Comair to XJ...

[snap145]

How many of you unfortunate Comair folks are taking the pref interview and job at Mesaba? Just curious...good luck to all of you whatever road you choose....

 

[PA44Jockey]

Some aren't getting the interview. Not so sure it's preferential.

 

[Metro752]

Why should Comair guys have to interview at all.

What a scam.

 

[DX Rick]

Some aren't getting the interview. Not so sure it's preferential.

Why would one want to leave a regional controlled by DAL for another regional controlled by DAL?

 

[V-1]

Perhaps because they've been forced to leave one DAL regional through no fault of their own, and they're not qualified or connected enough to find something better.

 

[79%N1]

And the other DAL Regional will be growing, adding bases, aircraft and routes while the other is losing (loosing for all you FI guys) them. Good move for anyone at Comair with 2 yrs seniority or less. If I were 1 yr or less at ASA, I would think that a look at Pinnacle or Mesaba would be a good idea, considering what looks like is coming at ASA.

 

[JumpersAway]

And the other DAL Regional will be growing, adding bases, aircraft and routes while the other is losing (loosing for all you FI guys) them. Good move for anyone at Comair with 2 yrs seniority or less. If I were 1 yr or less at ASA, I would think that a look at Pinnacle or Mesaba would be a good idea, considering what looks like is coming at ASA.

The absolute worst thing possible- chase growth, from one regional to another. Just look at the folks that left ASA to go to SkyWest. Look how many times we thought ASA was in the crapper a year and a half ago- it's been on the ups and downs since I got here nearly five years ago.

You can't play chess with this stuff, and you certainly can't outguess the system. Things change so fast, so often, it's impossible. Just ride it out.

On another note- I'm deeply disappointed in ALPA for standing by and watching this happen. They should be fighting a hell of a lot harder to prevent one ALPA carrier (Mesaba) from growing at anothers (Comair) expense. Especially given that the two are wholy owneds.

 

[clarkwgriswald]

From the sounds of it Class dates for Mesaba are already into March and close to April. I've read they plan to hire through April or May so leaving Comair and getting hired there at this point probably just leaves you on the bottom of their list as well. I'll likely be fuloughed in the next couple waves, along with 300+ others who are already, and have been offered an interview at Mesaba. While I'd be grateful to get the job I think it will just put you at the bottom, facing long reserve times and long upgrades, especially should Delta furlough.

 

[Flyguy1226]

How many of you unfortunate Comair folks are taking the pref interview and job at Mesaba? Just curious...good luck to all of you whatever road you choose....

"Pref interview", that's a good one! I know guys at Comair that got the 'no thanks' email before even getting a chance to interview.

 

[CFI2766]

On another note- I'm deeply disappointed in ALPA for standing by and watching this happen. They should be fighting a hell of a lot harder to prevent one ALPA carrier (Mesaba) from growing at anothers (Comair) expense. Especially given that the two are wholy owneds.

[/QUOTE]

I agree with you that it stinks that one ALPA carrier is growing at the expense of another ALPA carrier. This is good for no pilot. However, what can ALPA, at this stage of the game, do about it? A little foresight, a long time ago, could have changed this situation, but at the present, I just don't see that there is much that ALPA can do about it.

I definitely don't see the Delta guys sticking up for the Comair guys. The Northwest guys won't stick up for the Comair guys. It would be nice to see some leadership from Herndon on this issue, but right now, I think this particular plate is full. The political reality of this situation is that the Comair guys are on their own.


Changing gears; I really don't think that leaving one regional for another is a great idea. If it were a situation where I get furloughed from ASA and am allowed to keep my ASA number when I go somewhere else, maybe. It would beat being out of a job.

 

[xjcaptain]

Why should Comair guys have to interview at all.

What a scam.

Because we need to weed out people with attitudes like yours. Why should we hire Comair guys with no interview? As a courtesy our ALPA has worked out preferential (read not guaranteed) interviews to extend an opportunity to fellow ALPA members.

Bottom line our company has always had high-standards, a great pilot group and safety record without equal, and would like to continue to do so. With no control, and being forced to hire everyone how do yo think that would work out? Every carrier has a few "tools" working for them, and you can usually pick them out of a crowd without much difficulty.

 

[flap operator]

There is no preferential hiring for anyone that wants to fly at XJ. Everyone has a fair and equal shot.

There is no guarantee you'll get the interview, even if you apply the proper way.

There is no guarantee you'll even get the job, lots from Comair have been turned down. The Comair applicants have had some of the worst attitudes.

And where the heck was everyone else when Mesaba was shrinking and the rest of you were growing?

 

[wmuflyguy]

.

And where the heck was everyone else when Mesaba was shrinking and the rest of you were growing?

Comair was in Bankruptcy and shrinking also. Plenty of ex-XJ people worked and still work here.

 

[flap operator]

WMU - I know what's going on at Comair. But between 2001-2007 Mesaba shrank while practically every other airline out there grew and prospered, hence why you have ex-XJers on your list.

Everyone seems to be "angry" at Mesaba for "growing" and "taking our planes" while everyone furloughs, but nobody remembers the past.

 

[Metro752]

Because we need to weed out people with attitudes like yours. Why should we hire Comair guys with no interview? As a courtesy our ALPA has worked out preferential (read not guaranteed) interviews to extend an opportunity to fellow ALPA members.

Bottom line our company has always had high-standards, a great pilot group and safety record without equal, and would like to continue to do so. With no control, and being forced to hire everyone how do yo think that would work out? Every carrier has a few "tools" working for them, and you can usually pick them out of a crowd without much difficulty.

Listen pappy,

If your god damn pilot group at Mesaba was looking out for your brothers at Comair, you wouldn't have your sh1t for pay company hiring 200 hour wunderkids with so many Comair pilots on the street. Your awesome pilot group would make sure everyone at Comair had been brought over first before guys with a bunch of time flying rectangles over Florida, and Arizona ever saw the cockpit of "REGIONAL JET."

Poor attitudes? Sounds like a dooshbag that has never experienced a furlough to me. Keep drinking the company kool-aid. Give me a break with the high standards, and safety record bullshat. You all belong to Delta now, which doesn't mean crap either. You're obviously proud of killing mainline jobs, and ruining this profession.

I bet you are one of those dooshbag checkairmen everyone always hears about too!

 

[flap operator]

Wow metro... a little angry are we? Turned down from XJ wereya? You're so off base it's dizzying. You think Comair is the only airline with furloughs? Here's a list of the airlines that have furloughed or shut down that Mesaba has hired pilots from... ready?

United
Abex
Spirit
AirTran
Comair
ExpressJet
TransStates
Mesa/Freedom
Gulfstream
Skyway
BigSky
Aloha
AirWisconsin
PSA

Not to mention the folks from other airlines that aren't furloughing like Great Lakes and Eagle. There are also furloughed 135 guys and gals that are among our ranks now. Not sure where you ASSUMED we were forsaking your Comair brothers for 200 hour wunderkids attitude came from.

So give me a break... Mesaba is doing their very best to give EVERYONE a fair shot at a new job, not just a select few airlines. Uh... and you have to interview like everyone else. Where does the attitude that we OWE you the job come from?

As for our contract, if you pull your head out of the sand and figure out what happened between 2001-2007 you might have a CLUE as to how our contract came to be.

 

[Metro752]

Comair should have been ahead of all those companies as well.

What flavor is your Kool-Aid?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBeUGqeYsQg



By the way, doing their best to give everyone a shot at a new career?

A NEW CAREER? What kind of stuff are you smoking thinking anyone wants to make a career at Mesaba?

Ahahahahahahaahha! You are only getting all of those planes because your company does it CHEAPER! THAT'S IT, no other reason, everything else is bullshat. The goons that run Mesaba are the biggest whoes.

 

[n757st]

WMU - I know what's going on at Comair. But between 2001-2007 Mesaba shrank while practically every other airline out there grew and prospered, hence why you have ex-XJers on your list.

Everyone seems to be "angry" at Mesaba for "growing" and "taking our planes" while everyone furloughs, but nobody remembers the past.

I don't know that anyone is mad at Mesaba for growing. You dudes had your pain, and are now recovering to the size you were. I sure wish AWAC would do the same, and return to our previous size, but that wont happen anytime soon.

 

[flap operator]

I get it metro... you're pure flame bait and I bit. Shame on me for attempting an intelligent bout of communication. This is FI after all... and I should have known better. My favorite flavor of koolaid is called reality. It's a little sour, but sometimes sweet, depending on the mix.

 

[Metro752]

I get it metro... you're pure flame bait and I bit. Shame on me for attempting an intelligent bout of communication. This is FI after all... and I should have known better. My favorite flavor of koolaid is called reality. It's a little sour, but sometimes sweet, depending on the mix.

why does it have to be flame? how about just a VERY casual observation from someone looking in from the outside!

 

[wmuflyguy]

WMU - I know what's going on at Comair. But between 2001-2007 Mesaba shrank while practically every other airline out there grew and prospered, hence why you have ex-XJers on your list.

Everyone seems to be "angry" at Mesaba for "growing" and "taking our planes" while everyone furloughs, but nobody remembers the past.

Well I'm not mad, I was out drinking with some of my Mesaba buddies last night, unfortunately work was talked about...

the idiots on this thread sure don't speak for the majority of us.

 

[DX Rick]

I agree with you that it stinks that one ALPA carrier is growing at the expense of another ALPA carrier. This is good for no pilot. However, what can ALPA, at this stage of the game, do about it? A little foresight, a long time ago, could have changed this situation, but at the present, I just don't see that there is much that ALPA can do about it.

Right here is a growing problem of ALPA cheerleaders. We hear people saying "ALPA should get involved" for what ever reason.
But then you have ALPA chest thumpers sit there say "Well, ALPA can't help us on that".....Then WTF are we paying our dues towards?

 

[flyboyike]

But then you have ALPA chest thumpers sit there say "Well, ALPA can't help us on that".....Then WTF are we paying our dues towards?

Well, that magazine ain't cheap. The last issue has excellent coverage of the BOD pow-wow in Vegas. BTW, why would an organization headquartered in Herndon, VA, have its BOD meeting in Vegas? Is it because Vegas is so centrally located?

 

[CFI2766]

Right here is a growing problem of ALPA cheerleaders. We hear people saying "ALPA should get involved" for what ever reason.
But then you have ALPA chest thumpers sit there say "Well, ALPA can't help us on that".....Then WTF are we paying our dues towards?

Man, I'm just not sure what point you are trying to make here...

FWIW, I wouldn't exactly call myself an ALPA 'cheerleader', but I do support the existence of ALPA as ultimately being a net positive for my career. Therefore, I have an opinion. I would rather have ALPA around, warts and all.

Another opinion I have is that the people who work for Comair are getting screwed, primarily by their corporate parent. The return on investment, in terms of percentages of the number of years that you are allowed to work, for the people at Comair appears to be relatively smaller than at other carriers. I can only hope that good will come around for Comair's people.

 

[DX Rick]

Man, I'm just not sure what point you are trying to make here....

What I am saying, is that there are many people on here who are saying ALPA should stand up to the plate when they are needed.
After these people say that, you have the Pro-ALPA guys saying "Well, you see, ALPA really doesn't have anything to do with that" when clearly they do.
You have ALPA pilots losing their jobs that are going to another ALPA carrier, they should have something to do with it. But they don't.
So since ALPA doesn't really get involved with anything, other than publishing a magazine and nifty flight bag stickers....what do they do?

And then if ALPA does get involved, they need more money because....well, your dues just don't cover that.

 

[DX Rick]

Well, that magazine ain't cheap. The last issue has excellent coverage of the BOD pow-wow in Vegas. BTW, why would an organization headquartered in Herndon, VA, have its BOD meeting in Vegas? Is it because Vegas is so centrally located?

The fishing cabin in Canada must have been booked this year.

 

[el diablo126]

How many of you unfortunate Comair folks are taking the pref interview and job at Mesaba? Just curious...good luck to all of you whatever road you choose....

not to get off subject here. but i'm not even to sure why mr snap145 should even care. according to yours posts you are at pinnacle now, and from the looks of your previous posts you have been at tsa, chq, and maybe another regional or two in there (comair/psa?) do you just like stirring the pot and turning others against one another or have you decided its been a few months at pinnacle and time to move on again. just curious.

 

[drift diamond]

By the way, doing their best to give everyone a shot at a new career?

A NEW CAREER? What kind of stuff are you smoking thinking anyone wants to make a career at Mesaba?

Ahahahahahahaahha! You are only getting all of those planes because your company does it CHEAPER! THAT'S IT, no other reason, everything else is bullshat. The goons that run Mesaba are the biggest whoes.[/QUOTE]



Little bitter fella? Seriously, are you for real? Take a timeout in the corner and chime in another day. You lack ANY understanding or perspective.

Ahahaha?? Now that's smart.

 

[DX Rick]

deleted

 

[Metro752]

I would like to clarify that I am in agreement with everything DX Rick said, I am a regional pilot, and I am not your most experienced pilot. The little time I have spent in this business, I have seen ALPA preachers talk about a brotherhood, and when it came time to see ALPA in action, I saw nothing. Too many times. I just wish the Comair pilots were treated better, these guys are just like everyone else, and there jobs are being threatened just like so many others, while another companies management makes gains, and some people in the company making gains pilot group are drinking the kool-aid, talking crap, and ALPA hasn't done anything to help!