Mesaba: What's Next?

[SEVEN]

Now that TA's have been reached by all 3 unions, what is next for Mesaba. I know that the MEC and the employees still have to vote ( I think that the TA's will pass). With the end of this long mess beginning to be in sight, I just was curious what you think will transpire. A DTW chief pilot said last week he is fairly confident we will be recieving the CRJ-900 and he has "heard" as many as 106 aircraft. That will be 10 pilots per airplane(5 Fo's and 5 Captians) Of course this is all speculation now. But, realistically how fast do airplanes come on property once awarded? Are there some aircraft already made and waiting for delivery? Once awarded, do they arrive 4-5 a month or less than that?

I believe that the TA will pass by the senior pilot group because they want to "move on and live to fight another day." What ever happens, what are your opinions about how the next couple of months will play out?

Thanks for your responses.

 

[YourPilotFriend]

Probably NWA buys 51% of mesaba stock.

 

[gnx99]

I really want to see this TA....

 

[AvroGuy]

you will magically see the Avro come back with 85 seats in them.

 

[Poahi]

... we will be recieving the CRJ-900 and he has "heard" as many as 106 aircraft. That will be 10 pilots per airplane(5 Fo's and 5 Captians) Of course this is all speculation now.
Thanks for your responses.

That rumor is probably why the TA will be ratified. I'd be curious to see someone analyze the TA against Mesa's, ASA's, Pinnacle's and Skywest's contract.

 

[xjgearbtch]

We will 9e CRJ's that are in dessert. Some old ACA ones to. At least 36 900's. They will pit us vs 9E in their negotiations. Screw them over for a bit. Then in our next round of negotiations they will take the airplanes from us and give them to 9E or Compass until we cry uncle.

NWA owns the planes they can shift them around as much as they like. As long as they fly they generate profite. We are a shell game.

 

[YourPilotFriend]

Even if there is already built aircraft, you may not see them until the delivery schedule. I would put $10bux on mesaba exercising options on the CRJ, while converting the ERJ175 to the 195. Then I would leverage the Pinnacle group over the next 900 deliveries. If Mesaba takes on 100 aircraft total including the Saabs, that average salary CA and FO plus benefits is $70,000. The compass average pay plus benefits is around $90,000. Also NWA could get more out of the company in the ASA because of the ground contract.

 

[othello]

I know of a real quick way to get some jets.

(bizjournals.com
NWA to rejuvenate fleet, return planes to Airlink
Thursday October 5, 6:40 pm ET)

(As part of the fleet renewal, NWA will also return 15 previously rejected CRJ200 aircraft back into the Northwest Airlink fleet. These planes were cut back from Pinnacle Airlines' fleet in November 2005 following NWA's filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Pinnacle spokesman Phil Reed said NWA made no indication that Pinnacle will operate the 15 aircraft, even though it had already flown them prior to November 2005.)
Mesaba signs the TA- BANG 15 crj200's get pulled from the hanger put online at XJ just B4 the X-mas rush and Shazamm 9E now has the whipsaw on there neck. classic Nwa.

I think Mesaba has enough or close to enough pilots already trained on the crj there are a bunch of furloughed FO's that have been through trianing and I lost track of how many Capt's have been trained and then bumped an could no longer hold the CRj's.

 

[Gator1999]

I don't think the AVRO's will be coming back anytime. I saw an advertisement in Flight International Magazine about a company that is offering leases with a picture of an ex-XJ ARJ.

 

[007]

The race continues......

 

[BighitterLama]

Same song...different verse.

 

[airjackson]

I wouldn't begin to speculate on the outcome before the details of the TA are public. Of course the company wants the TA to pass. They will let "rumors" of growth and fancy new jets leak out all over the place to entice the pilots. Just be sure to read all the fine print. Believe me, we at TSA went through this with the Gojet TA. The pilots saw it for what it was, a bad deal which would not only effect us, but the industry as a whole. If it's a good deal, great, but don't accelerate that race to you-know-where for the promise of a few new shiny jets.

 

[BighitterLama]

I think the guys and gals at Mesaba have done a pretty good job so far considering the circumstances! More of a fight than many that have been in the same boat at times. Let us wait and let THEM decide! They have been pretty beat up as of late....this battle of this war might be close to an end...maybe it is time for another group to pick up the sword and fight on!

 

[nwaredtail]

PLEASE................ They will vote in the POS TA just like mainline did, "new jets, blah, blah. Hell, in the big scheme of things, I want them to fly the suckers for as little as possible, better for NWA. The "we have to get the regionals pay up" strategy has not worked, so let's get em cheap. Pull up the ladder time folks.................

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

And the award for the WTFO post goes to:

PLEASE................ They will vote in the POS TA just like mainline did, "new jets, blah, blah. Hell, in the big scheme of things, I want them to fly the suckers for as little as possible, better for NWA. The "we have to get the regionals pay up" strategy has not worked, so let's get em cheap. Pull up the ladder time folks.................

 

[BighitterLama]

PLEASE................ They will vote in the POS TA just like mainline did, "new jets, blah, blah. Hell, in the big scheme of things, I want them to fly the suckers for as little as possible, better for NWA. The "we have to get the regionals pay up" strategy has not worked, so let's get em cheap. Pull up the ladder time folks.................

Maybe you could articulate a little better exactly your point then the usual FI rant.

 

[nwaredtail]

Look, it is what it is. ALPA has failed and there is nothing we can do. We send pilots that have taken a seminar on negotiations against people that have years of experience, unlimited budgets and the BK laws behind them. Guess what, we lose.
There is a hierarchy to this and the regionals were never meant to be a career, at least for most. They started to become that and now we are back to where we were 15 years ago. Hopefully, the majors, LCC and cargos will get moving again and hire. Until then, I want my company to get the best bang for the buck since there is no way to get the MSA/PNCL up to the payscale needed to make a difference.

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

. . . and that's why you voted for the creation of Compass, right?

 

[BighitterLama]

The question of ALPA failing is subjective at best. I agree the results of been tough for most. The alternative being what? The heirarchy comment is interesting though...I see that going sooner then you think (domestic versus international)...it makes sense on the management side for sure. Though I am curious what you exactly mean the "best bang for their buck" though.

 

[nwaredtail]

I was a no voter, but with the age differential of our pilot group (many senior and many older f/o's retiring soon), I was not surprised it passed. Compass was a creation of our ex-USAir CFO and there will not be any NWA mainline pilots going there. All will be recalled by mid 07 and with the retirements coming up, the numbers do not support any mainline folks going there. probablt just a smoke screen to make the junior huys feel better about the scope givebacks.

Compass will be used to whipsaw though, nature of the beast. Good opportunity for low time guys to get a taste of the airline life.

 

[HelloNewman]

It will be good to see Mesaba vote for the TA and get much needed growth. Live to fight another day is the best way to go. nwaredtail is spot on. We would all love for alpa to go back to the "old school" ways of barganing but it ain't gonna happen. Not as long as the deck is stacked so far against us. Lets face it we will never see the contracts of the late 1990s early 2000s again. At least not in our lifetime. This is a different industry now.

 

[TurboAWD]

If "ALPA" has failed, it is largely due the membership and their voting choices.

To include the NWA guys that voted yes.

Turbo

 

[nwaredtail]

Bang for the buck= the cheaper the better for NWA. Sucks, I know, but it is what it is. If you want to make a lot of money in your profession, don't let others be in charge of your earnings.

 

[TurboAWD]

Bang for the buck= the cheaper the better for NWA. Sucks, I know, but it is what it is. If you want to make a lot of money in your profession, don't let others be in charge of your earnings.

I hope you aren't implying that "regional" pilots should get off their butts and get hired at a "real" airline.

Other than that, you are completely correct- running your own buisiness is the only way to have significant control.

Turbo

 

[BighitterLama]

It is a different industry now...welcome. But, like I said before...let the Mesaba folks deal with it the best they can.

 

[HelloNewman]

Bang for the buck= the cheaper the better for NWA. Sucks, I know, but it is what it is. If you want to make a lot of money in your profession, don't let others be in charge of your earnings.

As long as we are fee per departure at the regionals we will never get a top tier contract. There are too many planes with not enough places to put them. It sucks but it is what it is. When regionals can start making their own money that will be the time to get the raise. The time that it will happen however is never. Management will never turn down a guaranteed profit.

 

[Terry Hunter]

Can someone explain the ratio of "new jets" that will arrive to percentage of the TA passing?

I saw "106" jets mentioned - and also 36 CRJ-900. So what is the breakdown between 36 to 106 on the TA passing then?

Wait a second, why does the promise of growth (or replacement as it will be) have any effect on voting in concessions???

 

[nwaredtail]

partners can get 36 76 seaters (to replace AVROS) ie the 36 CRJ-900's. They can then get 51 more before any kind of growth at mainline. I feel that will probably be enough due to the size of NWA and the current number of 50 seaters.

Compass is just a corporate tool to get $ for Cohen and his boys, just like mid-Atlantic, except no NWA mainline guys will be there.

 

[redflyer65]

Let's see, pass a crap TA and be the new Mesa. The butt of every airline joke. I think I would have to pass on that one. Good luck Mesaba. You guys deserve more than this crap sandwich you are going to be asked to eat.

You guys don't make enough as it is now. This is ludicrous.

 

[hesborn2fly]

I'm sure MESAba won't have any problem recruiting nice young spike haired kiddys to come fly new shiny CRJ-900s for a new industry low price. Congrats in advance!