David Watts

I wonder what CALs next system bid will look like.


Published: Monday, December 6, 2010

United delays plans for 787
Uncertainty led to the airline’s decision to postpone a route featuring the plane. On the same day, Boeing said 787 assembly is on hold.
By Mike Benbow, Herald Writer
EVERETT — Uncertainty over delivery of its first 787s prompted United Airlines on Monday to postpone service to New Zealand that will feature the new jet.

The launch of new flights from Houston, Texas, to Auckland, New Zealand, planned to start November 2011, were pushed into 2012 “because of the uncertainty of Boeing’s new delivery date,” said Julie King, spokeswoman for the Chicago-based carrier.

The announcement from United, which became the world’s largest airline Oct. 1 with its merger with Continental, came on a day when the Boeing Co. acknowledged that it was in the middle of a three-week delay of final assembly of the 787 to give its suppliers more time.

“We wanted to give our partners more time to finish what they’re working on currently,” Boeing spokesman Scott Lefeber said.

He said the 16-day production hold in the final body-join area began last month. The 16 days relates to five-day work weeks, so the hold is just over three weeks long.

The delay is not related to the Nov. 9 mid-air fire in a 787 test jet, Lefeber said. The plane landed safely in Laredo, Texas, and there were no injuries. But the 787 flight test program has been put on hold.

The fire and its effect on the potential redesign of 787 hardware and software has raised speculation that delivery of the 787 to its first customers could be delayed by several months to as long as a year. Delivery had been set for early next year.

Lefeber said that a revised production schedule should be available in the next few weeks.

He said that the company still wants suppliers to continue producing 787 parts. But Spirit AeroSystems announced last week that it was temporarily shifting 787 workers to produce 737 parts. Its workers in Wichita, Kan., make the nose section for the 787.

United was slated to take delivery of eight 787s between August of next year and September 2012, according to Ascend Worldwide Ltd., a market research firm specializing in aerospace and space data.

The 787 is set to play a big role in expansion plans at United, which has 50 787-8s on order. United had planned to fly it from Houston to Lagos, Nigeria, next November under the Continental banner, but will instead use 777s, King said.

She would not say if the company will seek any compensation from Boeing for the delays. Continental was the U.S. launch customer for the 787 and was supposed to receive its first Dreamliner in March 2009.

Delivery of the 787 is now three years late.

Boeing has assembled 26 787s so far, many that still need some additional work because of supplier issues or other problems. It will have to retest and replace every component that it redesigns because of the electrical fire.

Boeing shares closed at $66.59 a share Monday, up five cents. The company’s stock price has climbed about 25 percent during the past year.

EWRflyr

Well, the effective date of the last bid isn't until Spring of 2012. The company can just delay sending pilots to training off that bid if they wanted. It even said that the company has the option to send the pilots back to their original aircraft depending on the 787 delivery schedule. I don't think this will change anything that much unless EIS for the 787 is much past Spring of 2012 at UniCAL. JMHO though.

intrepidcv11

Could also read:
"Spring 2008"
"Spring 2009"
"Spring 2010"
"Spring 2011"

Not bagging you man, but posting some FU to Boeing and to CAL for not putting BA's feet to the fire. But like Larry said "it's going to be a game changer!"

SoCalGuy

The above is a BIG assumption. Spring of 2012 is approx 18 months away. That can be construed as an 'eternity' with the current Merger.

What happens if we get a JCBA, and the SLI via the arbitrator is done during that time (I know, send me to HR immediately for the 'test' right now)?? They will be doing a lot more than just delaying pilots, they would most likely have to put down a new system bid with the SLI considerations with the possiblity of the above happening.

18 months (and that's just a Boeing wag of continued delays) is a LONG TIME with a lot of landscape changing daily as we speak while the Merger is in full swing.

LOTS of "IF's" brother.....and as I have said before, "IF a frog has wings, he would be dragging around is a$$ either".

merger

ALERT: IMPENDING SYSTEM BID
The MEC System Staffing Committee (SSC) has been meeting with our Company counterparts since the B-737 staffing issues of December became known. The delays in delivery of the B-787 following an inflight problem are also being discussed. Both of these issues require changes to correct staffing imbalances that have significant impact on the Continental pilots’ quality of life.

The Company has indicated that they will be issuing a 12-04 System Bid within the next few business days (week of Dec. 13 at latest). The following outlines our understanding of the bid following the latest meeting on Dec. 8:

1. All returning furloughees will return on the current schedule (no change).

2. The B-787 BES will be reduced to a level commensurate with anticipated delivery dates (no earlier than spring 2012). The Company will need to communicate changes in expected training dates.

3. There will be no net reduction in total captain positions.

4. B-737 CA/FO positions will be bolstered to handle the additional flying added since December 2010.

5. EWR B-737 CA/FO positions will be increased to provide NYC overnight imbalance relief in IAH pairings.

6. Any displacements will be handled per our current working agreement.

The MAR-TAB (training assignment bid) will not be issued until this new bid is awarded. Once the bid is published, the MEC SSC will communicate any further items or issues of importance through the MEC News weekly blastmail.

luv757

So the much rumored LAX 737 base is still just that, a rumor.

EWRflyr

Translation: We really screwed up trying to "help" the commuters a few bids ago by moving pilots to IAH from EWR.

SoCalGuy

Just to be clear.....
The "individual" in Mgt who came forward to utter that psycho babble BS to the CAL pilot group is NOW assuming the position of VP of Flt Ops for the "New" UAL. For those who don't know him yet, you will soon!!

Enjoy!!

EWR73FO

Stop sugar coating it. Fred did this simply to be vindictive and now that CAL has wasted 5-7 m this year in unecesary hotels, I'm suprised that he's still empliyeed. Debbie did sonething similar to this with furloughs and "left" soon after.

SoCalGuy

Really??? May want to re-check you rational.

To refresh your memory par......If some clown down on Smith Street was "allowed" to completely 'screw the K9' on the ALL TIME WORST fuel hedge by CAL that took place 24+ months ago, do YOU really think a few measly cents on extra hotel rooms is going to send shock waves through the ranks?? Seriously doubt it brother....."Friends of Fred" continue, truely pathetic.

BTW....I don't see an once of sugar coating in what I wrote above.