ASA president speaks on scope

[Medeco]

From the ASA intranet website:

// What does the Nov. 11 pilot agreement at Delta mean to ASA team members?

The new Delta pilot agreement, which reduces Delta’s pilot costs by $1 billion, was one key element of Delta being able to restructure outside of bankruptcy court. While not the only element, it was critical in allowing Delta to continue their efforts to manage their transformation. One benefit of the agreement is in the area of scope.

Delta Connection carriers can now operate up to 150 70-seat regional aircraft – a significant increase from
the current restriction of 58 aircraft. ASA plans to compete vigorously for the opportunity to increase our 70-seat flying for Delta. However, we will face stiff competition from other carriers, like Comair, SkyWest and Chautauqua for this opportunity, along with other non-Delta Connection carriers.

Answered by Skip Barnette, president — ASA

 

[tuna pimp]

ASA will get it's fair shake of 70 seat flying. The fact that rates at ASA are a bit lower than at Comair plays to it's favor (assuming it stays that way). Delta tends to givethe 70 seat flying to the whollu owned carriers. So if I were a betting man I'd bet on a healthy amount (but not all of the) growth coming ASA's way.

Delta's got some older/incompatible aircraft in it's fleet so this added scope capability will allow Delta to further simplify it's fleet going forward. Good for Delta Connection.

 

[ifly4food]

Ha Ha Ha! If Skippy thinks this pilot group is going to buy one single -700, he sorely mistaken.

Go ahead, Delta, give them to the competition. We refuse to bid for flying!!!

 

[701EV]

ifly4food,


I'm with you brother!

701EV

 

[AV8700]

Ha Ha Ha! If Skippy thinks this pilot group is going to buy one single -700, he sorely mistaken.

Go ahead, Delta, give them to the competition. We refuse to bid for flying!!!

AGREED 100%

 

[737 Pylt]

Ha Ha Ha! If Skippy thinks this pilot group is going to buy one single -700, he sorely mistaken.

Go ahead, Delta, give them to the competition. We refuse to bid for flying!!!

IFFF:
I sure hope you're right. More people need to have that attitude. Unfortunately, it happens more times than not!
737

 

[AV8700]

It didn't work the first time, here or at Comair, and it won't work this time. The only thing it did was strengthen both groups.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Ha Ha Ha! If Skippy thinks this pilot group is going to buy one single -700, he sorely mistaken.

Go ahead, Delta, give them to the competition. We refuse to bid for flying!!!

If Skip wants to take a pay cut to get them, go for it If the information I heard is correct, he makes sixteen times what I do. Although if you count the income from all three of my jobs he only makes around eight times what I earn.

Several folks bid naps so they can work second jobs during the day. I work for myself, so I can get caught up when not being used on reserve and my off days.

But someday I would like to be an airline pilot. Fly my 75 to 85 hours with 325 hours away from home a month and that is all. CHQ is a tough competitor, but the bottom has to be somewhere, let them find it. In the mean time I will try to make it out there to walk another session and hope that the message is being heard on the 7th floor.

Hope that the powers that be don't push us into a more public ( legal ) display in the terminal, but the powers that be should not test our resolve. Now is a lousy time public nastiness at DAL.

~~~^~~~

 

[~~~^~~~]

Here is an article on United's decision to out source flying to the lowest cost RJ bidder.... Note any similarities? From the Boyd Group

Unfortunately, UA management has made the decision that less of that quality mainline service will be just the thing to turn the airline around. It's called outsourcing. In an ominous sign that United's long-term planning is starting to enter the desperation phase, United just announced a 14% cut back in domestic flying, along with a major replacement of mainline flying by RJs operated by small jet providers. Sure, the sector costs on that ORD-ATL segment will drop wonderfully when that A-320 gets replaced by a 70-seat CRJ.

But so will customer loyalty, which will cost United a bundle.

In a prime market like this, (and this is just one example) a cramped CRJ is about as competitive as riding a buckboard instead of a Lexus. Not to mention the effects of sending more mainline United passengers to the Fall-of-Saigon reenactment performed daily on the UAX Concourse F at O'Hare. It's pretty obvious that United's CEO and senior management team haven't seen this place in years. Or, at least one hopes that's the case. Otherwise, United is in much worse trouble than anyone thought.

Those formerly mainline United ORD-ATL customers are in for a real thrill when they get to Concourse F. Crowded, confused UAX gate areas, often with several flights being boarded in close sequence from the same check-in desk. Agent radios squawking out every facet of the operation so that passengers can be entertained with incidents of crews trying to be located, baggage being moved, gate changes contemplated, and other stuff that makes the whole operation feel like a rehearsal for an episode of The Simpsons. Then the healthy exercise at boarding time, with passengers forced to schlep their carry-on baggage down a stairway that might look like it hasn't had a cleaning or a coat of paint since the Nixon Administration.

Once down the stairs, they find out that they have to leave their "carry-ons" at the bottom of the plane's stairs, because, oops, the RJ cannot accommodate normal carry-on baggage. In flight, they find that using their laptop is a near-impossible feat, especially if they're sitting next to somebody who's 6'5" and weighs 200 pounds. It's up close and personal with your seat mate all the way from Chicago to Atlanta.

Yessir, tossing those United Premier Execs and 1K customers into that mess will really build brand loyalty. For American.

United has claimed that its problems stem from the refusal of the Air Transportation Stabilization Board to give it loan guarantees. If United's second application was anything like the first one, the refusal was entirely valid, as the airline's management obviously didn't produce numbers that the ATSB found credible. And that seems to be the issue for United - credibility. If it's going to survive, United needs to get a senior management team in place that has some credible strategic direction beyond slapping paint on airplanes (TED) and outsourcing flying to lowest-bidder RJ operators.