Compass Called!!!!!!!!!!

[Rossa]

Got a call today - Lady named Elizabeth wanted to know if I would consider a career with Compass, instead of a recall to XJ. I asked if it was legit, she said that it most definately was, but that they were in the initial stages of Pilot recruitment/planning and that because I was a furloughed XJ guy, I was a "known quantity, who had no training problems and was considered a good employee by the CP." She said that they already had the training resources in place and that I should be prepared to give her an answer at the end of the month, as it was a one shot deal. She also said that there was a possibility of flowup to mainline in the future. (yeah right!)
I said that I would consider it if ALPA sanctioned it and it wasn't considered an alter ego airline - she said it wasn't and that would become clear when ALPA released a statement later. The offer wasn't for employment, just a "fact-finding" call that was being made to some furloughed XJ pilots.

The most startling thing about the call...........The caller ID read MESABA AIRLINES 651 area code!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did anyone else get the call???

 

[8HourPilot]

Woah...........

 

[XJTool]

Same deal here. Elizabeth made it clear that it wasn't an offer YET... just seeing who's out there. Did anyone else get a call like this? I wonder if it's just furloughed guys or everyone on the roster.

 

[ksu_aviator]

Isn't Compass airlines a virtual airline meant for flight simulation only? I thought this was a video game, how can a video game need pilots?

 

[ksu_aviator]

Hell, it is real!

Northwest lays out plans for regional jet subsidiary

BY JOSHUA FREED
Associated Press
Northwest Airlines said it hopes to get its new regional jet subsidiary in the air as early as June, according to a filing that lays out its plans for the new airline for the first time.
The subsidiary would be called Compass Airlines and could have as many as 36 small jets flying within five years, according to a Northwest filing this week with the Transportation Department.
Northwest said it hopes to begin flights in June with a single 50-seat airplane flying twice daily between Washington Dulles and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Compass eventually will fly 76-seat airplanes during its first year, adding at least 36 such planes within five years.
Eagan-based Northwest recently bought the FAA-required operating certificate of bankrupt FLYi Inc., the parent company of Independence Air, which shut down in January. However, before it can use the operating certificate it needs other approval from the Department of Transportation, said Laura Brown, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration.
Northwest Chief Financial Officer Neal Cohen will be CEO of Compass, but five other Compass managers will be from Independence Air.
The filing said the new airline will choose the Bombardier CRJ-900 or the Embraer EMB-175 for its fleet in April, with delivery beginning in March 2007. It expects to have at least 36 planes by the end of 2010.
Northwest relies more on regional flying than many other airlines because of its network of small Midwestern cities.
"The expansion of Northwest's regional flying through the proposed Compass Airlines operation is an essential part of Northwest's restructuring plan," the company said in a written statement on Wednesday. It said Compass eventually would ferry passengers to all three of its hubs — Detroit, the Twin Cities and Memphis, Tenn.
Northwest regional flights are currently handled by Mesaba Airlines and Pinnacle Airlines. Northwest has asked for bids for that flying, and has not disclosed the results. Even with Compass Airlines, Northwest may need another regional carrier because of limits on regional flying in its contract with pilots.

 

[wmudriver]

....wtf???

 

[XJWRENCH]

And the plot thickens.......... Very interesting given MIAR lastest 8k filing saying they have not signed a letter of comittment for DIP financing and mesaba is in negotiations for other DIP lenders. What a shell game!!??!! MAIR gets profits from mesaba airlines for years, and when mesaba " can't " pay the bills MAIR clamps up the purse strings. Makse me wonder...... makes me wonder where I will work 2 months from now......

Message to SLT: Just get it over with already!! This sitting on my hands waiting for my turn to get bent over the barrel sucks

 

[GARFF]

Wholly fashizzle........



I m pretty Jr. and no call to me....i m not furloughed either......

 

[TurboAWD]

Just keep in mind, even if compass is growing like crazy, it doesn't nessisarily mean you will be upgrading any time soon. I don't know how they will set it up, but anticipate NW furloughs passing on FO slots (hence the need for new-hires), and then taking the CA slots. And when a new CA slot opens up, NWA pilot takes it (which is fine by me). The only way for a new-hire to upgrade might be when they run out of NWA furloughs.

Turbo

 

[Mesabi Miner]

Xj management has an Elizabeth C. on the staff who's taken part in lots of the PR type stuff. Just a tid-bit... I'm sure one or two other people from the NWA family are named Elizabeth though...

 

[Rossa]

I just got a call from a buddy - he got a call also! She said that they were calling a "limited number" of furloughed pilots, to test the waters and that so far they were pleased with the response. I'm near the top of the list of furloughed guys, but my buddy is near the bottom.
I hope this doesn't mean that they will replace XJ with Compass! I haven't been able to access the ALPA site lately - computer problems, but I've heard that there was some sort of party at Pablos recently (XJ mngt) - can anyone confirm?

 

[YourPilotFriend]

I told you guys months ago they would be hiring the former NWA pilots, and the new hires will be the XJ furloughs. Why look outside when the entire staff is in house. Just hope you guys don't mind being unempolyed till 2009-2010 when you will actually get an interview. That's how they are getting around the high seniority list at XJ, start a new regional and hire them all at first year wages. Maybe they will even staple you guys to the bottom of the list.

 

[kmox29]

Just hope you guys don't mind being unempolyed till 2009-2010 when you will actually get an interview. That's how they are getting around the high seniority list at XJ, start a new regional and hire them all at first year wages. Maybe they will even staple you guys to the bottom of the list.

...and we can thank all our "brothers" at NWA for making this possible. How you guys could even think about voting in that POS TA is beyond me...oh wait...I remember: "Solidarity among all Red Tail pilots, that is until I gotta screw you to save my own a$$".

 

[DoinTime]

Got a call today - Lady named Elizabeth wanted to know if I would consider a career with Compass, instead of a recall to XJ.

So what was your answer?

 

[~~~^~~~]

I hope this doesn't mean that they will replace XJ with Compass!

You are just now figuring this out? You have our sympathy, but yes, Compass is nothing but a jobs grab enabled by a union which gives some pilots preferential representation.

Of course Compass will start everyone at year one, or two. There is nothing to stop any of the regionals from sutting down and changing names every 36 months if management desires. ALPA has been encouraging the creation of alter ego carriers - as long as their preferred pilots get what they want in the deal.

 

[Rossa]

I told her that I would consider it, but only if it was ALPA sanctioned and not an alter ego, like G0JETS. By the way, a friend just told me about a thread on the MSA ALPA web-board called "dinner tonight" - is this the one that is about an XJ mngt celebration? Please post details as I don't have access (computer/software probs). Thanks.

 

[Prophead]

Do they intend to replace us with Compass and also have our company pilots fly for them? How is this any different than what the Freedom pilots did. The court document said that our Avros will be replaced with Compass aircraft. The pilots out there have to decide if they will work for an airline that is a direct assault on all XJ and NWA pilots. You will have to endure what all of the Freedom guys are still dealing with. You will forever be an unofficial "scab".
NWA pilot could have come to our union to work out a deal to fly growth jets at mesaba. How you can consider this a good move is beyond me.

 

[~~~^~~~]

I told her that I would consider it, but only if it was ALPA sanctioned and not an alter ego, Thanks.

What is the difference?

Is is better because Northwest guys have super senioirity and you can't upgrade until everyone else who wants to, has? I'm not sure why Freedom went from public enemy #1 to an ALPA approved alter ego. I'm not sure why NWA 70, suddenly has ALPA's approval as Compass.

Alter ego is bad - period. ALPA fought so hard to eliminate B Scales, only to allow alter ego airlines competing within the brand, which is a million times worse.

 

[YourPilotFriend]

Alter ego is bad - period. ALPA fought so hard to eliminate B Scales, only to allow alter ego airlines competing within the brand, which is a million times worse.

B scale, we are calling this the C scale.

 

[Smarta$$]

Do they intend to replace us with Compass and also have our company pilots fly for them? How is this any different than what the Freedom pilots did. The court document said that our Avros will be replaced with Compass aircraft. The pilots out there have to decide if they will work for an airline that is a direct assault on all XJ and NWA pilots. You will have to endure what all of the Freedom guys are still dealing with. You will forever be an unofficial "scab".
NWA pilot could have come to our union to work out a deal to fly growth jets at mesaba. How you can consider this a good move is beyond me.

Don't feel bad for the NWA pilots on this one. They are the ones voting this POS in. (maybe). Feel bad for the XJ guys that dont deserve this bullshoot.