Anyone remember this post from I Air guy?

[Skater]

No surpirses here. NWA tried the same thing when Valujet went into FNT and Air Tran is still there. The legacies are desperate to stop Independence before we can prove you can run a profitable LCC in small market cities with RJs. This and international routes are the only places they dont have LCC competition so they can continue to rape the flying public with high airfares. Once Independence gets enough Airbuses start making a profit there will be no stopping I Air. The majors know this and they will do everything they can over the next year to try and run us out of business. There will be more attacks by the majors in an attempt to kill off Independence. I'm glad I have Skeen as my field general and not Grinstein or Anderson. He will run rings around these guys. If they want to match our fares thats fine. We can make money at those fares and they will continue to bleed red.

All I have to say to the legacy carriers is bring it on.........we're ready for the fight.

It is from back around June 15th.......

 

[I.P. Freley]

Perhaps his arrogance was offputting, but I don't think it's necessary to gloat that FlyI is in trouble... There's a lot of good people there who don't deserve to lose their jobs, ACAFACVG's annoying attitude notwithstanding.

 

[Skater]

God forbid someone be accountable for what they say............

P.S. I'm furloughed United. I feel bad everyone who is struggling, but that quote was ridiculous.

 

[amF16]

knowing some people might lose their jobs........Regrettable


having the airline industry in a downturn........Sad

seeing a pompous ass eat his words.............Priceless

 

[Always deferred]

As a FLYi pilot, I am ashamed of fellow employees such as ACAFACVG when they make such ignorant and self-serving comments. Please keep in mind those who wish ill will on others are in the minority and every company has their few who's enthusiasm sometimes lacks tactfulness.

 

[Dewey Oxberger]

The employees and executives of ACA at least temporarily stopped the cancer that is MESA from from spreading like wildfire. Every "regional" employee in this industry owes them the deepest gratitude for what they all did. Many Flyi pilots have said they'd rather die on their feet than live bent over a barrel by Johnny O. How many of the rest of us would be so willing to take a stand?

 

[Indypilot]

Bravo, dewey.


Thank you

 

[I.P. Freley]

Every "regional" employee in this industry owes them the deepest gratitude for what they all did.

Geez, that'll teach me to stand up for a FlyI pilot.

With no disrespect intended, Dewey, I don't owe a single FlyI pilot a single danged thing. They haven't "stood up" for something, they simply didn't quit when ACA announced they were going solo. Nothing heroic about that, IMHO.

 

[AirBoard]

It is from back around June 15th.......

Nice detective work there skater. Now I'm sure if I had some more time I could find similar quotes to contradict the state of most airlines present situation.

Hey skater, what was the price of oil around June 15th????

 

[rptrain]

They haven't "stood up" for something, they simply didn't quit when ACA announced they were going solo. Nothing heroic about that, IMHO.

Easy to say that from the outside. When JO's takeover was in play, ACA pilots picketed Dulles, wrote senators, congressmen, and newspapers, plastered stickers over flight bags and hotel vans, swarmed mesalounge.com, donated real money (not in concessions), and a few even tried to take over the company.

The outcome may have been decided in the courts, but don't think for a minute that the pilots weren't 100% anti-Mesa. I often respect your opinions on this board, but that will quickly change if you try to tell ACA pilots what they did or did not stand up for.

How's this for standing up to Mesa?

December 4, 2003




​

Board of Directors​

Mesa Air Group​

​

410 North 44th Street​

Suite 700​

Phoenix, AZ 85008​

Ladies and Gentlemen:​

We are the Officers of the Master Executive Council for the pilots of Atlantic Coast Airlines Holdings, Inc. (“ACA”), as represented by the Air Line Pilots Association International. We are writing to you on behalf of the 1,600 pilots at ACA to clearly state our unambiguous opposition to your announced intentions for our company.​

As we have previously stated via press release and in numerous media interviews, this pilot group and its elected leadership strongly support our current Board’s decision to transform ACA from a regional carrier into a Dulles-based, low-fare airline to be known as Independence Air. Subsequent to your unsolicited “expression of interest” of October 6, 2003, and with full knowledge of your announced intentions, this pilot group overwhelmingly approved an amendment to our collective bargaining agreement to support this transformation through wage reductions and productivity enhancements. With 93% of our eligible pilots participating in the ratification process, and of those, 97% voting in favor of the amended agreement, this ballot clearly demonstrates that ACA’s pilots are absolutely unified in our commitment to working with all ACA employees to ensure the success of Independence Air.​

We take exception with the uninformed and simplistic view that the ACA pilots support Independence Air only because it will provide an opportunity to operate larger aircraft. Our universal desire to exit the regional fee-for-departure segment of the industry is driven by the rational analysis that this segment of the airline industry is becoming saturated and, in the foreseeable future, will become a low-growth, low-margin commodity business. When competitors, with increasing frequency, promise aircraft without definitive orders or committed long-term financing, it is time to exit the segment. One has to question the wisdom of Mesa continuing to add a single regional jet to the fleet, much less more than 100 aircraft, when considering the staggering off-balance sheet long-term financial obligations for Mesa and the credit ratings of the major airlines in your code share partner “portfolio”. Finally, the significantly higher P/E multiples in the low-cost carrier (“LCC”) segment (or, conversely, the significantly lower P/E multiples in the regional segment) support our thesis as evidenced in the pricing and initial performance of the recent Pinnacle Airlines (Northwest Airlink) IPO.​

Let me be crystal clear: the pilots of Atlantic Coast Airlines have absolutely no interest in being acquired by Mesa or deviating in any other way from our management’s independent vision. We intend to fully exercise by all means available both our contractual rights and those rights provided by the Railway Labor Act (“RLA”) to protect our interests in the event that you proceed with this unwelcome transaction. You should be aware of the following facts:​

• In the event of a “change of control”, we retain the sole right to terminate the conditional concessionary New United Airlines Code Share Letter of Agreement (“UAL LOA”), which contains significant wage reductions and work rule changes. Change in control shall mean:​

(1) The acquisition of beneficial ownership or control of (including, without limitation, power to vote) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock by any person or entity (including a “group” as defined by or under Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), or​

(2) A contested election of directors, as a result of which or in connection with which, the persons who were directors of ACAI before such election or their nominees cease to constitute a majority of the Board.​

• Without the UAL LOA, our Collective Bargaining Agreement is amendable in August 2005. It is typical for airline negotiations under Section 6 of the RLA to continue well beyond the amendable date during which time our 2005 cost structure, including a 4% increase from or current pay rates, will remain in place with continued escalation for increases in longevity (generally 3% per year).​

• If you are successful in the consent solicitation, you should consider your reduced ability to implement the United MOU given the cost structure resulting from our termination of the UAL LOA and the resulting impact on operating margins.​

Should you elect to pursue a merger following a successful consent solicitation, you should be aware that language in both of the collective bargaining agreements for the Mesa and ACA pilot groups provides for integration of pilot seniority lists. If we are unable to achieve a negotiated integration (very likely as we will move aggressively to protect all of our current and future flying as well as securing access for ACA pilots to as much of the combined company’s future growth as possible), both pilot groups will be subject to binding arbitration, which has historically been a lengthy process.​

Given all of these facts, we genuinely question how you could view this hostile transaction as being in the interests of Mesa stakeholders, in particular your pilots who made considerable compromises in their most recent contract to access growth and upgrade opportunities which they would now have to share with us. I have no doubt that this transaction is not in the best interest of ACA stakeholders and employees, and we will fight to the bitter end to avoid becoming yet another airline (i.e. West Air and CCAir) tossed in the Mesa graveyard.​

We wish no ill will to Mesa, its officers, management, employees or shareholders. We simply encourage you to pursue the many opportunities for internal growth that your officers have publicly stated are available, rather than pursuing this ill-conceived, highrisk and extremely unwelcome merger. If your true goal is to maximize shareholder value, I would strongly recommend that Mesa cease all efforts to attain control of ACA and allow us the simple courtesy of pursuing our own course.​

Respectfully,​

s/s​

ACO MEC Officers​

 

[I.P. Freley]

I often respect your opinions on this board, but that will quickly change if you try to tell ACA pilots what they did or did not stand up for.

I read what you wrote, and I stand by what I said. I don't owe you anything, and I don't feel that I owe you any gratitude.

Standing up for something and slapping a sticker on your bag or a letter in the mail to your congressman doesn't mean that I, and I quote the original post I referred to, "owes (you) the deepest gratitude for what they all did".

If you think that this means that I'm accusing you for not standing up for something, then that's your cross to bear. I just don't think I should be kneeling in your presence praising you for all your hard work. I can see how you might think I was slamming you, but that wasn't really the intention...