Colgan Vs Commutair

[CooCooTim]

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[CA1900]

The big difference I see between Colgan and Commutair is that Colgan has a viable codeshare with US Airways while Commutair seems to get the shaft from Continental.

I think that's probably the key. They would rather put passengers on their own planes than ours (of course!), and they don't do any marketing for us (part of our negotiated agreement for a low codeshare cost), so it's really tough just getting noticed by the flying public. They're generally happy once they're on-board (the planes are clean, and the on-time performance is terrific), but getting them to fly on us the first time is the challenge.

I was at Commutair when we were absolutely thriving as a US Airways affiliate. We regularly had flights OVERbooked -- a concept that seems like a distant memory these days, flying empty airplanes around just to collect our government subsidies. It's quite rare indeed that I fly an airplane with enough people (6, according to the company) to break even.

I've never worked for Colgan, but from this side of the fence, the future looks a lot brighter there than it does at CommutAir. I still have fun with the job, but I fear it isn't going to last much longer the way things are going. Glad to hear things are looking brighter for you guys, at least. Hope some of it will rub off on us.

 

[t-ride]

Does Commutair have mostly overnights or out and backs?

What are the continental priveledges at Commutair? Does it extend to your spouse and parents?

Does it help you in the long run flying out of big airports with Colgan? Commutair seems to fly out of smaller ones?

 

[CA1900]

Does Commutair have mostly overnights or out and backs?

A little of both... mostly two-day trips, starting and ending in the late morning or early afternoon. Some bases, like Syracuse or Rochester, really aren't commutable. Albany is really the only one that has trips at all friendly to commuters.

What are the continental priveledges at Commutair? Does it extend to your spouse and parents?

We get the same basic travel privileges as Continental employees, which is basically space-available travel for a nominal service fee. Our boarding priority is very low (same as retirees), but if there's space after the other non-revs from Continental and Continental Express, you'll get on. I had no trouble going cross-country last week, although first class was full both ways.

It extends to your spouse, children, and parents.

Does it help you in the long run flying out of big airports with Colgan? Commutair seems to fly out of smaller ones?

Not really, I don't think. We go into LaGuardia and Boston if you want busy airport experience, but not very much activity into either place.

 

[t-ride]

Commutair

Is it possible to commute or do you have to live at your domicile?

 

[CA1900]

Re: Commutair

Is it possible to commute or do you have to live at your domicile?

You can live wherever you want; you don't have to live at your domicile. (And since they've closed 8 domiciles in the past 3 years, most of us at CommutAir don't live at our bases anymore. You can only move so many times for a company before you get the hint. )

The only time you have to "live" near your base is if you're working a reserve day. If you're on reserve, you have two hours from when they first call you to when you have to report at the airport.

Otherwise, you can commute as you see fit; I know we have one guy who commutes from Florida!

 

[CA1900]

Yea, we still have the 1900 C, but starting next week we lose one C and gain one D each week until all the Cs are gone...

I meant to ask earlier: any idea where those D models are coming from?

 

[I.P. Freley]

Well...

Commutair did throw some perfectly good, nearly-new D-models back onto the market.

Unless... They are still sitting forlornly up there in da Burgh?

 

[chperplt]

I meant to ask earlier: any idea where those D models are coming from?

It all depends on where they can find some with 25,000 cycles. That's a prerequisite before they can paste the Colgan name on the side of it.

Actually, I have no idea. We'll see in the coming weeks.

 

[Jack Hass]

I've been to 8 airline interviews so far....and Commutair was the only one that paid for my hotel room during the interview process. This was nearly 2 years ago however, I don't know if they still do that.

Really nice laid back people! and a good company to work for