I don't think this is considered a rumor. I think people here just want it to happen instead of people having the inside scoop on information.

SUPPOSEDLY Ric said the Compass planes were a done deal at one of the Q&As. I didn't hear it with my own ears, an FO told me. That could bump it up from wishful thinking to vague rumor. If AAG does indeed transfer the planes, I'd expect an announcement towards the end of the year.

NOTHING is a "Done Deal" in this business. Only when the birds are actually on property, and in thier 2nd week of revenue flying, being flown by pilots on the Envoy seniority list, is it considered a "done deal". But yeah, Ric's been saying that for the past year and a half now. He also said that LAX would not happen at envoy. We would get the planes, integrate them into current base and route structure, AAG would havesomeone else in LAX, envoy's not interested. But that was a year ago, so...

Exactly. AA may very well have a plan to transfer them or they may not. But we all know that either way, their plans can change frequently and rapidly.

I think a lot of planes - including ones incoming and already promised - are going to ACTUALLY go to whoever can staff them appropriately and fly them profitably.

Look at what Alaska did to their wholly owned Horizon when Horizon staffing got so low they had to take a 30% cut in their flying last fall - AAG cut a 12 year contract with Skywest.

I don't think it really matters who has been promised what - nobody is going to let a half billion dollars worth of aircraft sit around underutilized if there is someone who can utilize them more profitably. For the next five years with the major airlines hiring their butts off to cover mandatory retirements, the ability to recruit and staff is going to be critical. I actually doubt that a lot of regionals will be up to it, frankly. The ones that are may survive.

As much as I hate to say it, I think that Envoy is being smart right now with the LOA that is out. They are finding a way to squeeze every possible captain out of the pilot group, and that will position them for growth next year. There’s no more hiding, and if you try, the boogeyman is going to get you anyway.

Stay under 749 hours I guess. Or go to the training dept.

If there wasn’t a good chance of the transfer Compass pilots would be commenting in this thread and not just reading it.

They are too busy salivating over the E-175s Mesa is supposed to get from United that Mesa won't have the personnel to fly.
It is going to be interesting times in the regional world the next few years. It's quite possible there will be a lot of casualties, and not necessarily the ones you would have predicted a few years ago.

An actual shortage of qualified people willing to work for them is rather a new experience for most regional management teams and quite a few might not be up to the challenge.