This is exactly why I decided to get out of the regional business and back into engineering. Based on the lumps the legacy/major carriers were taking, it was a natural and logical progression for a trickle-down effect to hit the regional industry. As all of the "Comair is best", "ExpressJet is best" posts continued in the past, I had to shake my head and hope that what I thought was going to happen, wasn't going to happen. Unfortunately, it did.
It's unfortunate. It's a travesty. It's everything bad that is bad. Everyone can lay blame on the "bottom feeders" now, but quite honestly, the one's being applauded for raising the bar now are seemingly in a position to become the next bottom feeder of the future. For those that don't believe me, look back into the history of the regional industry. It's a cyclical industry. You're top dog today...the place that everyone respects and wants to work for. And tomorrow, you're quite the opposite.
The likes of CHQ and Mesa get a lot of flack on this board for what people view as undercutting the potential of the industry, yet they're just assuming a role that evolves naturally in this situation. Although it's difficult to accept, the regional business is just that...a business. When practically every legacy carrier is bankrupt and just barely keeping its head above water, do you really think their primary concern is completion rates and being #1 in overall customer satisfaction? No, of course not. They're interested in having a job next year, let alone tomorrow. And to have a job, they have to make money. You can't make money by losing money...or spending more money than you have.
Hopefully, this is just a scare tactic by CAL. I've got several good friends over at XJT, and they seem to think that this is just the natural start of negotiations. I tend to agree, but who knows. None of my friends there seemed to think that XJT would remain the exclusive carrier by the time the contract was next due. CAL isn't exactly a cash cow. Hopefully, XJT will ride out this storm, keep a majority of its flying for CAL, and just accept the fact that another regional doing some of its flying is just the way business is done.
What I DO know is that XJT is a quality operation...one of the best out there. And that speaks volumes. You all may lose some of your flying (or may not...who knows this early) but your reputation will allow you to pick up more flying as well. So, think about that. I don't think this news is as bad as what it initially indicates. And I still think you XJT pilots have a really good thing going, and it will continue to be so. Good luck to you all and enjoy doing a job that brings satisfaction to your life.