No More ASA

[outtahere]

Sorry to say it guys, but I believe ASA is on the way out. I've been trying to figure out why we are furloughing and downgrading when we aren't doing that much less flying than last fall/winter. On average last winter we had around 700 flights per day. We are supposed to take a "major" hit to our flying this winter, however I'll be surprised if we don't wind up with around 700 flights per day. So, why the furlough? Well our contract is pretty tight when it comes to Skywest taking our planes, but there is not one mention of them taking our flying. Have you noticed that Skywest hasn't furloughed a single pilot yet? As we start to slide into winter I would be willing to bet my meager salary that you will start to see Skywest 200's and 700's in ATL. The excuse will be that hey, we didn't get cut as much as we thought we were going to, and now we don't have the resources to operate the schedule Delta wants us to, so we are going to let Skywest fill in for us for the time being. Then come next April, those twenty 200's that our "Senior" management is working so hard to place will o bye bye, and then they will want to furlough more. If they are unable to furlough past the no furlough clause, then they will just patiently wait until the hiring boom kicks off, then ASA will wither on the vine until it finally just goes away. Crazy you say? Look at Comair. Since Skywest bought ASA we have done nothing but shrink. We were to get 20 700's from Delta, they went to Skywest instead. Then they took five 700's trying to break our will on the contract. Then there was the 19 900's that were coming to ASA, but they also went to Skywest. That's 44 airplanes to Skywest, not to mention 12 ATR's, and now 20 200's. SEVENTY SIX AIRCRAFT!!!!! That is just three years of work from our leadership at Skywest. If you figure five crews per plane, that's 760 pilots. Skywest has about 1000 pilots more than ASA. The writing is on the wall folks! It had been my intention to hang up my hat here at ASA, I've got six in, and after all of this current industry bullsh!t works itself out I'll be closer to ten, but I don't believe that there will be an ASA left to work for. I've talked to a few others here, and they were all starting to think about this situation the same as I am, so what is the opinion of the Flight Info crowd of ASA pilots? This is after all the ASA board.

 

[CFI2766]

Really? I mean, seriously?

ASA isn't going anywhere.

 

[WWEfan]

I would have disagreed with you until I saw Pinnacle's TA. If their pilot group votes for that turd we are finished.

 

[outtahere]

Really? I mean, seriously?

ASA isn't going anywhere.

Boy, those are convincing facts..... Kind of like "Saddam has weapons of mass destruction, trust me, I'm from Texas!"

 

[USCtrojan]

Sorry to say it guys, but I believe ASA is on the way out. I've been trying to figure out why we are furloughing and downgrading when we aren't doing that much less flying than last fall/winter. On average last winter we had around 700 flights per day. We are supposed to take a "major" hit to our flying this winter, however I'll be surprised if we don't wind up with around 700 flights per day. So, why the furlough? Well our contract is pretty tight when it comes to Skywest taking our planes, but there is not one mention of them taking our flying. Have you noticed that Skywest hasn't furloughed a single pilot yet? As we start to slide into winter I would be willing to bet my meager salary that you will start to see Skywest 200's and 700's in ATL. The excuse will be that hey, we didn't get cut as much as we thought we were going to, and now we don't have the resources to operate the schedule Delta wants us to, so we are going to let Skywest fill in for us for the time being. Then come next April, those twenty 200's that our "Senior" management is working so hard to place will o bye bye, and then they will want to furlough more. If they are unable to furlough past the no furlough clause, then they will just patiently wait until the hiring boom kicks off, then ASA will wither on the vine until it finally just goes away. Crazy you say? Look at Comair. Since Skywest bought ASA we have done nothing but shrink. We were to get 20 700's from Delta, they went to Skywest instead. Then they took five 700's trying to break our will on the contract. Then there was the 19 900's that were coming to ASA, but they also went to Skywest. That's 44 airplanes to Skywest, not to mention 12 ATR's, and now 20 200's. SEVENTY SIX AIRCRAFT!!!!! That is just three years of work from our leadership at Skywest. If you figure five crews per plane, that's 760 pilots. Skywest has about 1000 pilots more than ASA. The writing is on the wall folks! It had been my intention to hang up my hat here at ASA, I've got six in, and after all of this current industry bullsh!t works itself out I'll be closer to ten, but I don't believe that there will be an ASA left to work for. I've talked to a few others here, and they were all starting to think about this situation the same as I am, so what is the opinion of the Flight Info crowd of ASA pilots? This is after all the ASA board.

LMAO!! THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING. You've been in this industry a very very short time and you are spewing your ignorant idiocy. SkyWest very well may furlough in the next 3 months.

You need to get out of ASA NOW. Get out, save yourself....Quit, put your money where your mouth is, then STFU. Thank you.

Trojan

 

[McNugent]

Did I seriously just waste 2 minutes of my life reading this crap? Do yourself a favor. First, quit ASA, it's a dead end anyways right? Second, stop reading flightinfo. It's amazing how much happier you'll become.

 

[sunlitpath]

I don't blame you for being concerned. It does seem somewhat dire right now, but things are tough all over. Capacity has been reduced 10 to 20 percent from two years ago. That means airlines need 10 to 20 percent less of everything. ASA with 1,600 pilots furloughs 140, roughly 10 %. Delta with 12,000 pilots may be looking at furloughing 1,000 pilots. ASA is not immune to the effects of a weak and struggling economy. By the way, I understand Skywest is less expensive than ASA to operate. That may explain their growth. Management isn't lying when they say cost matters.
Talk to management directly and ask questions. They will explain the conditions and cost differences between the different regionals.

 

[CFI2766]

Boy, those are convincing facts..... Kind of like "Saddam has weapons of mass destruction, trust me, I'm from Texas!"

What makes you think I'm trying to convince you of anything?

I'm making fun of you.

And, I am from Texas.

 

[Bako Cap]

As long as ASA is making money (and you are), ASA will be operating.

 

[777forever]

That was one of the most silly, least factual, and poorly written rants I have ever seen. If ASA was going away the 10 900s would have went to SKW. They wouldn't waste money on a new crew lounge or A-tech. They wouldn't have updated ASA ops with things like ACARS, skedplus+ etc from the old Pre-SKW archaic ways of doing things. At least have your facts straight before ranting...

 

[outtahere]

Keep believing things are hunky dory here. When those skywest 200's and 700's show up this winter I will try not to say I told you so. All of you ganging up and spewing off, ask yourself this, what do I have to gain by stating what I see? All of you small minded people who just throw around slander, and can't debate the issue amaze me. These are the kinds of folks at all these town hall meetings that are comparing health care reform to Nazism. When no facts support your views, use fear and name calling.

 

[SPDBRD747400]

<quote>We were to get 20 700's from Delta, they went to Skywest instead. Then they took five 700's trying to break our will on the contract. Then there was the 19 900's that were coming to ASA, but they also went to Skywest. That's 44 airplanes to Skywest, not to mention 12 ATR's, and now 20 200's. SEVENTY SIX AIRCRAFT!!!!! That is just three years of work from our leadership at Skywest. If you figure five crews per plane, that's 760 pilots.</quote>

You can add in N706EV the -700 that was wrecked in BTR that was never replaced.

 

[Puck Mugger]

"Paging Speedtape"

"Paging Speedtape for rebuttal "

 

[jdubya]

He is right. Listen, if you are at a regional you are going to eat a sh** sandwich sooner or later. I know you all want to be a Major airline, but it is not what the regionals are or ever will be. You may have a few good years, but just look at the history of regionals: the cycle continues.

I wish all pilots the best, but the endless arguments of "how great my airline is" and "we're getting some new rj1000 or whatever" is tiresome.

One other note: the no furlough clause is worthless.

 

[samballs]

Guys like this are the reason the Pinnacle TA will pass. They are told by management its this or close the doors, yet when people say "close the doors" they never close. Yet guys like this one will vote anything in just to save a good company. I hate flying with people that say stuff like this for a whole four day, even after you tell them to shut up, they just can't stop.

 

[777forever]

One other note: the no furlough clause is worthless.

If the no furlough clause is worthless why did they end the furlough cut precisely where the last person protected was at the bottom? Do you believe they would have furloughed exactly 56 if there wasn't a furlough clause?

I'm not saying the clause will work forever or hell even past this spring, but to me saying the clause is "worthless" means the company would have acted like its not even there and furloughed to their satisfaction.

 

[jdubya]

I concede you are correct in that it has worked, but only to a point. But depending on conditions, it can't work forever. Hopefully it won't come to that.

 

[outtahere]

Guys like this are the reason the Pinnacle TA will pass. They are told by management its this or close the doors, yet when people say "close the doors" they never close. Yet guys like this one will vote anything in just to save a good company. I hate flying with people that say stuff like this for a whole four day, even after you tell them to shut up, they just can't stop.

Tell ya what you little dick wad, try to tell me to shut up on a four day why don't you. I'm assuming you are an fo, I look forward to hearing it. If you knew me, you would know that I never do anything I don't believe in. What I'm saying is, we need to be vigilant with our management, all of you holding hands with them, and singing Kumbaya, have had the wool pulled over your eyes. Sure, Brads a good guy, but he does what he's told, Jerry is the one doing the telling. So you go ahead and lick his balls, and when you tell me to shut up on our four day, I'll believe you actually have some of your own.

 

[ASA_Aviator]

Guys like this are the reason the Pinnacle TA will pass. They are told by management its this or close the doors, yet when people say "close the doors" they never close. Yet guys like this one will vote anything in just to save a good company. I hate flying with people that say stuff like this for a whole four day, even after you tell them to shut up, they just can't stop.

Well, Pinnacle pilots would be stupid to not vote it in. It will guarantee more flying from Delta.

Boys, we screwed ourselves with our contract. Our competition can easily under-cut us, and will continue to get more flying.

For those of you who think costs don't matter, watch out if that Pinnacle pile of crap passes. We are going to be in a world of hurt.

 

[jdubya]

Did the ASA contract have some kind of cost benchmarks and what is the status on those relating to the original posting.