Ata Update/ Latest

[ship]

Has anyone heard lately when ATA may start calling for interviews or classes again. Their website is not indicating any clues and I have not heared any thing on this website. Any solid info is greatly appriciated ,

Ship

 

[ataopsdave]

I just got done talking to an ATA capt and he said that they want to put a pay freeze on the pilots and that they are looking at getting 717's. This is all news that came out today and this was on their union infoline. 717s , that would be cool to see. No news on hiring though

 

[Dart]

For express? or mainline.
Where did you get this info?

 

[TriStar_drvr]

Unfortunately, everything ATAOPSDAVE posted is true. I just listened to the MEC announcement that stated what Dave posted. Bottom line is that ATA is in a world of hurt right now. I'd like to think that any direction the company takes has been carefully planned with a lot of market analysis. However, I suspect that instead we're taking a shotgun approach, hoping to hit something that can make us profitable.

I hope I'm wrong...

On the other hand, the company just posted another vacancy bid yesterday with 18 more Captain positions available (10 737 and 8 757). Maybe there will be hiring to fill the vacanies left by upgrading FOs. However, in spite of how good ATA has been for me, I can't recommend coming here to work unless you're unemployed with no better options.

Good luck (we're all going to need some)

 

[ataopsdave]

Unfortunately, everything ATAOPSDAVE posted is true. I just listened to the MEC announcement that stated what Dave posted. Bottom line is that ATA is in a world of hurt right now. I'd like to think that any direction the company takes has been carefully planned with a lot of market analysis. However, I suspect that instead we're taking a shotgun approach, hoping to hit something that can make us profitable.

I hope I'm wrong...

On the other hand, the company just posted another vacancy bid yesterday with 18 more Captain positions available (10 737 and 8 757). Maybe there will be hiring to fill the vacanies left by upgrading FOs. However, in spite of how good ATA has been for me, I can't recommend coming here to work unless you're unemployed with no better options.

Good luck (we're all going to need some)

TriStar_drvr


I did not realize we are that bad off, are we expected to post a profit for the first quarter?

 

[ATA73Pilot]

I did not realize we are that bad off, are we expected to post a profit for the first quarter?

From what I heard on the Union Hotline today is sounds as if 1Q was horrible.

 

[mach none]

What happened with all the debt? I don't mean to flamebait, but ATA is in debt to it's eyeballs. When are the debt payments starting on the bond and how much money goes toward servicing the previous acquired (getting all those shiny new aircraft) debt?

 

[72737576]

Test

 

[72737576]

717's - yep the company is asking the union about pay for the 717 last month it was the 767.

Upgrades- latest bid 18 captains with a possible future bid this summer with 8 more captains. Not to mention retirements this year.

Current pay/seniorty freeze for 2 years- Yep the company is asking this but it's free to ask. We must wait to hear what ALPA has to say before talking about this further.

Fuel costs are up and we don't hedge fuel because of low cash on hand thanks to Dic?head Tague now a VP at United. I've seen on Yahoo News that there is a fuel surcharge on two of our routes. Why don't we apply this on all routes. I'm sure a passenger won't go to the competition because of $5 or $10 dollars added to the ticket. Most carriers had a $20 fuel surcharge a few years back. They should bring it back.

Load factors are great and the summer rush is coming.


Rumors are Rumors


ps
E- House of K basement is cold

 

[MooseTrax]

machnone,

The debt and bond issue have been taken of. The debt has been pushed out for 5 years basically. Things will start to come due in 2009 and 2010. I was astonished to hear about the 717 on the MEC hotline. ATA seems to be a very calculated company, so hopefully this is not, as one poster said, "a shotgun approach" to make money. The interesting thing about a 2 yr. pay freeze is that it will take ATA to the end of the current contract, and as I read it, that pay rate will continue until the contract is negotiated after the current one ends, so the pay freeze could end up being longer than 2 years. I am not sure where the numbers to hire came from in the posts above, but 53 seems high. The CP told all those in the pool that it could be as many as 25 or as little as 0 when they were told of their class being cancelled. Other bits to note is that ATA's SEC rating in a CCC which is the lowest out there for a non-bankrupt airline. Good luck.
Regards,

 

[furloughfodder]

By "Pay Freeze" do you mean if you are a second year FO you stay on second year FO pay for the next two years?

Or are these contractual raises that they are freezing? thanks.

 

[Dart]

The union have to agree to the pay freeze right? Do they(ATA Pilots) think that will happen......are they willing.....or whatever would save the company.

ATA is a great airline. I just hope something can be worked out.

 

[mach none]

machnone,

The debt and bond issue have been taken of. The debt has been pushed out for 5 years basically.

You said it. The debt has not be solved, just moved to another time. In the hope that things improve? When alpa did an research for us @ Alaska, I remember the debt level of ATA. It was somewhere around 110%. The lowest of course was Southwest and then Alaska.

That debt level is scary and I hope you guys can figure something out to deal with it. It will come due and will hurt your operation in the future.

 

[capt. megadeth]

Dart,
717's for Express????? I don't think so. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if our new aircraft was the Jetstream.

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

No, the MEC statement says 717's for mainline, if we prosper.

Lowecur has been looking for the order and I just found it. Its not SWA and its not the EMB.

ATA and 717's. No order yet, but maybe sometime in the future. If our house of cards stays standing.

Also according to the MEC...The increase in domestic capacity, equal to 6 ATA's, is hurting our RASMs. Especially in the Chicago and Transcon market.

 

[embpic]

By "Pay Freeze" do you mean if you are a second year FO you stay on second year FO pay for the next two years?

Or are these contractual raises that they are freezing? thanks.

I am curious if this is what mgmt is asking for. I am a poolie and was wondering if I would be at first year fo pay for the next 2 years if the union accepted this?

Thanks,
Sean

 

[Dart]

Thats what they say! I myself am a poolie aswell.

 

[texanpilot]

Is there a separate MEC hotline that is different than the CP's hotline? If so, will someone PM me with the number.
thx

 

[ataopsdave]

TEXANPILOT

Check your PMs.

Thanks

ATAOPSDAVE

 

[General Lee]

Where would ATA use the 717s? I am lost here. Would they replace planes? Be based at MDW? How would buying new airplanes be a concession?

Bye Bye--General Lee