Comair going west !!!

[9rj9]

Comair just announced it will begin service out of Salt lake City.

 

[Andy Neill]

Congratulations on your expanding operations.

 

[9rj9]

here's the news

Delta Connection to Add Jet Service between Delta’s Salt Lake City Hub And Albuquerque, N. M.; Santa Barbara, Calif.; And Helena, Mont.
Additional Flights Expand Service Options for Customers


SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 21, 2002 -- Delta Connection will increase travel options for customers by expanding jet service between the Delta Air Lines (NYSEAL) hub in Salt Lake City and the cities of Albuquerque, N.M.; Helena, Mont., and Santa Barbara, Calif., effective Jan. 28, 2003. Delta Connection carrier SkyWest will add a round-trip flight between Salt Lake City and Albuquerque while Delta Connection carrier Comair will operate one new round-trip flight each to Helena and Santa Barbara. Both carriers will use Bombardier CRJ regional jets to operate the service. These will be among Comair’s first flights to and from Salt Lake City. The Cincinnati-based airline, which currently serves Delta’s hubs in Cincinnati, Atlanta and Dallas/Fort Worth, will have a total of three daily departures from Salt Lake City beginning in January.

The additional service will provide customers between Salt Lake City and Helena with three Delta and Delta Connection round-trip flights a day. Customers traveling between Salt Lake City and Santa Barbara will have three daily round-trip flights and customers traveling between Salt Lake City and Albuquerque will have a total of five round-trip flights daily.

"Expanding service to these communities allows Delta Connection to offer customers a wider selection of flight times to fit their travel needs,’’ said Fred Buttrell, president and chief executive officer of Delta Connection, Inc. "This is especially important for customers connecting through Salt Lake City to other regions of the United States."

Customers at Delta’s hub at Salt Lake City International Airport have a convenient choice of more than 280 Delta and Delta Connection flights a day to 66 domestic and international cities.

Known for its convenience, comfort and speed, the CRJ carries passengers in a two-by-two seating arrangement; every seat is an aisle or window, with no middle seats. The plane can cruise at a speed of 530 mph at altitudes as high as 41,000 feet and is recognized as the quietest commercial jet aircraft in the world.

Delta Connection carriers include Delta’s wholly owned subsidiaries Atlantic Southeast Airlines and Comair, additional regional carriers Atlantic Coast Airlines, Chautauqua Airlines and SkyWest Airlines, and codeshare partner American Eagle (in California). Delta Connection carriers operate more than 270 regional jets throughout North America. For more information, please contact Delta Reservations, 1-800-221-1212, or visit delta.com.

 

[TankerPuke]

Welcome! I hope we make you feel at home

PUKE

 

[Peealot]

What a way to start west coast operations....Santa Barbara. I doesn't get much better than that.

Welcome guys and gals...

 

[Flex]

Although it will be cool to fly to those places...please try to look at the big picture and think about the ramifications. Ever since the comair strike, Delta has been going out of their way to overlap the route structures of ASA, Comair and Skywest. Northwest has done the same with Mesaba and Pinnacle. This will protect "mainline" from too much loss of revunue during the next labor dispute. Although it will be cool to be "coast to coast", the expanded route structure gives the "company" more leverage during the next round of contract negotiations in just a few years. Notice that the words "RJ Scope" or ALPA have not been mentioned.

 

[T-handle]

Good point Flex. No longer can we (completely) shutdown a hub if we were to strike, thus losing our financial leverage. Not to dock ALPA or any union cause- "solidarity" among a pilot group may be vital. We can stick together all we want, but what does that exactly get us when our mainline company can go find the lowest bidder or even start up a "freedom airlines"? There's nothing for mainline to lose and possibly everything for us to lose. Low cost bidders are starting to take over and mainline corporate execs jump on these in a heartbeat. They always seem to be one step ahead of us.......

 

[jetflyer]

very true flex, it will take away a lot of bargaining power

 

[asarjfo]

How about some of that action for ASA!?!?!

 

[Hovernut]

Looks like that center tank is finally going to get some use! I think we have to re-fuel in Omaha, NE in order to get the RJ out to SLC. I suspect once in SLC, it'll make a 4 or 5 day trip before it comes home to roost...kinda like we're doing in DFW right now.

Ahhhh, done with limitations....bring on the sims!

 

[AFELLOWAVIATOR]

Hovernut,

We will be doing revenue flights from OMA to SLC.

 

[NDPILOT]

AFELLOW - This is going to be a long shot, but I think that re-fuel in OMA remark, was a joke.

 

[jetflyer]

ND, I really think he was serious. We could easily make it out there, but on bad weather days, where you need a little extra, an alt, and a 2nd alt. Probably wouldn't be able to carry enough fuel for any sizable # of pax and bags. The 70 would have no trouble.

So they'll probably have revenue flights like suggested to Omaha from CVG and then another revenue flight from there to SLC.

jet

 

[Anaconda]

AFELLOW - This is going to be a long shot, but I think that re-fuel in OMA remark, was a joke.

i think he was serious too, after all he does have tons of experience with the company on which to base that remark...

 

[utahpilot]

will Comair have pilots based in SLC? or will it be a CVG-OMA-SLC trip day one, with subsequent days out and back to SLC, then home to CVG via OMA on the last day of the trip?

is it possible to fly direct SLC-CVG on Comair as of 1/28/03?

 

[bailout]

I agree with ASARJFO, When are we going to get more flying??? Everytime Delta announces more flights its Comair getting 90% and ASA getting 10%. Whats up with that??? Hmmm. could it be contract related?? However, we have gotten notice that we will have a 70 seater base in DFW starting in April.

(I say the above comment about Comair in good faith, not trying to start an issue, just an observation. Im glad for them)

 

[Anaconda]

will Comair have pilots based in SLC? or will it be a CVG-OMA-SLC trip day one, with subsequent days out and back to SLC, then home to CVG via OMA on the last day of the trip?

is it possible to fly direct SLC-CVG on Comair as of 1/28/03?

comair will not have pilots based in slc.

it is not going to be possible to fly non-stop (i assume that's what you meant when you wrote "direct") from slc to cvg as of the date you mentioned. one would have to stop in oma along the way.

the trips haven't been published yet so it is too early to tell what the schedule will entail for the crews...

 

[AFELLOWAVIATOR]

Bailout,
I agree it seems that way, but it probly has something to do with us closing MCO.

Good luck with your talks, it aint no fun. I know it would of probably been impossible, but when ya'll started talks last Sept., what would of happened if you told mgt. you just wanted what Comair had?
If you got the contract done in a month, you would of been right on our heels for the next round in 41/2 years, and you know what that would mean. The ol 'portfolio fred" would have two strikes to deal with at the same time if they were not willing to negotiate in good faith.
I would never, ever want to go on strike again, but the company hates unions, and will do anything to post pone talks

 

[Hovernut]

refuel..quickturn..trains, planes, autos

....then RE-FUEL in Santa Barbara, and on to Hawaii!!! Yeah...(said with McCain cackle)

Get a load of this: Looks like JetDirect hasn't died yet...


Comair Aviation Academy Orders Frasca Regional Jet Device


Comair Aviation Academy, Sanford, FL has ordered a new Frasca Bridge Trainer (FBT). The FBT is modeled after Bombardier’s CRJ200 regional jet and is designed to provide EFIS, EICAS, autopilot and FMS training. This affordable and effective simulation device is intended to introduce pilots to today’s advanced flight decks. The FBT will include a three channel projected visual system, two-seat cockpit, dual flight controls, four-tube EFIS simulation, two-tube EICAS simulation, autopilot simulation, and a full navigation system. The FTB will use actual Collins FMS software allowing for FMS simulation fidelity that is identical to what the pilot will find in the aircraft during flight. (Nov. 12, 2002)


Here's the link

 

[Anaconda]

my understanding from the captains i've flown with that are involved in the hiring/training of new f/o's is that this device is going to be used to get the CAA guys up to speed before they get here so they don't choke when they get to the sim like they have been...confirm what you've heard?

 

[Russ]

Two connection hubs overlapped now. I wonder when ATL and CVG will be also. Welcome to SLC. I believe you will find the natives friendly. You guys are really gonna like SBA in the summer.

 

[Hovernut]

...from Anaconda

this device is going to be used to get the CAA guys up to speed

I think the biggest hurdle is getting the flows/callouts/limitations/EPs down pat so they're 2nd nature BEFORE going to the sims. The grapevine lent us to believe those who had difficulty did so because they were weak in those areas. Heck, if CAA had access to just the FMS trainer program, and someone who could teach it, that would go a long way to introducing glass cockpit flying.

The Frasca looks like it'll do the job well, but it won't be anything like the CPTs in the training building or FSI. I just wish the CPTs had an operable ED1/ED2 display to mimic what the messages and system responses would be as you manipulated the switches on the panels. The autopilot/FMS/DAD panels work nicely with the FMS software, and it is a big help. Wish they gave us the CD to practice on the home computer!

People have built some amazing sims in their basements with EPIC cards that convert switch/dial positions to computer input. I'm sure we could get the overhead panel and the pedestal driving the EICAS. But that takes time and money. Hmmmm computer geek on reserve=time....money, however........

 

[Hosed COEX]

Two connection hubs overlapped now. I wonder when ATL and CVG will be also. Welcome to SLC. I believe you will find the natives friendly. You guys are really gonna like SBA in the summer.

CVG is already overlapped. ACA has been operating the FRJ out of CVG for quite a while and nearly doubled operations there overnight when we pulled out of LGA a few weeks ago. I do wonder about ATL.

 

[Anaconda]

...from Anaconda


I think the biggest hurdle is getting the flows/callouts/limitations/EPs down pat so they're 2nd nature BEFORE

yeah, you hit the nail on the head right there...that is the key, along with having a good attitude. comair seems to think that the lack of a "bridge program" like the emb-120 is hindering the training dept. i call bravo sierra on that, the crj is not that difficult of an airplane to fly, it's more like systems mgt. i found the brasilia to be more difficult to fly imho.

 

[sabreliner]

CVG is already overlapped. ACA has been operating the FRJ out of CVG for quite a while and nearly doubled operations there overnight when we pulled out of LGA a few weeks ago. I do wonder about ATL.

ATL is overlapped and getting more so with every new service announcement. We see a fair amount of Comair, though it is admittedly still a bit of an ASA fortress. However, I saw recently 3 Comair RJ's parked on our C24 gates, our best gates. Guess it isn't that much of a fortress any more.

Also, FYI, ASA has a limited presence in CVG now. Our ATR's are there going to a few destinations, though this was supossed to be only a temporary thing. We'll see about that. The operating economics of the ATR on those short hauls are tough to beat.