Airtran Opening B737 MKE Pilot Domicile.

[Frequency]

From company memo..

"On Tuesday, December 29, 2009, the Company will publicly announce the

opening of a pilot domicile for Milwaukee effective April 2010. The domicile will​

support B737 flying. A Flight Attendant “Virtual Base” will also be established."

 

[lookin4better]

I hope they increase their flying in MKE and push out that "airline" posing as Midwest. Heck... that airline posing as an airline...

Say what you want about Air Tran, but I would rather have them be MKE's new airline as opposed to pseudo Midwest (RAH).... many people will enjoy seeing RAH fail in MKE.

 

[Colonel Savage]

Guess there's no point in opening MCO or BWI bases when Southwest already has 'em.

 

[Metro752]

Best news of 2009.

 

[poor2thecore]

Considering over half of the pilots are AirTran commute, will it go senior? Do you think local ATL guys junior on the 737 will bid off and over to the 717 to stay in ATL? This is somewhat surprising. Most thought BWI or MCO would have come first... maybe soon?

 

[maxblast72]

Considering over half of the pilots are AirTran commute, will it go senior? Do you think local ATL guys junior on the 737 will bid off and over to the 717 to stay in ATL? This is somewhat surprising. Most thought BWI or MCO would have come first... maybe soon?

Kind of surprising since MKE only has about 40 departures a day and BWI/MCO are both around 60-70. They wouldn't have pulled the trigger on a base unless it was going to save them money and we are going to be there for the long run.

I doubt there will be any involuntary 737 displacements to MKE. They were going to be 3 or 4 more months of vacancies to increase staffing for summer of 2010. Instead of doing ATL 737 CA and FO vacancies of the next couple of months, now the vacancies will be in MKE. I would imagine it could get real expensive (training costs) if they started doing involuntary movements.

 

[GuppyWN]

If Gary Kelly is smart he will step back and let The Tranny do his dirty work for him. I've never been to MKE but I doubt it's worth going to the mat over.

Hell if he's smart he's funding the crew base. Destroying RAH on their "home" turf will hand us Denver.

Give 'er he!! Airtran!

Gup

Gup

 

[c9skytrain]

It is only 25 737 crews. That includes reserves. Not a bid deal, but a first step.

 

[Colonel Savage]

Maybe this will stop any further flying going to Skywest.

 

[DonVerita]

There is a secondary storyline here.

Management had been asking the former worthless in-house union (NPA) for a concession to open up pilot "virtual" bases instead of Full bases. They (NPA) actually were considering this! Then they (NPA) got removed.

We vote ALPA in and Management again makes the same request. ATN ALPA tells Management to go pound sand.

Now we, the pilots, will have a Full MKE base with Full protections and infrastructure while the F/A's will have a Virtual base with practically nothing.

This is what leadership and solidarity gets you; and in the case of the F/A's - what the lack of leadership and solidarity doesn't get you.

 

[ProFracPilot]

For those of us on "the other side" , can someone explain the differences between a full base and a "virtual" base?

Thanks

pfp

 

[Cardinal]

On Wednesday Frontier announced an A320 MKE domicile beginning April 1st. Won't this be fun :/

 

[jonjuan]

If Gary Kelly is smart he will step back and let The Tranny do his dirty work for him.

So, what if Gary Kelly isn't smart? Will he mix it up in MKE land?

 

[scarlet]

Small base=No open time, will have to fly schedule... can only imagine the lines?

 

[GuppyWN]

On Wednesday Frontier announced an A320 MKE domicile beginning April 1st. Won't this be fun :/

Is this where I cue the "what happened to your flying staying in DEN" remark?

Gup

 

[GuppyWN]

So, what if Gary Kelly isn't smart? Will he mix it up in MKE land?

Why - when the real battle is brewing about 600 miles to the west?

Gup

 

[maxblast72]

Small base=No open time, will have to fly schedule... can only imagine the lines?

The lines should be great if you live in MKE. Don't you remember how all those senior MD-80 Midwest Captains talked the rest of the guys into opposing the Airtran buyout because they loved their west coast turns and didn't want anything to change. Ironic now how it will be Airtran 737 guys flying those turns.

If I lived in MKE, I wouldn't mind 12 days of 8 hr turn for 96 hrs of flying and 19 days off.

 

[scrub]

If I lived in MKE, I wouldn't mind 12 days of 8 hr turn for 96 hrs of flying and 19 days off.


Do you remember who you work for!!!!!!!!

 

[maxblast72]

Why - when the real battle is brewing about 600 miles to the west?

Kelly is smart. He knows Airtran is finishing up their most profitable year ever, have more money in the bank than they ever have, and have a 10% CASM advantage over Southwest. Why not go after the weaker competition in Denver?

Now if the Airtran pilots take a little vacation next year to test the resolve of management in giving us a new contract, Southwest could change their mind about MKE real fast.

 

[maxblast72]

If I lived in MKE, I wouldn't mind 12 days of 8 hr turn for 96 hrs of flying and 19 days off.


Do you remember who you work for!!!!!!!!

OK, my bad. 12 days of 8 hr turns for 96 hrs, and 5 days of airport ready reserve (of which they could only get 4 hrs of flying out of me before I hit the monthly max) for a total credit value of 116 hrs and 14 days off.

Seriously, it is hard to mess up day trips. I am not on the 737, but aren't the SJU and PHX day trip lines pretty nice?