American Eagle RDU Base

[msr]

Any word on AE opening a pilot base in RDU. I sure hope so!!!!!

 

[eaglefly]

Hearing rumors now there are too many obstacles.

Mainline scope, especially.

Seems to be an unlikely fantasy.

 

[jetexas]

I guess APA would rather have non-AMR regionals fill in the voids.

 

[Snakum]

I guess APA would rather have non-AMR regionals fill in the voids.

Think Corpex will come back to RDU, as Am Conn this time?

Just curious ...

Minh

 

[aaskybabe]

At the AE interview they said RDU would open as a base sometime midyear.

 

[80drvr]

At the AE interview they said RDU would open as a base sometime midyear.

Yeah. I heard there was going to be a big announcement on Thursday.

 

[jetexas]

The announcement will definitely be on Wednesday.

 

[DrinkSweetTea]

Think Corpex will come back to RDU, as Am Conn this time?

Just curious ...

Minh

Corpex has been hiring quite a bit despite not flying any new routes, and in fact losing a destination of PurdueAirport. I think they have hired over 50 pilots in the last month or 2. RDU was good for them back in the midway days and i wouldnt be surprised if AA had them do some inter-Carolina stuff going back to RDU.

 

[80drvr]

Think Corpex will come back to RDU, as Am Conn this time?

Just curious ...

Minh

This from the APA BOD recap:

"The second issue involves flying done by Corporate Airlines, a non-majority owned commuter carrier operating as American Connection flying 19-seat Jetstream turbo-props between BNA, ATL and TRI. Section 1.D.5. (h) prohibits this.



In addition, management approached APA with a request to code share, on a trial basis, with Corporate Airlines, operating as American Connection with 19-seat Jetstream turbo-props between RDU and several small cities in North Carolina."

 

[tarheel87]

Eagle RJs at RDU

I noticed today that there were 8 Eagle RJ's at RDU. That's alot of RJ's on the ramp for there not to be a base here. My 2 cents.

 

[jetexas]

Yeah and they are spending mucho money on hotels for crews there too.

 

[NoName]

corpex, although they are a j32 operator only right now has brazilia's coming and has already placed a few bids in for EAS with e120s.

 

[BoilerUP]

corpex, although they are a j32 operator only right now has brazilia's coming and has already placed a few bids in for EAS with e120s.

HAHAHAHAHA

Please excuse me while I go clean the sh*t out of my pants. That type of comedy is more than I can take. Please, do share your sources. Was it the same guy who said 3C was getting ex-XJET EMJs?

Without EAS as their welfare, Corporate would die at the vine and all the employees know it. If Corpex gets ANYTHING bigger than JS32s before Nov 04, I'll hafta vote for Howard Dean and start buying World Series tickets, cuz Hell's frozen over and there is going to be a Cubs/Red Sox series.

I *wish* you were right. For the pilots sake, for the rampers sake, for MY SAKE. I ain't holding my breath.

 

[NoName]

this is true, and the sources are available online if you look hard enough. my people sources say they have already but in bids to do eas with e120s. if awarded they will be getting them. laf, purdue, service does not include this new bid. the 90 day notice has been served for cacelation of this service, the 90 day notice was also waived, so ill have to ask my source when the service will actually stop.

 

[BoilerUP]

Final day of service in Lafayette is Feb. 14th. CEA 5938 will be the last flight to depart, at 1218 local. I will be the last employee at Lafayette to clock out.

It is widely known that 3C has put in bids for places such as Mt. Home AR, Tupelo MS, and the North Carolina cities to be served out of RDU. Also in the works is an Indiana intra-state shuttle serving SBN, IND and EVV, with 3-4 flights a day to each city out of IND. Are some of these the cities you are referring to? To my knowledge (and company line), these are all to be served by the j-ball.

Corporate Mgmt has said time and time again that the only thing they intend to fly is the 19 seat market, and with JS32s. None of the line pilots I've spoken with has said anything about this (and the CA today was is an IOE captain). This company is waaaaaaaay too small for management to keep a secret this big from seeing the light of day, especially with pilots (and employees in general) being screwed by low-ball wages and pay freezes. It *could* explain some of the recent pilot hiring, but then again attrition could too. If 3C does open up a RDU domicile, over half the pilots in STL will bid there because they live locally (from 3C flying with Midway).

Please post links to your sources.

 

[BoilerUP]

This from the APA BOD recap:

"The second issue involves flying done by Corporate Airlines, a non-majority owned commuter carrier operating as American Connection flying 19-seat Jetstream turbo-props between BNA, ATL and TRI. Section 1.D.5. (h) prohibits this.



In addition, management approached APA with a request to code share, on a trial basis, with Corporate Airlines, operating as American Connection with 19-seat Jetstream turbo-props between RDU and several small cities in North Carolina."

Why would APA have a beef with Corporate flying 19 seat turboprops out of RDU? Is it because they aren't wholly-owned like Eagle? I can see only benefit and no detriment to AA letting 3C fly to all the boonie NC cities that Eagle doesn't seem to want. Perhaps I'm missing something.

....or is it APA only has a problem with BNA-TRI-ATL?

 

[resistance]

Man your missing the point! It starts at 19 seat Jetstreams (aka Eagle Air around 1992) then they are flying 70 seat RJ's (aka Eagle Air 2004).

I can understand APA concern (also myself being an Eagle pilot) that sub-contracting work out away from AMR. This practice has driven employee morale to historic lows and will cost the company millions and millions in the long run. If management understood this very basic principle the employee group will work hard to make the company profitable. (See Continental Airlines)

I wish things were different but the company sets the mood.

 

[80drvr]

Why would APA have a beef with Corporate flying 19 seat turboprops out of RDU? Is it because they aren't wholly-owned like Eagle? I can see only benefit and no detriment to AA letting 3C fly to all the boonie NC cities that Eagle doesn't seem to want. Perhaps I'm missing something.

....or is it APA only has a problem with BNA-TRI-ATL?

APA has (or should have) a problem with all of it. The scope exception allowing eagle flying was for this purpose. Now they want an exception to the exception because eagle is too busy replacing mainline flying to deal with the feeder stuff. While the horse may be out of the barn to some extent, APA doesn't necessarily have to let it roam freely.

 

[BoilerUP]

APA has (or should have) a problem with all of it. The scope exception allowing eagle flying was for this purpose. Now they want an exception to the exception because eagle is too busy replacing mainline flying to deal with the feeder stuff. While the horse may be out of the barn to some extent, APA doesn't necessarily have to let it roam freely.

On one hand, I understand the concern of both APA and Eagle watching flying being farmed out to non-AMR entities, and the potential impact on the bottom line. The impact on employee morale doesn't need restating. I would think it makes more since to keep all same-brand flying inhouse, but I'm not airline management.

On the other hand, if Eagle wanted to fly 19 seaters into small markets, wouldn't they currently be doing that? And while I agree that RJs really have no place flying traditional mainline routes, isn't it better to have RJs flying those mainline routes than to not have them at all? Also, isn't it good to have RJs to supplement mainline frequency into markets where it isn't feasible to have as many S80/737 flights?

I must admit I'm young and slowly learning the politicking within ALPA, APA and the various airlines, so please forgive any naivity on my part - it isn't flamebait. I think it is in EVERYBODY'S interest for the whipsaw to end...but I don't see the threat to APA or Eagle in a JS32 flying out of RDU if Eagle doesn't want it.

 

[80drvr]

On one hand, I understand the concern of both APA and Eagle watching flying being farmed out to non-AMR entities, and the potential impact on the bottom line. The impact on employee morale doesn't need restating. I would think it makes more since to keep all same-brand flying inhouse, but I'm not airline management.

On the other hand, if Eagle wanted to fly 19 seaters into small markets, wouldn't they currently be doing that? And while I agree that RJs really have no place flying traditional mainline routes, isn't it better to have RJs flying those mainline routes than to not have them at all? Also, isn't it good to have RJs to supplement mainline frequency into markets where it isn't feasible to have as many S80/737 flights?

I must admit I'm young and slowly learning the politicking within ALPA, APA and the various airlines, so please forgive any naivity on my part - it isn't flamebait. I think it is in EVERYBODY'S interest for the whipsaw to end...but I don't see the threat to APA or Eagle in a JS32 flying out of RDU if Eagle doesn't want it.

The threat is there and it is substantial. This isn't about politics it's about $$$. Mgmt wants to drive salaries as low as they possibly can and the window of opportunity for concessions is closing. You're right, Eagle could fly those routes if they wanted to, but mgmt would love the opportunity to get someone to do it cheaper.
This is an issue where there may actually be common ground between APA and Eagle ALPA. We actually just won an arbitration over the outsourcing to Trans States and Chataqua but the award hasn't been released. The bottom line is that outsourcing hurts. If someone is in a position where obtaining an outsourced job seems like a good deal, stand by. What goes around, comes around because mgmt isn't going to be complacent when looking for $$$ and you'll be checking your six soon enough as they find someone who will do it cheaper (and not necessarily better).