Comair Growth?

[weeks]

I am currently flying for a 121 carrier and considering a move to Comair. I know its a great company to work for and that's what interests me. I've heard about the new bases, planes and increased demand for pilots, but I'm trying to make an educated decision here. Anyone care to briefly explain how STABLE (I know that's a bad word in this industry) the company is now and will be in the future. I'd hate to jump ship from my current job, only to find myself in a new predicament. PM me if you work for Comair, I'd really appreciate any info. I've got an interview coming up. This is a **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** tough decision but I love to shake things up in my life.

 

[Tooslow]

Make a list of airlines and how much they lost in the first quarter and go to a regional that flies for the airline that has the lowest losses and is not in BK!

 

[T-REX]

Good advice but it works from the other side too...look at the legacy carriers that are parking their 73s and DC9s and adding more RJs to replace them.

IMHO, look who pays the most immediately and has a 401K. Being a pilot is becomming much more like being in management--forget about pensions and every few years you now must evaluate where a better job may be.

Just my .02 no rip on any airline or pilot group.

 

[Tooslow]

Every US Airline is doing that!

 

[jehtplane]

Comair is growing alright, they got a whole 10 used airplanes for the concessions while ASA, who refused the RFP got 32 new RJ's, way to go Comair.........

 

[jarhead]

Um, you conveniently are forgetting the 25 70 seaters that will be added between now and 2008. 35 aircraft were part of the two year wage freeze. (10 50 seaters and 25 70 seaters = 35)

 

[chperplt]

Comair is growing alright, they got a whole 10 used airplanes for the concessions while ASA, who refused the RFP got 32 new RJ's, way to go Comair.........

How many ATRs are you losing?

 

[jehtplane]

not losing any, the leases are expiring on 7, so we are sending them back.

 

[chperplt]

You don't equate giving aircraft back with losing them?

 

[ohplease!]

not losing any, the leases are expiring on 7, so we are sending them back.

SSSTTTTTOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!

You're embarassing yourself. Dang man..

 

[jehtplane]

You don't equate giving aircraft back with losing them?

You are right so we are only really gaining 25 airplanes. without concessions for growth. enough said.

 

[captainv]

best advice I got while interviewing:

no matter what airline you choose, at some point in your career, your decision will have been horribly, horribly wrong.

go on as many interviews as you can. pick the job that feels right for you. pay/growth/work rules/upgrade times are all likely to fluctuate from the time you are evaluating airlines...

 

[jarhead]

You are right so we are only really gaining 25 airplanes. without concessions for growth. enough said.

You're right.....enough said (by you) You come on this forum and your first 4 posts are filled with some sort of invective over something you know very little about, and with a chip on your shoulder. Grow up.

 

[jarhead]

Comair is growing alright, they got a whole 10 used airplanes for the concessions while ASA, who refused the RFP got 32 new RJ's, way to go Comair.........

Yeah, flying USED airplanes pays less money than flying them if they're brand spanking new and shiny. Get a life.

 

[ohplease!]

You are right so we are only really gaining 25 airplanes. without concessions for growth. enough said.

Man! you're doing it again.

25-7atr's=18 (12 more atr's to be gone shortly)
18-12=6

3 years without a contract.....me thinks we have given 3 years of concessions for 6 50 seaters....I'm starting to like CA's deal better than ours. Atleast they got 25 ADDITIONAL 70 SEATERS.

 

[jehtplane]

Man! you're doing it again.

25-7atr's=18 (12 more atr's to be gone shortly)
18-12=6

3 years without a contract.....me thinks we have given 3 years of concessions for 6 50 seaters....I'm starting to like CA's deal better than ours. Atleast they got 25 ADDITIONAL 70 SEATERS.

we are actually getting 32 new planes 32-7=25, the 7 additional were to go to skywest but now we are getting them. And nobody ever said we were getting rid of the 12 ATR's that I am pretty sure we own outright. if you like Comair so much. GO WORK THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Negotiating a new contract is not concessions. I do not think any airline has ever signed a new agreement the day after the current one , so is that a concessionary period? You have some serious Al Gore math going on.

 

[DDpaysoff]

best advice I got while interviewing:

no matter what airline you choose, at some point in your career, your decision will have been horribly, horribly wrong.

QUOTE]

LOL, that is true.
My theory in this job market is just go and hope.

 

[viper01]

Will you people just give it a rest. Sound like children. I should just let my 3 year old play on this board.

 

[twobits]

if i remember correctly, didn't Comair refuse 2 or 3 RFP wage cut proposals last year as well...... and how many planes did they get? zero. just a market correction on wages because of places like mesa and chq who decided to take growth for sub-par contracts. For what it is worth, mesa and chataq pilots will be at a major before any Comair or ASA guy (notice i did not say pilot) who started at the same time because they grew quicker and now have PIC time. So who will have more money when the retire? who knows.... depends what major they go to.

 

[captainv]

y'all feel free to spin your arguments whichever way you want.

a couple of years ago, Comair was in the middle of getting 30-some aircraft. ASA was getting a bunch too. Comair had already gotten rid of the Brasilia, so it was fleet growth. ASA still had a few left, so it was more fleet replacement. now with ASA's 25-odd airplanes, it's fleet growth, bringing them up to or close to Comair's fleet size. Comair may jump ahead briefly with the 10 CRJ-200s and the possibility of up to 25 new 70-seaters, but I imagine ASA will always be a similar size and will grow accordingly. You can bet they'll get a bunch of airplanes when the contract is signed, as I believe Comair did.

some of our 1- and 2-year FOs have bailed to go to CHQ and other places for a quicker upgrade. I hope they get it, even Comair's FO pay isn't much to write home about.

i wouldn't bet the farm on a quick upgrade. plenty of qualified guys on the market vying for jobs, 1000 jet PIC is hardly going to get the majors knocking on your door. on the flip side, a regional with strong pay/work rules isn't a sure bet either. ACA/Indy Air was a secure, top regional not long ago. either way, we all lose if our parent legacy carrier goes down the tubes.

 

[Plug]

y'all feel free to spin your arguments whichever way you want.

a couple of years ago, Comair was in the middle of getting 30-some aircraft. ASA was getting a bunch too. Comair had already gotten rid of the Brasilia, so it was fleet growth. ASA still had a few left, so it was more fleet replacement. now with ASA's 25-odd airplanes, it's fleet growth, bringing them up to or close to Comair's fleet size. Comair may jump ahead briefly with the 10 CRJ-200s and the possibility of up to 25 new 70-seaters, but I imagine ASA will always be a similar size and will grow accordingly. You can bet they'll get a bunch of airplanes when the contract is signed, as I believe Comair did.

some of our 1- and 2-year FOs have bailed to go to CHQ and other places for a quicker upgrade. I hope they get it, even Comair's FO pay isn't much to write home about.

i wouldn't bet the farm on a quick upgrade. plenty of qualified guys on the market vying for jobs, 1000 jet PIC is hardly going to get the majors knocking on your door. on the flip side, a regional with strong pay/work rules isn't a sure bet either. ACA/Indy Air was a secure, top regional not long ago. either way, we all lose if our parent legacy carrier goes down the tubes.

Captainv,

I think you're dead on with this one. What is the point of whipsawing 2 groups to death if they aren't around the same size. As of right now ASA is taking delivery of 32 airplanes from the RFP (25 original ASA, and 7 from Skywest that we going to be financed by ASA and leased to SKYW, yeah how f'd up is that!) and the ATR's will be staying through 2007 except those 500 series birds, 7 I think.

ASA got the RFP birds probably because Skip was able to convince DCI that he could get that 2 year extension where costs were known. He got it in the form of slow progress in negotiations. Another thing that is keeping costs down is the attrition rate. Folks are jumping ship left and right going to other airlines or out of aviation all together, the DFW closure has caused several resignations also. This keeps costs down also.

My prediction is that we have a TA to vote on at or around the 3 year anniversary of these negotiations (fall 05'). When we sign a deal expect to see us brought up to whatever size CMR is because once again costs will be known.

My $.02 anyway!

 

[ohplease!]

we are actually getting 32 new planes 32-7=25, the 7 additional were to go to skywest but now we are getting them. And nobody ever said we were getting rid of the 12 ATR's that I am pretty sure we own outright. if you like Comair so much. GO WORK THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Negotiating a new contract is not concessions. I do not think any airline has ever signed a new agreement the day after the current one , so is that a concessionary period? You have some serious Al Gore math going on.

ASA actually owns 2 of the origional 12 and they ARE going to go away when the lease runs out (if not sooner) in '07. That has been announced by Skip and thats not far away. You are right. I did forget the 7 Indy planes as well as 4 70's we most likely will get (according to Skip). So, lets see...thats NET 17 planes. Still a pretty good deal for us.

I didn't say I liked CA that much. Just like their deal a little better (17 vs. 35(25/70s vs. 4/70s) and higher pay even with the freeze). I'm sort of locked in to ASA because of seniority type stuff. I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed but, I'm not leaving here to be an FO at another Regional. However, I agree with PLUG that this fall we'll most likely get a new deal and some new planes soon thereafter.