Alaska Airlines Express

[Mamma]

Looks like Ayer and Co and trying to pull another fast one. They want scope relief to do this "third-party" service to Moses Lake...a non-threatening small town in the middle of Washington that is even too small for Horizon. If they get the scope relief they want then I guarantee they will use this third-party airline to fly Horizon and Alaska routes...Spokane, Boise, Reno, Portland, Yakima and the such on the cheap.

Alaska Airlines looks at serving Moses Lake
Posted: Monday, May 19, 2008 - 11:28:10 am PDT
By Matthew Weaver
Herald senior staff writer


TransCo meeting provides regional transportation updates
COLUMBIA BASIN - Alaska Airlines is negotiating with smaller airlines about providing air service at the Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake.

The information was discussed as area leaders met to hear the latest on a number of transportation projects impacting the region last week.

Approximately 24 people were in attendance for transportation coalition TransCo's meeting Friday in the auditorium of Big Bend Community College's administration.

The meeting covered updates of projects including the Washington State Department of Transportation's highway stem plan, rail expansion around Grant County International Airport and Westlake transportation planning.

Port of Moses Lake Executive Manager Craig Baldwin reminded the audience of efforts to restore air service to Grant County International Airport. While it feels like it's been moving slowly, he said, compared to airline schedules, things are progressing quite quickly.

Seattle is the top destination, Baldwin noted, according to a market study of air service passengers within the region.

"Interestingly enough, 42 percent of the people traveling to Seattle, not en route, to Seattle, drove to Spokane to fly there," he said. "I'm thinking it must have been winter, because I probably would have driven another 50 miles to drive right into Seattle. Forty-two percent of the people drove to Spokane to fly to Seattle."

Baldwin also provided updated information regarding negotiations with Alaska Airlines.

"Alaska realizes they can't fly smaller aircraft, they don't have them," he said. "So Alaska has taken the challenge and with our consultant, has been meeting with other airlines to contract with a third carrier to fly under their name, as Alaska Airlines Express, and provide service to small communities."

Such negotiations are outside the realm of the port district and local efforts, Baldwin explained.

"That's an agreement the airlines would have to make with the airlines, if they choose to do that. They've been actively meeting with that," he said. "If and when that happens, we would go to that carrier and negotiate service to Moses Lake. It is actively moving forward, everything is looking positive. On that, unfortunately, I can't tell you a time frame. I wish I could, I wish I could guarantee we would have air service, but I can tell you communication is actively going on with the carriers."

 

[FL_Jumpseat]

Population there is about 18,000 tops. Wenatchee is about 28,000 and they have 4 horizon flights a day. Also will be transitioning to the Q400...I don't get this...MWH should be able to support 2 a day on QX. The median income in MWH is higher than Wenatchee.

 

[Dizel8]

Just say no!

 

[Mamma]

It is easy to figure out once you get to know our esteemed management and realize what lengths they will go to throw us under the bus. Horizon has an industry leading contract and this is a way to circumvent that contract. If this comes into being Horizon guys will be royally screwed as will the bottom of the list Alaska guys.

Population there is about 18,000 tops. Wenatchee is about 28,000 and they have 4 horizon flights a day. Also will be transitioning to the Q400...I don't get this...MWH should be able to support 2 a day on QX. The median income in MWH is higher than Wenatchee.

 

[chucklhed]

Nice moustache, homer.

 

[ReverseSensing]

It is easy to figure out once you get to know our esteemed management and realize what lengths they will go to throw us under the bus. Horizon has an industry leading contract and this is a way to circumvent that contract. If this comes into being Horizon guys will be royally screwed as will the bottom of the list Alaska guys.

I know you know this, but Air Group is already in the business of contracting out Alaska Airlines flying on Alaska Airlines routes: they have a capacity purchase agreement with Era Aviation for something like 5 flights a day ANC-ADQ. I think what's being contemplated is a similar deal, with the main difference being that MWH-SEA was never an AS route.

Horizon guys are already screwed -- having somebody fly 1900's in and out of Moses Lake as Alaska Airlines Express probably won't make the screwing a whole lot worse. Having said that, there ain't much Horizon pilots can do to stop it, as much as I'd like to. I hope Alaska pilots care enough about their brand to at least figure out a way to keep from having their airline's name stenciled on the side of a Great Lakes 1900.

 

[Baze]

Nice moustache, homer.

Dude,

Mamma's avatar is a tribute to this guy:
http://www.mdculpepper.org/

I'm sure you'll get a kick out of Mr. Culpepper's website. He used to have a link to pictures of all the women he had "dated", but he has yanked it.

 

[Mamma]

I know you know this, but Air Group is already in the business of contracting out Alaska Airlines flying on Alaska Airlines routes: they have a capacity purchase agreement with Era Aviation for something like 5 flights a day ANC-ADQ. I think what's being contemplated is a similar deal, with the main difference being that MWH-SEA was never an AS route.

Horizon guys are already screwed -- having somebody fly 1900's in and out of Moses Lake as Alaska Airlines Express probably won't make the screwing a whole lot worse. Having said that, there ain't much Horizon pilots can do to stop it, as much as I'd like to. I hope Alaska pilots care enough about their brand to at least figure out a way to keep from having their airline's name stenciled on the side of a Great Lakes 1900.

I think its wishful thinking to assume they are going to use 1900s. They may start using those but later down the line they will go to 170s or 190s and expand the market. There is no market in MWH that will turn much of a profit. This is how these guys think! Find and exploit a loophole or interpret things their way. Just look at reserves! Saretsky is the kind of guy who says "we are going to use the contract to the max" so I don't put anything past him.

 

[ReverseSensing]

I think its wishful thinking to assume they are going to use 1900s. They may start using those but later down the line they will go to 170s or 190s and expand the market. There is no market in MWH that will turn much of a profit. This is how these guys think! Find and exploit a loophole or interpret things their way. Just look at reserves! Saretsky is the kind of guy who says "we are going to use the contract to the max" so I don't put anything past him.

You may be right and the whole scenario stinks to high heaven, but Horizon pilots don't have scope on the Air Group, so there's little we can legally do to prevent them from contracting with a third party and calling it Alaska Airlines Express.

I'm not sure there are a lot of spare 170s and 190s kicking around the marketplace that anyone would want to operate on the razor-thin margins Air Group would want to pay, though.

I really don't think contracting larger gauge flying to a third-party is actually a money-saving proposition. I'm sure AAG would like to get people thinking this is a viable plan -- you know, soften us up for the slaughter.