said he would never recommend anyone to an eagle Carrier?!?!

Mesa doesn't have a flow , good insurance if it does ever workout

So you're saying flow to American from a wholely owned carrier isn't possible in 3 years?

We all know the 2.5/6 yr projection won't happen for a while , I am optimistic the flow might be possible in 8-10 yrs . All depends if they can hire or if they will flow everyone off property and close the doors or just staple everyone into the AA seniority list

Really ?

Have you seen AAG's debt load recently along the stock buy-back scheme of buying stock back at substantially more then it's worth or how about doubling down on fleet choices that are becoming obsolete because of the inability to acquire a critical part (a First Officer) in opposition to the rest of the industry ?

Just curious, but exactly what do you see as "competent" in regard to the majority of AAG's post merger moves ?

IMHO, I believe the shortage at the WOs are because Parker and AAG in general have created such a hostile environment at the WOs that potential new hires avoid in favor of better pilot-management relations for an overall better QOL at a regional. For example, SkyWest and Endeavor, who are leading on the recruiting front.

Parker doesn't dictate working environments at the WO's, the individual regional managements do. From what I've read, Envoy seems to stand apart as the airline with the most disregard for the interests of its pilots. The lack of new-hires looks to be more a function of the lack of candy (shiny new mini-Airbuses) at the three that the kids today crave.

That and the fact there really aren't many pilots available to begin with.

Yea I don't know about that. Sounds a little dramatic. If it's so bad it isn't too late for your friend to jump ship and head on over to Mesa.

So are you saying Parker and Kirby aren't inept?

Stock prices are a bit like yoga pants. If your fundamentals aren't good, this is where they will be revealed. AAG is doubling-down on what worked when there was plenty of cheap labor, which is not the present or anywhere in the foreseeable future. Parker is a smart man, and competent, but a lot of dismal failures have been smart and competent and initially successful. It is possible Parker's success has led him to stop getting or listening to badly needed advice.

Well, when you head to PSA for a quick upgrade and then the upgrade train slams to a halt it's not hard to see why one would be upset to compare PSA to MESA. But yes PSA isn't anything like MESA.

IMHO, the working environments at the regionals has far less to do with management and a lot more to do with if you commute or not.

Next on the list of what affects your QOL is whether or not you're on reserve or hold a line.

You'll be happier as a lineholder living in base for a cr@ppy regional than you would commuting to reserve at the best regional there is.

While I don't dispute your last point, it would appear that many are complaining at Envoy about uncommutable schedules and not commuting per se. There are multiple other issues described there that aren't a part of what should be a mutually respectful, healthy relationship at Envoy and this comes from many who live it day to day.

What other conclusion could one of rational mind come to ?

Awesome. I'm stealing this.

Yup just wait until fuel prices go up.

If the mainline "fleet" isn't growing..... the "fleet" isn't growing.

This, this, this, and this.

That and that. ;)

Sh*t rolls down hill. I'm just saying. ;)

True, but at some point the bottom of the hill is so encased in ****, there is no "downhill" anymore to roll to. :cool:

They better watch out for that backflush.

Haha well said.

I heard one class had a few folks who quit because they didn't get the 175 like they were promised.

tears are running down my cheeks, all due to laughing my *** off. ooooooo, the poor newbie jaffo.

That may be true of some, but the internet has a LONG memory. Despite the fact that I'm still building my time, I "remember" how American has handled their pilots in the past, and will be avoiding anything to do with them in the future. DAL or UAL are most likely my future target employers; not because of any planes, but because of history - which tends to repeat itself.