Airtran ALPA MEC supports the Midwest pilots

[FlyWolf]

Just wanted to say "Thank you" to all Airtran pilots for your support to the Midwest pilots. A true class act group of professional pilots.

From the Midwest MEC:

Far and away the most concrete support we received came from our brothers and sisters at AirTran. MEC Chairman First Officer Linden Hillman informed me that the AirTran MEC not only passed a resolution of support, but they have also received a

commitment from their management to offer preferential interviews at AirTran for our furloughed pilots.

 

[dav8or]

Just wanted to say "Thank you" to all Airtran pilots for your support to the Midwest pilots. A true class act group of professional pilots.

From the Midwest MEC:

Far and away the most concrete support we received came from our brothers and sisters at AirTran. MEC Chairman First Officer Linden Hillman informed me that the AirTran MEC not only passed a resolution of support, but they have also received a

commitment from their management to offer preferential interviews at AirTran for our furloughed pilots.

So will the give you DOH integration on their list or is it just another form of stapler?

 

[TheJCNIs]

Thank you AirTran for giving more support then the companies we are merging with!

 

[dav8or]

Hey I'm sorry our pay is less than you make now but we are working on it.

Our management team ARE As$holes and hide behind religion to clear their conscience of the lives they destroy.

The company makes the rules so they can fault the pilots and avoid a lawsuit.

I can't quit my job out of protest for how you are being treated without losing my car, house, and family.

We have some pricks flying for us too, tell me a company that doesn't.

I know that the day will come when I'm in the same place you are thru no fault of my own.

I will try to make you feel as welcome as I can, I have limited
influence in how this company is run but that doesn't mean I don't understand you plight.

 

[Popeye0537]

Thank you AirTran for giving more support then the companies we are merging with!

Quit complaing and get your app in since it's SO much better over there.

 

[RobCat]

Just wanted to say "Thank you" to all Airtran pilots for your support to the Midwest pilots. A true class act group of professional pilots.

From the Midwest MEC:

Far and away the most concrete support we received came from our brothers and sisters at AirTran. MEC Chairman First Officer Linden Hillman informed me that the AirTran MEC not only passed a resolution of support, but they have also received a

commitment from their management to offer preferential interviews at AirTran for our furloughed pilots.

How generous of them, and how greatful of you. This is truely a class act that they are offering you a job with seat and pay protections. When are the class dates gonna start?

Is this the same PDT Linden that we use to call George Jefferson?

 

[ATLboeing]

Quit complaing and get your app in since it's SO much better over there.

I pity the day when what's happening to these guys ends up happening to you. Maybe there will be a long line of guys standing by their keyboards waiting to post some smarta$$ comments directed your way.
I can only imagine what they're going through right now in their own personal lives and now would be a good time to keep such comments to yourself and let them deal with it.
Guys and gals of Midwest, may you find another job soon.

 

[FlyWolf]

I hope between Airtran and now SWA in Milwaukee they can stop the mess that is happening in Milwaukee.

Popeye and Robcat here you go:

http://www.jsonline.com/business/68119802.html


Big changes in the air for Mitchell International travelers

 

[FlyWolf]

More than 90 Southwest Airlines employees arrive on a chartered Southwest Airlines jet Saturday at Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee and are escorted to the gate by a group of Milwaukee Harley-Davidson Motorcycle riders. Discount carrier Southwest Airlines begins flying here Sunday.

Passengers can expect more efficient aircraft, lower fares

By Tom Daykin of the Journal Sentinel
Posted: Oct. 31, 2009
Seat facts
With Midwest Airlines taking its Boeing 717 jets out of service, the carrier's widest seats are disappearing. Here is a comparison of seat width and pitch - the distance from any point on one seat to the same point on the seat in front or behind it - for Midwest Airlines, AirTran Airways and Southwest Airlines. Dimensions vary based on type of aircraft and class of service.
• Midwest: Seat width, 17.8 to 20 inches; pitch, 30 to 38 inches, on Embraer 170, Embraer 190 and Airbus 319 jets. Seat width, 17.3 inches; pitch, 31 inches on Embraer 135 and Embraer 140 regional jets.
• AirTran: Seat width, 18 to 22 inches; pitch, 30 to 37 inches, on Boeing 717 and Boeing 737 jets.
• Southwest: Seat width, 17 inches; pitch, 32 inches, on Boeing 737 jets.





Starting this week, air service from Mitchell International Airport undergoes some big changes:
•  Discount carrier Southwest Airlines begins flying here Sunday morning, a move that industry experts say has already lowered fares in Milwaukee.
•  On Monday night, the last Midwest Airlines flight using a Boeing 717 jet, featuring Midwest's legacy pilots and flight attendants, will land at Mitchell International. Midwest's new owner, Republic Airways Holdings Inc., is replacing them with more-efficient aircraft - primarily the 99-seat Embraer 190, as well as the 136-seat Airbus 319 - and less-expensive crews, so Midwest can better compete on price and restore some service that had been cut last year.
•  Discount carrier AirTran Airways, meanwhile, has become Milwaukee's second-busiest carrier, and Delta Air Lines is continuing to merge its operations with the former No. 2 carrier, Northwest Airlines, which Delta bought a year ago.
Gone will be the wide leather seats that were long Midwest Airlines' hallmark.
For years, Midwest touted its wider seats as a big advantage over other airlines. Last year, Midwest began charging extra for the 21.5-inch wide seats in the front rows of the Boeing 717s.
The Embraer and Airbus jets replacing the Boeing 717s have seat widths ranging from 17.8 inches to 20 inches.
That disappoints longtime Midwest customer Susan Foley, who twice this year took Midwest flights from Milwaukee to Phoenix, and then flew Southwest from Phoenix to San Diego, where her brother lives.
Recently, Foley booked Southwest flights from Milwaukee to Kansas City, and Kansas City to San Diego, because she was unable to get a wide seat on Midwest. Her roundtrip fare: $280. "I would have spent more than that to fly on the old Midwest jets," Foley said.
Seat width, however, is not a major factor for most passengers, said aviation consultant Scott Hamilton, of Issaquah, Wash.-based Leeham Co.
"The general public cares about low fares, on time, no lost luggage and landing in one piece," Hamilton said.

 

[FlyWolf]

Pace of changes

Airlines often come in and out of markets, says Robert Herbst, an industry consultant who operates AirlineFinancials.com. But the recent pace of changes seems high for a medium-sized airport like Milwaukee's, he said.
"Certainly, it's getting hit at least at the top of the range," Herbst said.
That's good news for local passengers seeking low fares and more destinations.
Fares for flights departing from Milwaukee this fall have dropped 20% compared with fall 2008, according to Kayak.com. Flights booked through Orbitz.com departing from Milwaukee between the day after Labor Day and the Sunday before Thanksgiving are 21% cheaper than they were during the same period last year.
That trend will continue. Travelocity.com says the average airfare for a Milwaukee departure from November through March will be 30% less than the national average.
Herbst expects Southwest will eventually raise its fares but will keep them among the lowest in Milwaukee.
Southwest begins its Milwaukee service with 12 daily nonstop flights to Baltimore, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Orlando and Tampa, Fla.
Its arrival in the market already has helped force lower fares from Milwaukee, according to data from Travelocity.com and other online booking services. Also, Southwest, unlike many airlines, doesn't charge for the first two pieces of checked luggage for each passenger. That could amount to a savings of up to $80 for a round trip, said Kevin Krone, Southwest's vice president of marketing, sales and distribution.
Krone says Southwest's fares will attract new passengers to Mitchell International, including some from the northern Chicago suburbs.
Additional service driven by AirTran's lower fares helped Mitchell International record its busiest month ever in September, with a total of 648,779 passengers - a 16.85% increase over September 2008.

 

[FlyWolf]

Smaller market share

Midwest remains Milwaukee's No. 1 carrier. But its market share, once around 50%, was at 35.5% in September. Some of that share was lost when Midwest's previous owner, TPG Capital, cut service from Mitchell International and other airports by around 40% in 2008 after fuel prices spiked and demand for air travel declined.
Midwest's $31 million sale to Indianapolis-based Republic on July 31 gives the airline more financial stability, said Jim Reichart, Midwest's director of advertising and brand. Midwest has recently restored service to Los Angeles, St. Louis and Louisville, Ky., and plans to add more flights next year.
Republic's ownership also brings a lower cost structure, Reichart said. That doesn't mean Midwest is matching every discount fare, but it does mean it can be more competitive with the likes of Southwest and AirTran.
That could change the marketing focus for Midwest, which for years charged higher fares - while advertising a higher level of service.
"You may see price becoming a more prominent element in advertising," Reichart said.
Some of Midwest's lower costs are coming through the use of Republic flight crews who have less seniority, and earn lower salaries, than the so-called legacy Midwest flight crews - pilots and flight attendants who worked for the company prior to its acquisition by TPG. The last remaining veteran Midwest pilots and flight attendants will be laid off this week, after the last Boeing 717 in the Midwest fleet is removed from service on Monday.
Those jets are being replaced mainly by Republic-staffed Embraer 190 jets and by Airbus 319 jets from Denver-based Frontier, which Republic bought on Oct. 1. Midwest also is using Embraer 170 jets and regional aircraft staffed by Republic crews.
"All the people who you used to see when you walk onto a Midwest Airlines flight aren't there anymore," said Tony Freitas, chairman of the Midwest unit of the Air Line Pilots Association.
The Midwest legacy crews' chances of working for Republic will depend on the outcome of negotiations to merge the seniority lists of union employees from Midwest, Republic and Frontier. Virtually no progress has occurred, and officials from Midwest's pilots union say Republic management should get involved to speed up the process.
Republic Chief Executive Officer Bryan Bedford hopes to see the seniority issues resolved as quickly as possible. But company executives cannot impose their vision of a fair integration, which needs to be resolved among the unions, said Republic spokesman Carlo Bertolini.
Passenger service

Most passengers probably don't care about the staffing issue, said aviation industry consultant Michael Boyd, who operates Boyd Group International Inc., based in Evergreen, Colo.
But, along with ticket prices, passengers do care about service, said Kevin Healy, AirTran senior vice president of marketing and planning. He said Midwest will have a tough time advertising itself as "The Best Care in the Air" as it replaces its veteran flight crews.
AirTran, with a 24.5% market share in September, is credited with helping drive down fares in Milwaukee. Healy also said AirTran offers better amenities, including large overhead bins, new wireless Internet service, and assigned seats.
Southwest boards passengers by zones, instead of assigning seats. The zone boarding hasn't been an issue, said Krone, who said Southwest offers roomier cabins than many of its competitors.
Meanwhile, Midwest will maintain a high level of customer service despite the changing flight crews, Reichart said.
Republic crews flew some of Midwest's planes under contract before Republic bought Midwest, and customer surveys showed no decline in the level of service during that period, he said.

 

[Popeye0537]

Well Flywolf according to the last statement, "no loss of service according to customers who have flown on Midwest." And your pitch and seat width mean nothing to the customer who uses Orbitz to find the lowest ticket price. What I do find funny is that Airtranny CEO blasting away at Republic yet again. His last comment about how he wasn't worried about Rep buying Midwest because we were just a "regional patch work" of aircraft. I guess with Frontier in the mix now he should be.

 

[Kharma Police]

Quit complaing and get your app in since it's SO much better over there.

I can guarantee a bad day at AirTran is still better than a good day at Republic. I hope you enjoy working there, because you've made a lot of enemies in the industry. Best of luck to the real Midwest pilots.

 

[Jetjockey]

Well Flywolf according to the last statement, "no loss of service according to customers who have flown on Midwest." And your pitch and seat width mean nothing to the customer who uses Orbitz to find the lowest ticket price. What I do find funny is that Airtranny CEO blasting away at Republic yet again. His last comment about how he wasn't worried about Rep buying Midwest because we were just a "regional patch work" of aircraft. I guess with Frontier in the mix now he should be.

Yeah, I'm sure AirTran management is losing sleep over Republic. When SWA starts flying into MKE, the are going to kick RAH's nuts back to Indy.

 

[FlyWolf]

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[FlyWolf]

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[CoolSidePillow]

So will the give you DOH integration on their list or is it just another form of stapler?

You little RJ puke. We didn't buy Midwest so we cannot integrate them in our list but we can give them a job when we start hiring soon and they will get a better deal than at RAH. I guarantee there are ex-RAH pilots at Airtran and no ex-Airtran at RAH. you guys are the new MESA and now you will see how tough it is to actually pay the bills and run a company in competition.

 

[aewanabe]

Big words from a Colgan alum. Professionalism abounds... Tell me again how you advanced the profession while flying around SAABs for Colgan? Was it your great workrules, industry-leading Per Diem, or SAAB rates that significantly undercut Eagle, Mesaba, and Piedmont (in both seats)?

It's great that AirTran's MEC is supporting the YX pilots, and I fully agree the RAH EXCO should be doing more. You, specifically sir, are a hypocrite and should post an opinion more in keeping with your actual past. Grow up.

 

[RobCat]

You little RJ puke. We didn't buy Midwest so we cannot integrate them in our list but we can give them a job when we start hiring soon and they will get a better deal than at RAH. I guarantee there are ex-RAH pilots at Airtran and no ex-Airtran at RAH. you guys are the new MESA and now you will see how tough it is to actually pay the bills and run a company in competition.

Bullsh!t, excuse me. First off you work for Airtran, seriously. You are far from the place to be. Is it better than Republic, yes I'm not going to kid myself but to go to Airtran and think your at the top of the industry is a joke at best. Second of all if you need pilots you are going to hire them no matter if they come from Mesa, Delta, Nasa, or Midwest and they all will end up at the bottom. Since Midwest pilots fly like equipment I'm willing to bet that experiance in a 717 will help them during an "interview". A interview will not pay a mortgage, a job will. Don't pound your chest because your group offer these gentlemen a interview when your not hiring. Pound your chest when they get a job offer. Republic, Airtran, Southwest battling sounds funny. Frontier, Airtran, Southwest battling brings a whole new perspective.

 

[jimcav]

I was in recurrent last week and brought up the idea of hiring as many meh pilots as possible. The manager of ground training seems to be onboard. I hope we fill all future classes with you guys, and look forward to working with you.