Sure but when Mesa had a base in Denver there were literally 3 gates they parked at pretty much all the time which is why I said that. They may have been United gates, but Mesa really only parked at B56, B58, and B60, at least at the end of their time in Denver. We never parked there and there was almost always a Mesa 900 parked there. I’m not making up what I am saying.

 

Also, I’ve never flown at .64. I’ll be honest, if I have a 3 hour EDCT I will absolutely not board or push because I’d rather let the passengers be comfortable in the terminal rather than sitting in a CRJ-200 for 3 hours. So you are correct about that. And you are incorrect we do get block or better. Whoever told you otherwise is either a liar or doesn’t fly for OO.

 

You’re mixing a lot of concepts and presenting them like facts when they’re not.

First, nobody said Mesa “owns” gates. But let’s not pretend gate allocation and scheduling influence don’t exist — United absolutely controls gate usage, and they allocate flying and parking based on operational needs. That’s why you see patterns of certain carriers consistently using certain concourses. It’s not ownership, it’s assignment.

Second, using C8 at ORD actually proves the opposite of your point. Multiple carriers use the same gate space under United’s control — exactly how hub operations work. That doesn’t support your argument, it reinforces centralized control.

Third, the “90 airplanes = westward expansion” argument is speculative. Fleet growth doesn’t automatically translate to DEN growth. United distributes lift based on cost, performance, scope, and network strategy — not on what one regional “plans” to do.

Also, if you’re going to bring up fleet growth, be consistent — SkyWest has roughly 60 new aircraft on order, plus additional E170s coming from Europe for United flying. So the idea that only one carrier is “positioning for growth” isn’t accurate at all.

Fourth, saying “United isn’t happy with SkyWest performance” is a stretch. SkyWest remains the primary UAX operator in DEN, handles complex flying like ASE and other mountain markets, and continues to receive significant block hours. If performance was truly an issue, you’d already see a large redistribution of flying — and you haven’t.

Fifth, the EDCT / .64 comment is anecdotal most people ar flying .77 or greater there is only a few senior CA that are flyng slow to protect the block which is dumb but that is a thing of the past. You can find that behavior at any regional. United doesn’t make network decisions based on isolated pilot stories — they look at completion factor, controllable completion, D0/A14, and cost per block hour.

Finally, yes — United uses multiple regionals for competition. That’s normal. But competition doesn’t mean dissatisfaction with one carrier — it’s about cost control and operational flexibility.

So the idea that Republic is about to “expand west because DEN needs competition” is more opinion than reality. United will allocate flying where it makes the most operational and financial sense — same as always but what ever dude, YES BECAUSE REPUBLIC IS MERGING WITH MESA YOU DESERVE THE DEN BASE, YOU WOULD GET SFO AND LAX AS WELL, keep dreaming because is free

 

Also regionals can if fact control gates at some hubs. Skywest is an example, at least they did a few years ago. There's no law that prevents that, and it can provide a measure of job security.

 

You’re doing a lot of projecting here and pretending it’s analysis.



No one said Mesa (or Republic) “owns” gates. Obviously they don’t. But let’s not act like gate assignment doesn’t signal operational intent. At a fortress hub like DEN, gate utilization, overnight parking, and crew basing absolutely reflect strategic direction. That’s not controversial, that’s how hub economics work.



Using C8 at ORD doesn’t prove centralized control in the way you think it does. Yes, United controls the space. But how consistently a carrier is scheduled into specific gates and turns tells you how integrated they are into that bank structure. Shared space doesn’t mean equal priority.

On fleet growth, no one said 90 airplanes automatically equals DEN growth. The point is leverage. A merged Republic/Mesa with that many frames gives United optionality. You can’t pretend scale doesn’t matter in contract negotiations or network planning. And yes, SkyWest has growth coming too, which just reinforces that United likes having multiple large partners capable of absorbing lift.

As for performance, nobody claimed SkyWest is failing. They clearly handle complex flying well, especially mountain markets. But United constantly pressures all regionals on cost, completion, and reliability. Competition between regionals is deliberate. It keeps everyone sharp. That’s not an indictment, that’s business.

The .64 EDCT comment? Sure, anecdotal. Every regional has slow-fly block protectors. But operational efficiency metrics absolutely factor into how flying gets allocated long term. United doesn’t react to one captain they react to trends.

And the “DEN deserves X base” sarcasm misses the point entirely. This isn’t about entitlement. It’s about scale, merger economics, fleet flexibility, and United maintaining leverage across partners.

United will allocate flying where it makes sense financially and operationally. If a merged Republic/Mesa can offer better economics or coverage in the West, they’ll grow. If SkyWest remains the best fit, they’ll grow.

It’s not dreaming. It’s just how capacity planning works.