AirTran cuts some more

[Max Powers]

20 737 cpt and 15 737 FO positions will be gone. For a total of 35 pilots gone; come Jan 2009.

Well good thing we allowed them to home school us so they could axe some more folks.

Look if they can't give us a pay raise than lets just close the doors I can do something else.

 

[Pinkslip]

Shrinking to profitability! What a concept.

 

[ACL65PILOT]

It stinks. I have a buddy in that group. What a cruddy Christmas present for he and his three kiddos!

 

[BlueYonder]

I wonder how long until they close the doors?

 

[scarlet]

Yeah over 130 aircraft and they are closing the doors. Out of CLT today over sold=???

There will be more in the future for other airlines!!!!!

Don't worry Obama will spread the wealth for us all unemployed folks. The last two years Democrats have been in Control AND =NOTHING !!!

Socialism will take care of us all=GOV in all of our lives=GREAT

 

[Eagle757shark]

Yeah over 130 aircraft and they are closing the doors. Out of CLT today over sold=???

There will be more in the future for other airlines!!!!!

Don't worry Obama will spread the wealth for us all unemployed folks. The last two years Democrats have been in Control AND =NOTHING !!!

Socialism will take care of us all=GOV in all of our lives=GREAT

Dude please don't hijack this thread with your political foolishness. There are some good pilots at AirTran that will be losing their jobs at the beginning of the year. AirTran management has said they can make a profit with fuel at $110 dollars a barrel. Fuel is currently trading between $70 and $80 dollars a barrel. Capacity is down and prices are up. Also, if you go to AirTran's website and look under investor relations/earnings as of 10/10/08, they are forecasting a $37 million dollar profit for all of 2009.
The question we should all be asking, what gives? What is going on? Something is not right. Is this a negotiating scare tactic? AirTran wants a 10-15% percent paycut from its pilots. Is this a strong arm tactic they are using to attempt to scare pilots?
Scarlet, this is not the time or place for your political views. Start your own thread. Thank you!

 

[zman]

Yeah over 130 aircraft and they are closing the doors. Out of CLT today over sold=???

There will be more in the future for other airlines!!!!!

Don't worry Obama will spread the wealth for us all unemployed folks. The last two years Democrats have been in Control AND =NOTHING !!!

Socialism will take care of us all=GOV in all of our lives=GREAT

Exactly please dont post that type of political crap on this thread. This is about Airtran and the pilots that are about to lose their jobs.

 

[Captain Jeff]

Every flight is either sold to 60 or WAY oversold. Well, they show as over sold, but you know all those vouchers we they have been handing out to all those people we screwed in ATL over the last few years. I bet while the flight shows as over booked many of the seat are unpaid. I am just guessing. But why would anyone ride airtran if Delta, or Grayhound, is the same price.

 

[400ADude]

What will the junior 737 Capt Date of Hire be?

 

[Newjetjockey]

Junior 737 CA will probably be around May or June of 2003.

 

[Frequency]

Guys I might be wrong, I simply think this is a just to compensate for lack of B717 FO's, they have been calling them for a month offering time and a half almost every day because they are short, while we have a few excess B737 crews (especially captains) and no excess B717 crews. They may not furlough anyone and if they do, I dont think they will furlough all 35. They will leave some extras on the 717. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[maxblast72]

Dude please don't hijack this thread with your political foolishness. There are some good pilots at AirTran that will be losing their jobs at the beginning of the year. AirTran management has said they can make a profit with fuel at $110 dollars a barrel. Fuel is currently trading between $70 and $80 dollars a barrel. Capacity is down and prices are up. Also, if you go to AirTran's website and look under investor relations/earnings as of 10/10/08, they are forecasting a $37 million dollar profit for all of 2009.
The question we should all be asking, what gives? What is going on? Something is not right. Is this a negotiating scare tactic? AirTran wants a 10-15% percent paycut from its pilots. Is this a strong arm tactic they are using to attempt to scare pilots?
Scarlet, this is not the time or place for your political views. Start your own thread. Thank you!

Is it possible the company has a better idea of exactly how many 737 sales will finalize and is starting to get a better picture of how many total block hours we will be flying next summer? Once they get the block hour projection for the summer, they are just tweaking the number of pilots in each position during the slow time of the year when it doesn't cost as much to put them through training.

Given the economic environment we will probably be in for the next few years, I would rather be a little more conservative with slower growth. Even Southwest is comtemplating negative ASM growth for 2009 even with a guaranteed fuel prices for 75% of the fuel needs.

By the way, I do think the 15% CASM reduction proposal by management is a insulting considering the current steep drop in spot Jet A prices.

 

[maxblast72]

Shrinking to profitability! What a concept.

Yeah, because a 25% ASM growth rate is a better plan. Don't you think it is better to take a breather and see where the industry is headed over the next 18 months instead of forcing 15 more 737's a year into the system unprofitably.

We aren't the only airline that has slowed. Even Southwest is considering an ASM reduction for 2009 even with 75% of their fuel cost fixed.

 

[Ty Webb]

By the way, I do think the 15% CASM reduction proposal by management is a insulting considering the current steep drop in spot Jet A prices.

It was insulting regardless of fuel. Where've you been?

 

[maxblast72]

Mike Best said we were heading for a bankruptcy filing the way things were looking in early July. At that point, I don't really find the proposal insulting even if I disagree with it since we already have the lowest non-fuel CASM out there. It is managements job to ask if we were that close to bankruptcy.

Then they took the proposal off the table when the mechanics turned it down and fuel prices started coming down. Then, with a total fuel bill of $10 million less a week, the company starts off the next round of negotiations with a 15% reduction in pilot CASM, that is where I am insulted.

 

[spitfire1500]

Every flight is either sold to 60 or WAY oversold. Well, they show as over sold, but you know all those vouchers we they have been handing out to all those people we screwed in ATL over the last few years. I bet while the flight shows as over booked many of the seat are unpaid. I am just guessing. But why would anyone ride airtran if Delta, or Grayhound, is the same price.

Maybe it's all the fare sales I keep hearing about on the radio in CLT.

 

[Lear70]

Unbefu*kinglievable...

and the hits just keep on coming... while they practically beg for people to fly right seat on the 717 side.

WTF?

 

[Ty Webb]

Mike Best said we were heading for a bankruptcy filing the way things were looking in early July. At that point, I don't really find the proposal insulting even if I disagree with it since we already have the lowest non-fuel CASM out there. It is managements job to ask if we were that close to bankruptcy.

Giving pay concessions to management is like feeding your dog from the dinner table. It takes food off of your plate, and it teaches them to keep begging.

I would rather go into bankruptcy from our existing pay rates then from a position already 15% lower.

Glad to see that, no matter how or when we got to this point, at least we're both disgusted.

Ty

 

[Sunking]

We were just told in class today from a retired guy(instructor) that it is all the captains fault at Airtran for not flying in the right seat. Then proceeded to spew scab retoric for the next 40 minutes.

 

[zman]

We were just told in class today from a retired guy(instructor) that it is all the captains fault at Airtran for not flying in the right seat. Then proceeded to spew scab retoric for the next 40 minutes.

I am glad they can sit there and make comments like that when there is people who are struggling to pay bills. It really shows the character of the people who are in charge of the training department and why management fought so much to keep them there. Thanks NPA, what a worthless union you are!! I wish we had anyone else but them.

 

[maxblast72]

Finally some good news. The FLICA Q and A was modified today stating the company is possibly going to increase the utilization rate of the 717 for 2009. This will possible prevent furloughs from occuring.

The only bad news is that some of our mainline pilots will have to swallow their pride and transition over to the RJ side of the operation.

 

[cq43vt17t]

just curious, I saw an AirTran aircraft in one of the DAL hangars with the tail logo removed. Does anyone know what's going on with that aircraft?

 

[maxblast72]

just curious, I saw an AirTran aircraft in one of the DAL hangars with the tail logo removed. Does anyone know what's going on with that aircraft?

Delta paid Airtran $100,000 to borrow the airplane for a week and pull it into the hangar using it as a moral booster before they make the post-merger cuts. After the week in the Delta hangar with everyone congratulating everyone on the beginning of the death of Airtran, it is probably going to Africa or Asia never again to be seen on the North American continent.

 

[stall022]

We were just told in class today from a retired guy(instructor) that it is all the captains fault at Airtran for not flying in the right seat. Then proceeded to spew scab retoric for the next 40 minutes.

Did LOA 9 provide complete relief from furloughing those guys(retired instructors). Since the 35 new furloughs wouldn't have been on probation did the company realize that they would now have to furlough 15 of their buddies and they are now backpedaling claiming now that it is just a balancing of equipment??

 

[gt1900]

Common Max.... Tell me your smarter then that. AAI was in no way anywhere close to filing for bankruptcy. At least not in 2008. Heck, even with the earnings estimates that were being thrown out in mid summer AAI could operate well into 2009 before filling bankruptcy with the 500 million cash they have on hand (or the cash they can get). Tell me you have better business sense then that.....

 

[400ADude]

We were just told in class today from a retired guy(instructor) that it is all the captains fault at Airtran for not flying in the right seat. Then proceeded to spew scab retoric for the next 40 minutes.

What did you tell the Scab instructor? I hope you told him to shove it up his scab a$$.

 

[BSkin]

Delta is getting 717s! Probably to try to drive the nail harder into us! (Yes, I did a PC today, and it was confirmed by the sim operators [not checkers, though they did too]).

Now, let's talk about the braintrust that has us hedged over 120 right now, and mgmnt still has the balls to ask for concessions when THEY are costing us millions, and WE save them millions -- what gives?

Everybody and their mother knew the oil bubble was going to burst, yet we hedged high (yes I know LUV and AAI did some too).

 

[Sunking]

What did you tell the Scab instructor? I hope you told him to shove it up his scab a$$.

It wasn't pretty, the whole class was short of a cou-de-gras. Also a classmate said he overheard another fine retired guy laughing about the fact that some of us will be right back in Jan learning a different aircraft. I hope LOA 9 was a one time shot and these fellows go out the door.

 

[CatfishVT9]

We were just told in class today from a retired guy(instructor) that it is all the captains fault at Airtran for not flying in the right seat. Then proceeded to spew scab retoric for the next 40 minutes.

I call BS. I just had my "Displacement CA" checkride and heard none of this stuff from anyone in the training center the entire time I was there.

If it DID happen, then I hope you verbally shot him in the face. If not, grow some stones.

BTW, it now sounds like there will only be displacements and not furloughs. Could it be that CAs refusing to fly right seat might have actually SAVED 35 guys from furlough?

 

[USARET]

Could it be that CAs refusing to fly right seat might have actually SAVED 35 guys from furlough?

Bingo!