And now for Something on the Lighter side
 

United Airlines Launches Service With New Embraer 175 Aircraft
http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_...ges/spacer.gif Aircraft offers customers an improved regional flying experience CHICAGO, May 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines has introduced the Embraer 175 aircraft to the United Express fleet, with service on the modern and spacious regional jet operating between Chicago and top business markets Washington and Boston.
United Express carrier SkyWest Airlines began Boston service today. Service between Chicago and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport began Saturday. The E175 flights complement existing United service in those markets.
The 76-seat E175 regional jet is the newest addition to the United Express fleet, enabling the airline to offer an improved regional jet experience. With 12 seats in United First, 16 seats in United Economy Plus and 48 seats in United Economy, the E175 offers more personal space for customers, with wider seats and aisles than other regional aircraft. Each United First seat features a power outlet. The aircraft's large overhead bins can accommodate standard-sized carry-on bags, resulting in more convenience for customers.
"We are thrilled to welcome the E175 to United Express and celebrate the launch of service from our hometown of Chicago," said Sandra Pineau-Boddison, United's senior vice president of United Express. "This fantastic new aircraft will enable us to better serve our customers, particularly in high-frequency business markets."
Click here for photos of the E175 aircraft in the United livery
United will offer E175 in several additional markets beginning in June, complementing existing United services:

• Chicago-Minneapolis /St. Paul, beginning June 5
• Chicago-Atlanta, beginning June 15
• Houston-Atlanta, beginning June 15
• Houston-New Orleans, beginning June 15
• Chicago-New York LaGuardia, beginning June 23
• San Francisco-St. Louis, beginning Sept. 20
• San Francisco-Austin, beginning Oct. 26
• San Francisco-Dallas/Fort Worth, beginning Oct. 26
• San Francisco-Minneapolis/ St. Paul, beginning Oct. 26

SkyWest Airlines will operate the services to and from Chicago O'Hare International Airport and to and from San Francisco International Airport. Mesa Airlines will operate the flights to and from Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
United expects to introduce 70 E175 aircraft into the United Express fleet by the end of 2015. As United inducts new aircraft into the fleet, the airline will remove smaller, less efficient regional aircraft from the fleet. The E175s consume less fuel per seat and have fewer CO2 emissions per seat than the aircraft they replace.

This pilot group voted in a contract that allows 76 seat scope. I hear your woes....but its perfectly within the bounds of our agreement. Frankly, our express product here on the east coast is so $hitty, i welcome any improved regional experience especially if they are actively parking the 50 seaters. Hopefully someday, the impending pilot shortage will see many of these routes come back our way....hold your breath.

You miss my point entirely. It is not the scope I object to--which is bad enough, it is the marketing of express services as UAL, with very little or no mention that it is not UAL doing the flying.

In fact, at our LEC meeting this week, if you are watching the express carriers at all, they are all dying. The less than 76 seat RJ's, the 50 seaters especially, are hemorrhaging money, and are being parked far faster than they can get replacements. Which does not really matter because they can't hire enough pilots with the minimum requirements to staff the flying.

The company has announced that the A319's will essentially be flying RJ routes this summer because the express carriers can't handle the load or economics. Hmmm....could that be what we have wanted all along? I honestly wonder how this will turn out?

Not just fifi, I've got some ord-grr and pit-iad flying to do next month on the yuppie guppy

***?!?! RJ routes, you got to be kidding me. I used to fly almost all those routes in a 147 seat '27 "RJ". No, those routes are just coming back to the mainline. They are NOT RJ routes.

and even later these "RJ routes" were on a 737. Amen brother Freight Dawg.

This IS the reason I voted no on this last contract. The planes they had even with the old UAL scope were going away. The 50/70 seaters are dead. We could have brought almost all of it back. We gave the Regional Airline Management a life-line.

I voted yes because Fred and JP were trying to gang rape my side.

Like the life-line thrown by bunches of pilots SRM/VJM themselves silly for extra personal cash during contract negotiations. Weak.

Agreed. Every thing here is tongue-in-cheek sarcasm when talking about management--hard to convey with the printed word.

RJ routes, hmmm....maybe you have not been on the west coast to see the decimation of our former 737 flying. We had CA locked up, and drove SWA out of SFO, yes, they abandoned SFO while our Shuttle was flying. UAL owned CA and most of the west coast. OAK was ours. Been to OAK lately?

Hence, most of that was given to the RJ's. So, yes, I'm glad to see those legs finally back to the mainline. It seems the only reason is due to our incredibly inept management. They managed our assets so poorly, they had no choice but to put mainline planes back in.

Outsource everything! Well, maybe it's time to outsource the CEO? :D