America's Most Admired Airlines 2006

[Alchemy]

Being the best regional these days is kind of like being the best at kick-ball at the Special Olympics.

Real original there, chief. Must suck for these guys:

6 America West Holdings 4.40
7 Northwest Airlines 4.40
8 Delta Air Lines 3.64
9 UAL 3.38
10 US Airways Group 3.25

......to finish behind the mentally handicapped!

In any event, I'm not so sure this is even something to be proud of. It's more of a mangement award than anything, this is Forbes after all. Expressjet is actually a pretty good place to work in my opinion. Let's hope it stays that way for awhile. I was thrilled when I was hired here and am still happy to be here a year and a half later, even if I get furloughed and/or face a 7 year upgrade with the planned "cutbacks".

 

[JumpCaptain]

i think i speak for most trans states pilots. we don't want the flying because we know that coex earned a 'bar raising' contract. we hope that it is simply cal/coex management spreading fear.

I wasn't aware TSA was even interested in flying the blue tail? This is the first I've heard of it. Have they expressed interest publicly?

 

[WMUSIGPI]

What happend. A thread from a year ago said that Xjet was the best place to go? So wierd how things change so much! Good luck friends!

It seems in this industry that "the place to go" is the place to sprint away from 6 months later. The bottom of the industry just keeps sinking.
Air Wisconsin, Comair, Mesaba, now Expressjet. Who's next? Horizon maybe?

 

[Slice121]

OK, I'll bite. Mesa might wear the pin, but until they start nutting up and moving the industry in the right direction again, I don't consider them my brother. Lowlife-bottom-feeding-scumsuckers, comes to mind.

Get your pay and work rules in line with the industry and stop dragging everyone else down. Then we can talk "Brother". So far, they have done nothing but screw it up for everyone else. I "hear" that they might be trying to do something to get this started, like recalling their MEC and NC. If this is the case, I'll offer any assistance that I can give. So far though, they ain't my Bro.

Maybe I should not hold back and say how I really feel.

How long have you been at XJT? So you have no issues with the left-overs from the PFT days who shelled out $8500 to go through REQUIRED training. Sounds pretty hypocritical to me!

 

[Superpilot92]

The only thing good about being on a list like this is that to investors we look like a good company to invest in. Hopefully with our balance sheet and mgmt we can pull something off that will make this place even better. Who knows whats going to happen,It could go either way. We will see soon enough. I do know that most people i work with arent to concerned and have faith in our mgmt to pull somthing off. We shall See.

 

[Superpilot92]

How long have you been at XJ? So you have no issues with the left-overs from the PFT days who shelled out $8500 to go through REQUIRED training. Sounds pretty hypocritical to me!

He doesnt work for XJ he works for XJT. XJ is Mesaba. Just thought i would help you out here.

 

[Slice121]

He doesnt work for XJ he works for XJT. XJ is Mesaba. Just thought i would help you out here.

Corrected. Thx.

 

[Standby 1]

I'm not pissed off at Mesa or Transtates (or whoever gets the 69 RJ's, if that even happens) about it. We'd take their flying from them if we could. Unforutnately our "industry leading 50 seat rates" put a bit of a target on our back for CAL managment I'm afraid. I'm more pissed that Xjet management was too inept to negotiate a CPA which would retain our flying with Continental than I am at the other regionals for scavenging over the remains of COEX.

Where did you get the idea that the current CPA was actually "negotiated"?? CAL dictated the extremely favorable terms in order to make XJT look very attractive for investors when the IPO was put out. And it worked....CAL made a bunch of money out of the deal. It really had nothing to do with XJT management. Everyone knew that the CPA would not be beneficial to CAL by the time it came up for negotiation. Everyone knew CAL would be looking to slash those same benefits that made them all that money when they spun off XJT on Wall Street.




.

 

[Turkey Shoot]

also, no way you're even stepping into one of our crew rooms.

(My very best John Wayne) Whoa there Pilgrim! I don't believe your big enough to keep me out your crew room.

I doubt TSA has expressed public interest but you can bet if the Howling Hindu can make put some green backs into the pocket, he'll do it. I for one would hate to see my career progress at someone else's expense but I would rather see mine go than another guy at another airline that undercuts XJT.

You have to love it. Set the bar high and others come by and get you furloughed for sticking to your guns.

 

[CALnTX]

I'm not pissed off at Mesa or Transtates (or whoever gets the 69 RJ's, if that even happens) about it. We'd take their flying from them if we could. Unforutnately our "industry leading 50 seat rates" put a bit of a target on our back for CAL managment I'm afraid. I'm more pissed that Xjet management was too inept to negotiate a CPA which would retain our flying with Continental than I am at the other regionals for scavenging over the remains of COEX.

Lots of negotiating to be done........nothing is near final yet.....for XJT or anyone else....sit tight

 

[ReverseSensing]

Real original there, chief.

Not a chief, just an indian. imp:

In any event, I'm not so sure this is even something to be proud of. It's more of a mangement award than anything, this is Forbes after all.

Oh, so we agree? You just have a more original way of putting it, I guess.

Expressjet is actually a pretty good place to work in my opinion. Let's hope it stays that way for awhile. I was thrilled when I was hired here and am still happy to be here a year and a half later, even if I get furloughed and/or face a 7 year upgrade with the planned "cutbacks".

Well best of luck to you then, chief.

 

[Alchemy]

Where did you get the idea that the current CPA was actually "negotiated"?? CAL dictated the extremely favorable terms in order to make XJT look very attractive for investors when the IPO was put out. And it worked....CAL made a bunch of money out of the deal. It really had nothing to do with XJT management. Everyone knew that the CPA would not be beneficial to CAL by the time it came up for negotiation. Everyone knew CAL would be looking to slash those same benefits that made them all that money when they spun off XJT on Wall Street.
.

Makes sense for Continental, it just seems like a pretty crappy way to run a company.

 

[ReverseSensing]

It seems in this industry that "the place to go" is the place to sprint away from 6 months later. The bottom of the industry just keeps sinking.
Air Wisconsin, Comair, Mesaba, now Expressjet. Who's next? Horizon maybe?

For anyone who thinks Horizon is on any sort of pedestal among regionals, here's some food for thought:

Our contract isn't that fabulous by many standards:

We do have 2:1 duty rig and 4:1 trip rig, but we are not paid block, only an average segment pay on a block-rigged trip. So waiting 20 mins. for a gate can (depending on the rig in effect) be a bummer. Plus, our -200 schedules are pretty crappy by most standards.

Our first year pay is good, but pay is somewhat average in the middle years. With 6-year upgrades, earning potential at QX takes a while to really be "industry-leading."

Our min guarantees and time off (converted from our bizarre 5-week bid system) are only average: Line holder guarantee is 80 hrs/month with a min. of 11.25 days off/month. Reserve guarantee is 75 hours/month with a min. of 10.4 days off/month. Reserve line holders are unable to pick up open time, so it is virtually impossible to credit more than 75 hours/month. In general, our credit hour system is not generous, making it difficult to credit much more than your line value, especially when schedule factors are taken into account. Bottom line is Horizon's system is hard to milk for additional pay, unless you want to work almost all of your days off.

Don't get me wrong, there are many good things about Horizon, especially if you want to be based in SEA or PDX and basically fly the West Coast (or just the NW for -200 folks). But we have an expensive product, CASM-wise, and a management (Air) group that is pretty aggressive about getting our costs down, so it could get pretty ugly here shortly, as any of the AS guys can attest to.

I just feel it's important to keep the record straight about Horizon and to lower expectations for folks looking at QX as a career move. It is a good company and for many personal reasons I'm happy to be here, but I think there are some over-inflated notions of QX's stature floating around out there.

 

[WMUSIGPI]

I really hadn't looked very close at Horizon. In fact the closest I've ever been to the Northwest is San Diego or Denver. But I heard of quite a few of my coworkers looking to jump ship, and Horizon was a name that kept coming up of where to go. Personally, my wife makes too much here in metro Detroit right now to consider leaving for any regional flying job. Now if someone wanted to offer up a 90K+ corporate gig, I'll talk.

 

[ERJFO]

Thanks fellow ALPA brother! Glad to see we can all get along.

Give that ALPA crap a rest, being in a union doesn't make you our brother. You might be our brother if you stopped working for a contract that degrades the industry.

XJT's contract should be the minimum regional contract... Not the best.

Working for TSA's contract is a laughing matter.

 

[illtake2]

ERJFO do you poop golden turds!!

What makes TSA's contract so bad since you know our CBA so well. Just tell me how it is a disgrace and I will give you the respect you deserve. Until then just shut up if you want to offend somebody for something they have no control of.

 

[Reebo]

Give that ALPA shoot a rest, being in a union doesn't make you our brother. You might be our brother if you stopped working for a contract that degrades the industry.

XJT's contract should be the minimum regional contract... Not the best.

Working for TSA's contract is a laughing matter.

A contract that was signed 6 years ago. OK Wonderboy, how long have you been flying for XJT? Remember when you had to pay 10 Grand for an F/O seat? That's right, you were still in HIGH SCHOOL! STFU Toolbox! Once you gain some experience and time under your belt, you will see that we ALL perform the SAME job. Worst part is most guys I know at XJT are stand up guys. You unfortunately are not one of them. One day you will understand that we are all "brothers" and need each others help. Division amongst pilot groups only benefits MANAGEMENT.

 

[AviatorTx]

Nice try! I don't even work for Mesa, but they too are our "brothers". Good luck at XJT. Hopefully your management won't put you in the same position that the Mesa pilots were in. Only time will tell.

How about "NO try". I never insinuated that you worked for that POS operation. I just said that I do not think of Mesa pilots as my union brothers, because all they do is wear the pin. Until they actually do something to BETTER the profession, as opposed to run it in the ground, I shall continue to feel that way. Illegitimate stepchild, maybe, but not brother.

You are correct about ONE thing. That is, only time will tell. Since we were smart enough to scope our holding company AND get decent pay and work rules, the odds of a similar situation at XJT are slim to none.

Nimitz, Nimitz, Nimitz... After careful consideration, and re-thinking my last post over the last few days, your response is noted and logged. I stand by every word that I said.

 

[aerobaticspilot]

I wonder how "admired" expressjet will be after Mesa or TransStates gets 69 COEX ERJ's and they furlough 25% of their FO's?

Make sure you know what you are talking about before you talk!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pgcfii2002]

So people are already getting pissed off at Trans States and Mesa for rumors lets get pissed off at Democrats for electing Hilary to run in 2008 while we're at it

NICE AVATAR!!!