With the new ASA with NWA we can now fly for other airlines!
Great News!

Is that really great news? If Pinnacle expands that would mean they would have to lower their hiring minimums... wait Pinnacle doesn't have any.

with the new ASA with NW, Pinnacle also will get the 15 crjs back plus the one from Mesaba and the one from Compass.
I believe the 36 crj 9s will soon be anounced as going to Mesaba...but just an edjucated guess.

Where did you see this

This new ASA with NW should hopefully allow them to "expand" right? I didn't know that Mesaba will still be operating that much esp. the CRJ 9s.

Expand? If all these mergers happen, there will be no expanding. Try losing.

This means nothing. Who are they going to fly for? (Midwest that just went to SKYW, US - that is a monopoly with AWAC and MESA, Delta or UA - PNCL doesn't have a support operation that is required by either of these carriers . . ., CAL - They want ERJ's for now, so who does that leave left?)
AirTran? Frontier? (I expect SKYW to win that and fly ASA planes in Denver)

I also expect NWA to entertain SKYW for 15-30 planes in order to put pressure on PNCL and Mesaba. My guess is that NWA swallows Mesaba and then kills them with a Bankruptcy write-off, then continues with Compass.

Just have to wait and see. . . .

I read an article that states that Pinnacle will get 17 76 seaters provided that a new pilot contract is reached by the end of first quarter.


Associated Press:
"..... The agreement calls for Pinnacle to make about half what it has been earning for flying 124 regional jets on loan from Northwest. But Northwest will kick in 17 Bombardier regional jets next year if Pinnacle and its pilots reach a labor agreement by the end of the first quarter........The new Bombardiers seat 26 more passengers per flight than the older planes..... The 76-seat planes are much more attractive than the 50-seaters....."

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/mo...s/16302157.htm

They MAY get 76 seaters, but the way the ASA is written per the press release on nwairlink.com is that they will get 17 CRJ200/440s. Northwest has the OPTION to replace those aircraft at a ratio of 1 to 1 (swap them) with 76 seaters. This also concurs with statements made by the CEO on the Pinnacle webcast released on 12/22.

As was already mentioned, Pinnacle is simply getting back the 17 CRJ's lost last year in this new deal. The return of these aircraft (50-seaters only) is not really contingent upon Pinnacle reaching a TA with ALPA by the end of March. If there is no reasonable TA reached by the deadline (there most definitely will not be) then NWA simply has the option of not returning these 17 airplanes. It does not mean NWA definitely will not return the 17 airplanes. The March deadline is just management propoganda to try and make the pilots think they should vote on the first TA they get so they can meet a false and meaningless deadline. Pinnacle pilots will not bite and will hold the line until a reasonable TA is reached no matter how long it takes.

You’re smoking some good stuff if you think Pinnacle will be flying for anyone besides the red tail anytime soon. Among other things, if Pinnacle were to fly for another airline, under the terms of the new ASA, NWA could pull 20 CRJ's from Pinnacle's fleet. Are you still excited about flying for another airline?