Airlines in Hawaii are screwed

[a320drivr]

go! from Mesa Air Group gets the go-ahead in Hawaii

Lisa Treon
3/23/2006​

Mesa Air Group, Inc., today announced its new service in Hawaii – called go!, the interisland flights will begin June 9, 2006.
"We are delighted to initiate service in Hawaii. Our goal is to provide local families, friends and business people with a fun, high-quality and low-cost airline for travel between the islands," said Jonathan Ornstein, chairman and CEO of Mesa Air Group, Inc. "We have the absolute lowest fares between the islands, and we encourage people to take advantage of them.
"We chose the name go! because that's exactly what we think people want: a reliable, quick, no-hassle way to get from point to point across the state," added Ornstein. "We are thrilled to be here and are glad we can bring with us a variety of job opportunities."
go! will host a job fair at Ala Moana Hotel April 2-3, 2006, for flight and ground operations, maintenance and administrative positions. The Ala Moana Hotel is located at 410 Atkinson Drive in Honolulu.
Mesa currently operates 180 aircraft with over 1,050 daily system departures to 166 cities, 44 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, and Mexico. Mesa operates as America West Express, Delta Connection, US Airways Express and United Express under contractual agreement with America West, Delta Air Lines, US Airways and United Airlines, respectively, and independently as Mesa Airlines.

 

[Otto77]

"and the hits just keep on coming.."

 

[Erndogg]

What makes you think that we ARE SCREWED?? Our inter-island operation is an important part of our operation, but it only generates 20-30% of our revenues.
Have you heard of of an airline called Independance Air??? They tried to go at it alone and look were they are now???
The RJ costs are astronomically higher than the 717 and 737-200 on short segments and Hawaiian and Aloha have a loyal customer base that will fly them over Mesa's little RJ anyday. Add that to Hawaiian/Aloha's feed off the mainland flights and code shares!
Yes he will be a formitable competition, but he's got a long fight ahead of him if he plans on staying longterm, but as far as SCREWED-I wouldn't go that far!

 

[ReverseSensing]

"We are thrilled to be here and are glad we can bring with us a variety of job opportunities."

go! will host a job fair at Ala Moana Hotel April 2-3, 2006, for flight and ground operations, maintenance and administrative positions. The Ala Moana Hotel is located at 410 Atkinson Drive in Honolulu.

Maybe someone should hire some of those Wackenhutt guards to make go! job applicants feel welcome. A little informational picketing anyone?

 

[Fly-n-hi]

I hope Mesa takes it in the shorts.

 

[mdanno808]

Question for the MESA guys: The article in the advertiser states that JO will be hiring pilot's to staff this great airline of his. Will this be another freedom?
​

 

[DashTrash400]

Is JO gonna pay his new pilots enough to live in the islands? Hope the kiddies aren't counting on free rides from Aloha & Hawaiian!

 

[FNB]

hp

What nobody has mentioned is the fact that AWA (us) has hawaii service that is supposed to be going great. They just annouced what 6 more flights a week. Who is to say that this insn't going to be the interisland feed for USair. I would much rather codeshare with aloha, or another carrier, but it all started about the same time, and now that HP is doing good why not put the feed in place?

disclaimer: I don't support mesa or its horrible business model, they screw their employees and customers, just making an observation.

 

[taloft]

Hawaiian and Aloha have a loyal customer base that will fly them over Mesa's little RJ anyday.

Sounds great, but I just wouldn't put anything past Joe Consumer who's looking for the lowest fare on the internet. Time for a dose of reality. There is no customer loyalty anymore (even in Hawaii). Now if you can outcompete them, good on ya.

 

[mdanno808]

Aloha and Hawaiian have said that they will match any fare that Mesa publishes, so Joe consumer will have to make a choice between carry on luggage, and leg room, vs. RJ.​

 

[HAL]

Question for the MESA guys: The article in the advertiser states that JO will be hiring pilot's to staff this great airline of his. Will this be another freedom?

I shared the jumpseat a few weeks ago with a Mesa pilot who had bid onto the Hawaii service. According to him (at the time) Mesa had managed to fill all the vacancies without junior assigning pilots there, but just barely. His father lives in HNL and that is how he plans on being able to live there. He said several other of the pilots were doing the same sort of thing. At the time he also said that JO was having trouble figuring out how to get the planes over to the islands; he was too cheap to put ferry tanks onboard, and his plan of flying up to Anchorage then to Midway was squashed when he found out that Midway airport was closed to anything but emergency service.

This guy also said he looked forward to flying in Hawaii, but had no clue how they would manage to make a profit or stay in business there for long. He had a pretty realistic view of what would happen; a lot of business at first, then dying off as people realized how bad the service and airplanes were. He gave it about 18 months before JO would have to pull the plug.

As for this becoming codeshare for USAirways, I doubt it very much. For one, US is now flying to all the major islands from PHX or LAS, minimizing the need for codeshare. Also, last summer during recurrent Doug Parker (CEO) came in and talked to us, and said very explicitly that he had absolutely no desire to work with Mesa at all, and it was only the previous management's contracts that prevented him from dumping Mesa all together. He was adamant, and very clear on the point; he intensely disliked working with Mesa, and JO in particular. I would rather believe in the tooth fairy than believe that Parker would sign a new contract with Mesa for interisland service.

HAL

 

[Laughing_Jakal]

What will kill this operation?

Brah, dis mainland haole guy gone frikin rip off local boys...brah, no act.

He comes here from where? Maybe Las Vegas would be acceptable...but he is no local boy. Just paint how he won't even pay locals enough to live at home. Local boys can't even afford a mortgage now. Hell, I can't even afford the house I grew up in and I make pretty good scratch.

Brah, frikin rich malahini going to Manele Bay won't fly on no frikin cheap RJ, and business folks they know which side their bread is buttered on.

And Auntie, brah you seen when she comes back from Lihue with all the Star Market bags filled with dakine. Wen she wen go Molokai last year, you seen da size of da cooler she wen bring wit her to carry da poke in? Frikin ovahead in da RJ.....Yeah right....an Auntie complains bout da bench seat in her frikin Dodge Dart.....RJ Seat....how she gonna fit her Okole in dat brah?

Brah....some things don't change.......Aloha and Hawaiian ain't gonna lose the local folk. Damn tourist gonna screw ya.

 

[p3hawk]

Eh da local Waianae boys go slap JO's head alreedy.

 

[fellows]

Everybody wants to fly for the cheepest fare. It does'nt matter if your a tourist, or a local resident. The cost of living is very high for most people around the entire country and Hawaii is no exception. Since Mesa and now Aloha/Hawaiian are charging $40 for a ticket maybe people will stick with Aloha/Hawaiian. But how long can Aloha/Hawaiian do that. It's a simple game of time. Who can last longer? Aloha makes a meager profit at $60 per ticket, how long can they last at $40? Mesa has a huge "war chest", I don't think Aloha/Hawaiian have that. Hawaiian is doing the smart thing by investing in more 767's, that is where they will survive. Aloha is investing in more 737-200's(to replace older one's).

 

[Capt. X]

How long will JO's stockholders or BOD's allow this venture to loose money? He may say he has lots of cash, but there is a point when the red ink must be stopped. Aloha and Hawaiian are in great position to handle this. AQ has a great balance sheet as does HAL. The 6 newer 737-200's Aloha aquired have a monthly lease rate around 50% less than the ones being replaced. JO should have done this last year and he would have had a chance. He's upset he didn't get AQ for $40 mil and has been kicked out of the sandbox. He's willing to spend a lot of money for a bruised ego. If he should stick it out, I'm sure HAL and AQ will formulate a plan between the two of them to boot his ego out of town. Either way we're ready..

 

[fellows]

CaptX,

I really hope you are right. Getting out of bankcruptcy was just our ticket to get into this fight, I hope it go's our way.

 

[RJP]

Brah, frikin rich malahini going to Manele Bay won't fly on no frikin cheap RJ,

No can. They like fly on the mighty DHC-8-100!