Another condescending SH email.

[JoeMerchant]

The problem is Delta.

When I look in the back of my 50 seat AC and see three crews from three different DCI carriers all on a scheduled DH as part of the their trip - something is way wrong. In the red tail system DH's were very few in number - now just about every pairing has at least one scheduled DH in it.

When I report for the first flight in Regional City USA and see one AC each from five different DCI carriers at the gate - soemthing is very F'ed up. There is only one COEX and for the most part one Eagle.

Delta has hopelessly screwed up the integration of the red tail RJ's into the Delta system. They refuse to let any one carrier dominate even the smallest market so we are all spread ridiculously all over the country. Delta's marketing guru's have changed their marketing plan from one that you can staff with 5 crews per AC to one that needs 6 or 7 crews per AC. We used to need only two crews per day per AC. Now I see some schedules that require four crews a day to operate an AC. Two of those crews will be in the back of some one elses AC most of the day too. That is Delta's doing -and Delta's problem. They have the most expensive regional feed in the industry because of their marketing scheme. Yes I know it is because of their strike phobia - but they pay a tremendous price for it.

Our problem is Delta marketing has their heads too far up a dark place to realize they are the problem. PCL's and Mesaba's trips absolutely suck compared to the old red tail trips. The regional management group that realizes they need to staff 6 crews per AC to maintain good performance will be rewarded by Delta with a flogging for increasing expenses.

If you are in senior management at a DCI carrier you are in a no win position. It doesn't matter what they do - they are screwed. And when people are in that position they tend to do what ever they jolly well please - and then blame someone else.

This is exactly the problem...SH isn't the problem, Delta is a big part of the problem....We are covering PCL trips in DTW because they are even more short of crews. We are picking up Comairs Florida and RDU flying as Delta dismantles them.

Combine that with every DCI/UAX carrier getting beat down on cost by RFPs and competition, and you get this mess...Blaiming this on SH might make you feel good, but it is misplaced anger....

 

[BOX OFFICE]

I think the three above posts make the most sense. It's clear that Delta doesn't care if the schedules it gives the regionals are difficult to make happen. Delta management seems to think that's their problem to figure out, and if they can't they'll find someone else who will. Which is probably true. It really sucks what's happening to the regionals, but I think we're seeing the beginning of the end of regional flying. It's almost like they're intentionally trying to drive the "legacy" regionals out of business. which makes perfect sense in a bean counter's world.

As for ASA, someone should post this nasty letter for the rest of us to see. Sounds like nothing has changed over there.

 

[probablecause]

Agreed, but wouldn't a few more crews fix this problem Joe?

 

[PBRstreetgang]

Dear Mr. Holt,
When you came to ASA it was in turmoil and you treated the Pilots and Flight Attendant's with respect and gave the tools and management to turn it around. In turn the employee's showed you back breaking efforts to turn ASA into one of the top airlines out there. And now you are back where you started and worse, why? Stop blaming everyone else and tell the group why you have to run it this way if you must. Did the pay cut from Delta cost so much you can't make money, did the Expressjet buyout bite you harder than you thought? The management style has obviously changed, but why? You treat the employees like garbage and you get garbage in return at some point. Scott H.'s letter is not going to help your situation if you truly want improvement.

Sincerely,
Your employees

Wow!
Uncle Rico's true colors have finally surfaced, I am glad that retarded-evil-dwarf is your problem! He is doing to you what he had done to us for years! My only concern is after he rides your company into the toilet, he will return to SKYW and resume being out personal hell. He came to you and put his best foot forward, now its firmly in your butts.
PBR

 

[nerjdriver]

So what's this email? Apparently it was only sent to the ASA side of the house. They have probably just given up on us over at the XTJ side BAHAHA

 

[rockit85]

The staffing and our operation has reached a critical mass this week (ie maintenance issues, increased flying added at the last minute, commuter clause users, sick calls, personal issues, extended training for some pilots-new hires and upgrades, ground damage, weather, too much open time left from the original bid run, PBS issues, people not following the FOM policies, etc.).

We have recently caught the attention of both of our mainline partners at the highest level. It is important that we all work to pull the operation up this week and weekend.

I would not be asking for your highest attention to this issue if it was not critical. I know at times it may seem unbearable recently to come to work but it is important you push through this and help to improve our operation now.



It doesn’t matter how we got here but we need to show ASA runs a quality on time, reliable airline to our partners without delay. You do a great job and your attention to our operation is appreciated before, now and in the future.
Scott

 

[Clutch]

Tacky move to post an entire email

 

[nerjdriver]

Jeezzz. What a joke. So what does ASA ALPA have to say? Honestly I am not suprised guys, the way our side has been run for years is just this. We get away with two or three good weeks and then it all goes to hell for a month, two, three, twenty four...... Fly the contract, go to work, then go home. It is just not worth it anymore. If they want to make us a stakeholder in the company and compensate us appropriately then Ill listen. BTW seems like PBS couldn't have blown up at a better time. You guys really need to push your ALPA to learn about our system, we are learning yours.

 

[mxaviator]

Tacky move to post an entire email

Yeah. But he now has 13 posts!

 

[maxcackel]

Tacky move to post an entire email

No Tacky was putting out an email like this. Anything this bad should be shared.

 

[kingairpilot]

wow, glad I pulled the ripcord when I did. Not surprised in the least...but...wow.

ka

 

[FORESTGUMP]

Tacky move to post an entire email

You're an idiot

 

[Clutch]

You're an idiot

Good one, gump

 

[kingairpilot]

Gump, you are a goddamn genius. If it wouldn't be the waste of a good enlisted man, I'd recommend you for OCS

 

[wms]

KH and her department are very capable. The problem is managers are micromanaging her department for their own agenda.

DB and others are bent on building pairings that are bad for crews instead of good for the company. If they would let crew planning build pairings with the emphasis on quality, efficiency and productivity, they would find that we would be content, cooperative and productive; staffing would be better and cost and on-time performance would go way up. But they are so anti-pilot that they would let the company perform poorly just to keep us unhappy.

They care nothing about cost. They round-trip deadhead, do 4-day trips with 30 hour layovers for one round trip, etc. They don't cancel unused itineraries and hotels due to reroutes thus paying for unused services, etc. They totally waste money for the purpose of anti-pilot scheduling, while talking about how WE need to be cost effective.

BH, please mind the store. You don't have a quality service to offer to potential partners if you aren't here to oversee it. The excellent culture you brought to ASA is being destroyed by the middle-mangers of old that resent your pro front-line employee philosophy. They are dooming the merger process, have all but ensured the demise of pbs at ASA, and have proven to the xe employees that they are falling from the pan to the fire.

 

[i fly boxes]

Oh if only you guys would have met northwest airlines. Things would have been better for you like it was for us old airlinkers. Remember when pinnacle had industry leading performance and on time rates month after month? Its not just a coincidence that it stopped once we became a dci carrier.

 

[Metro752]

f.u.p.m.

 

[GeekMaster]

The staffing and our operation has reached a critical mass this week (ie maintenance issues, increased flying added at the last minute, commuter clause users, sick calls, personal issues, extended training for some pilots-new hires and upgrades, ground damage, weather, too much open time left from the original bid run, PBS issues, people not following the FOM policies, etc.).

Translation: Our actions have finally caught up with us and we're in a world of hurt this week



We have recently caught the attention of both of our mainline partners at the highest level. It is important that we all work to pull the operation up this week and weekend.

Translation: DAL and UAL are really pi$$ed about it !!



I would not be asking for your highest attention to this issue if it was not critical. I know at times it may seem unbearable recently to come to work but it is important you push through this and help to improve our operation now.

Translation: If you sorry SOB's would quit faking sick calls and quit being pansies with your fatigue calls I wouldn't have to beg right now.




It doesn’t matter how we got here (I screwed up) but we need to show ASA runs a quality on time, reliable airline to our partners without delay. (I need you guys to cover my back) You do a great job and your attention to our operation is appreciated before, now and in the future.(uh huh ugh Thank you, yes ma'am, and stuff)
Scott

 

[Flyguy1226]

I can't wait for them to post this weeks Brad's update. 100+ comments at least!

 

[Redan]

While the issues with DCI are correct, this is not the whole story by any means. When BH arrived at ASA we were warned by SKW persons that he would appear to build a personal relationship fostering a teamwork environment with frontline employees. That he would allow this to run briefly then start incrementally chipping away at our contracts and QOL. We saw how well this worked for a short while with many ASA employees becoming BH cheerleaders. And now we've seen how he's done exactly as predicted and systematically eroded our QOL beyond any any expectation. Now we've gone from nearly a top tier operation to bottom feeder status in a remarkably short time span. Most of us feel our trust has been violated dramatically. Some attempt to place blame on middle management who does in fact bear culpability. However, we can all be assured that BH is totally aware of and responsible for our situation.