CommutAir Q200 Deal Announced

[Quillpig]

Just saw this on the CommutAir website:

Press Release

 

[WSurf]

Very Nice! The 200's are nice, and fun to fly...... Plus they are great airplanes to fly in the N.E.!!! Finally, you guys get to enjoy a AUTOPILOT!!!!!

 

[On Your Six]

I assume they are pretty well equipped too. Probably include EFIS, FMS and even HUDs if Horizon used them.

 

[WSurf]

Some at piedmont we got from AirChina and they didn't want EFIS, the rest had it.... Kinda Poor man's EFIS if you know what I mean.... UNS Nav system is nice and easy to use..... You guys are gonna love cruising with Props at 900rpm instead of the high rpm on the Beech! If they have HUDs I would guess Commutair would take them out.... Extra pilots training cost, and they aren't need as much on the east as out west.

Now have they approached you folks for Payrates??? Here is PDT and Horizons pay......
http://airlinepilotcentral.com/airlines/regional/horizon_air.html

http://airlinepilotcentral.com/airlines/regional/piedmont.html

 

[Prop2Jet]

Wow, nice job CA. Good luck to you all I know it has been a rough road lately but you will certainly enjoy this. Hey Brian O get your butt in upgrade class to fly one of these!!

 

[91100 100 set]

That rumor has been floating around for ages. Glad to see it has finally made it to fruition.

 

[Quack]

There goes the neighborhood...

 

[ALGFLYR]

Once they get their Dash-8 program up and running, it certainly puts them in a position to compete for additional US Air flying. Whipsaw for PDT?

 

[QXpeon]

I assume they are pretty well equipped too. Probably include EFIS, FMS and even HUDs if Horizon used them.

Did Cat 3 certification come with that lease agreement?

Guess again.....

 

[propsarebest]

Do you actually think commutair is going to keep the airplanes cat 3??

That is a HUGE yearly expense to airlines (thats why there are so few cat 3 regoinals out there). I'd bet that QX takes all that equipment out before they are delivered. Remember, QX paid for Field Aviation to do the cat 3 stuff, the HUD wasn't a bombardier installed option.

 

[PooPooPants]

Well someone has to ask and being that I put in some hard time with commutair "anybody know what the payrate will be or are they going to try and stick you with the current 1900 pay?"

 

[shamrock]

Well someone has to ask and being that I put in some hard time with commutair "anybody know what the payrate will be or are they going to try and stick you with the current 1900 pay?"

Dash pay will be less that 1900 pay. The $$ for the FAs has to come from somewhere!

 

[check6]

Do you actually think commutair is going to keep the airplanes cat 3??

That is a HUGE yearly expense to airlines (thats why there are so few cat 3 regoinals out there). I'd bet that QX takes all that equipment out before they are delivered. Remember, QX paid for Field Aviation to do the cat 3 stuff, the HUD wasn't a bombardier installed option.

I actually had the POI for Commutair on our jumpseat saying they were going to keep them CAT III certified. But, maybe not. . . .

 

[CA1900]

Dash pay will be less that 1900 pay. The $$ for the FAs has to come from somewhere!

Of course! We're all going to be at first year pay, since it's our first year in a new seat. :angryfire


To answer your question, no, nothing's been announced about pay. Just lots of idle speculation.

 

[WSurf]

Of course! We're all going to be at first year pay, since it's our first year in a new seat. :angryfire


To answer your question, no, nothing's been announced about pay. Just lots of idle speculation.

How in the hell can you guys get year one pay? Its based on Longevity at your airline not type of aircraft!
I hope you guys can get decent pay, and did they ever start paying for Deadheading and give you folks Block or Better?

 

[QXpeon]

Look, let me put al of your minds at ease...

All the HUD's are staying in PDX and are going into the 400's that are coming starting in December. How do I know this? Becasue this company is so damm cheap they'll step over a dollar to pick up a dime and that means using recycled HUDs.

And besides, Commutair can have 363. If there's one 200 I'm glad to see go, it's that one.

 

[shamrock]

How in the hell can you guys get year one pay? Its based on Longevity at your airline not type of aircraft!

Not at Commutair. A 1 year FO and a 5 year FO upgrading together would both be paid the same first year Captain rate.

 

[n25na]

Look, let me put al of your minds at ease...

All the HUD's are staying in PDX and are going into the 400's that are coming starting in December. How do I know this? Becasue this company is so damm cheap they'll step over a dollar to pick up a dime and that means using recycled HUDs.

And besides, Commutair can have 363. If there's one 200 I'm glad to see go, it's that one.

no offense but 200's with dual FMS, HUD, VNAV and EFB's on the way...don't see the cheap factor

 

[ReverseSensing]

I heard from this end that Commutair was keeping the HGS's and getting their crews trained and checked on Cat 3.

So typical that the agreement finalization is announced in a press release by Commutair before the rank and file at QX hears about it.

 

[Q400 Gear Bitch]

Look, let me put al of your minds at ease...

All the HUD's are staying in PDX and are going into the 400's that are coming starting in December. How do I know this? Becasue this company is so damm cheap they'll step over a dollar to pick up a dime and that means using recycled HUDs.

And besides, Commutair can have 363. If there's one 200 I'm glad to see go, it's that one.

I don't think that'll happen. The HCP's in the 200's are a bit different. In the 400's you can input runway length....not so for the 200's. Also the 400's are certified for single engine cat III. 200's are not. I dont know if it's cuz the hgs's are newer than the ones in the 400's or if it was the certification process or both.

I'm in total agreement on 363 too. However it is nice looking with the spiffy new paint job.

 

[QXpeon]

I heard from this end that Commutair was keeping the HGS's and getting their crews trained and checked on Cat 3.

So typical that the agreement finalization is announced in a press release by Commutair before the rank and file at QX hears about it.

Hear it on flightinfo first before on Genes corner.

Figures.

 

[WSurf]

Not at Commutair. A 1 year FO and a 5 year FO upgrading together would both be paid the same first year Captain rate.

Ouch!!!!!

 

[FlyinScotsman]

You would think QX would keep some of that equipment for spare parts and sell the rest. If not that has got to be some expensive sub lease. QX complained about the lease payments, so if I am correct QX will be sub leasing the planes to CommuteAir and so they have to cover their payments as well and I would suppose they will make a small profit off of the leases. So I am wondering what the lease payments look like. I hope CommuteAir knows what they are getting into with QX.

 

[QCappy]

You would think QX would keep some of that equipment for spare parts and sell the rest. If not that has got to be some expensive sub lease. QX complained about the lease payments, so if I am correct QX will be sub leasing the planes to CommuteAir and so they have to cover their payments as well and I would suppose they will make a small profit off of the leases. So I am wondering what the lease payments look like. I hope CommuteAir knows what they are getting into with QX.

Nope. They didn't make this deal to make a profit. In fact, there is a strong possibility that Horizon will still be paying some of the payments. At the time the 200's were negotiated with Bombardier (approximately 1996), the lease payments were affordable for QX. (Fuel, crew costs, ticket prices, could fly them full, etc.) However, in today's environment the lease payments are quite high. It is, therefore, cheaper for QX to sub lease them at a lower rate than the actual lease rates and make up the difference by making money off of the new Q400's as they come on line.

Some of this is from what I have been told by management types and some is my own speculation. Take it with a grain of salt. I don't pretend to know everything.

 

[QCappy]

Hear it on flightinfo first before on Genes corner.

Figures.

Come on QXpeon....you should have seen it first on QXTeamsters.org. It was there before here.

 

[ReverseSensing]

Come on QXpeon....you should have seen it first on QXTeamsters.org. It was there before here.

Thanks to whom?

 

[Icelandair]

www.screwthe200guys.com

 

[flydog1]

I guess Hell just froze over!! Congrats to you guys! I just left there last year. Never thought it would happen, even though I hoped so while I was there.

 

[FlyinScotsman]

Smells like Fish!

Nope. They didn't make this deal to make a profit. In fact, there is a strong possibility that Horizon will still be paying some of the payments. At the time the 200's were negotiated with Bombardier (approximately 1996), the lease payments were affordable for QX. (Fuel, crew costs, ticket prices, could fly them full, etc.) However, in today's environment the lease payments are quite high. It is, therefore, cheaper for QX to sub lease them at a lower rate than the actual lease rates and make up the difference by making money off of the new Q400's as they come on line.

Some of this is from what I have been told by management types and some is my own speculation. Take it with a grain of salt. I don't pretend to know everything.

I would find it strange that QX would sublease 16 perfectly good Q200's to commuteair, leave all of the high priced equipment in them and also help pay the lease payments? What is in it for QX? Getting rid of the Q200 to make way for the Q400? Would it not have been better and more profitable to find something else for the Q2 to do? Like fly in Alaska or something, I don't believe there is nothing out there for the Q2's with QX pilots flying them to do.

If what you say is true, because like you said you are no expert and neither am I. I want that kind of rent. I rent a house and the owner helps me pay it!!! Where do I sign up!!! The whole thing sounds fishy to me, like rotten,stinky fishy.

 

[ReverseSensing]

Would it not have been better and more profitable to find something else for the Q2 to do?

This would have required some imagination and risk-taking, both of which are in extremely short supply on the shores of placid Angle Lake.