Delta to put ALL regional flying up for rebid

[SuperKooter]

But Leo said "a contract's a contract!"

Yeah when he leased those planes from his wife at full price.

 

[pilotbrain]

Yeah, but their 50 seat pay is better than most regional's 70-90 seat pay...

19 dollars an hour to start is better than most regionals????????????

 

[Soverytired]

That flying should have gone to ASA or Comair. Just like all the ShuttleAmerica, and Freedoms flying.

Really?

Why? Isn't that a business decsion for Delta to make? "Should have" implies some sort of inherent right . . . . .

 

[Indy319FA]

Unfortunately it looks like DL has Comair's employee groups in their crosshairs with this RFP. If they don't cave and give in to company demands, DL will take all their flying away. OH has a great group of employees, and its sad to see them treated this way. Will also be interesting to see if DL tries to use this to get rid of Mesa as well. Going to be interesting to see how this all plays out, but we will all likely be hurt as DL will try to whipsaw everybody against each other.

 

[~~~^~~~]

And how many Billion did Delta sink into Comair? How many pilots lots tons on the stock?

Delta's smart play would have been to place the E170's with Comair, make the operation super sexy and IPO it. But no one ever accused Delta management of having a good plan.

 

[Indy319FA]

And how many Billion did Delta sink into Comair?

Heard a rumor from some Comair folks a few months ago that Dave Mueller was looking at getting a group of investors to buy Comair back for around 500 million. Would be funny as hell to see him buy the company back for less than half of what Delta paid him (and others) for it. Particularly when you consider the strong arm tactics Leo used to force them to sell. Love to see how old Leo would address that in an interview............"due to my enlightened management and leadership skills I bought a company for 1.91 billion and now its only worth 500 million........"

 

[Mongolikecandy]

COMAIR is not "most regionals"

Check out AWAC's also. 50 seat rate better than Skywest's blended rate

 

[SKYW Pilot]

50 seat rate better than Skywest's blended rate

Ummm... We don't have a blended rate. We could only wish. Those rates are for 50 seat RJ's, and we voted them to cover up to 99 seats. Of course, we thought we were only getting 70 seaters at the time and it was only supposed to be for 18 months. Some of us knew better and voted it down. Now we're stuck with this cruddy agreement. Mesa makes more to fly their 90's than we do. Hopefully, we'll get our act together and work to get this changed.

 

[SkyNation]

(scratchy sound of broken recored playing, over and over)

........there is more to compensation than the hourly rates.........

........there is more to compensation than the hourly rates.........

........there is more to compensation than the hourly rates.........

........there is more to compensation than the hourly rates.........

all told, SkyWest pilots earn more than all or most other regional pilots. the true measure is the gross pay on your W2.

how are things at Comair? I don't want to see them eat it, but is the status quo sustainable? are thy stable? growing? adding flying?

........there is more to compensation than the hourly rates.........

 

[ReportCanoa]

Get over your little W2. Admit you work for a non union, whipsaw regional and your owners keep you non union for a reason.

 

[GreatView]

(scratchy sound of broken recored playing, over and over)

........there is more to compensation than the hourly rates.........

........there is more to compensation than the hourly rates.........

........there is more to compensation than the hourly rates.........

........there is more to compensation than the hourly rates.........

all told, SkyWest pilots earn more than all or most other regional pilots. the true measure is the gross pay on your W2.

You're right !!!!

Soo many people don't realize this.....However.....

Given that we've been in negotiations for 4 years PAST our original contract period (4+4 = 8 years), we still need to lock in a good rate for our pilots since we may not have chance for another 10 years for the next contract.

Most disturbing to me was reading the latest Aviation Daily report that showed ASA's cost for crews/fleet & total operating FAR below the rest of the industry (including MESA and CHQ). Makes me wonder what kind of sweetheart deal that we signed with DL for our contract flying. Why is it that we have to lower the costs even more?

Look, I know that you get the propaganda from both Mgmt & ALPA, but I will side more will ALPA the more that I learn about our actual current operating costs and what our company is trying to "scare us" with.

I'm very close to upgrading and really want the growth in a bad way, but I'm not willing to cave in just because of that. As much as I want to move on to bigger and better things, you never know what type of turn the industry will take in a couple of years locking you into your current company. With that being said, I would rather secure a good contract that I can live and grow with.


Just my $.02 worth

 

[172driver]

all told, SkyWest pilots earn more than all or most other regional pilots. the true measure is the gross pay on your W2.

Most, maybe, but certainly not all. Horizon, Express Jet, and Comair come to mind immediately and I would bet there are others.

how are things at Comair? I don't want to see them eat it, but is the status quo sustainable? are thy stable? growing? adding flying?

That's a good point, now here's a question for you. Would Comair's rates be sustainable, would they be stable, growing, adding flying if everyone else hadn't sandbagged them?

Majors have to pay someone for their feed and if all the feed were priced similarly, those rates would be sustainable. Take SkyWest's profits and subtract the difference in labor costs between them and Comair. I bet you would still come up with a large positive number. Any difference in wages just adds to the pockets of the shareholders and management.

I hope you truly don't want to see the CMR group take a fall, but I get the feeling that there are many out there who would enjoy it. More growth for them, right? I just hope that those folks realize we're not talking about a game here, or some abstract topic on an anonymous webboard. We're talking about peoples' lives, their families, their homes, etc.

Your assertion that CMR's rates are unsustainable reflects that attitude in my eyes. I think that CMR downsizing, cutting pay, losing flying makes a lot of other pilots happy because it assuages their guilt over accepting lower pay and working conditions. They can then point at us and say...well, we make less but our QOL is better, we're growing, we have quick upgrades because we chose to work for a "sustainable" wage. All of that is true, but you must ask yourself, whose back did you step on to get them? Who didn't get the upgrade, who will be furloughed, whose career was ruined so that you could upgrade in one year instead of three?

Sound like the CMR pilots will have another chance to stand up and fight for what they feel regional pilots are worth. We'll see how it goes this time, but my prediction is that we will stick it to em. Hope you guys enjoy the spoils.

 

[GuppyKiller]

There is no "brotherhood" in the regional ranks. It's every pilot group for themselves. I don't wish any harm to any other pilot group but, I want my company to grow and prosper from whatever business oppurtunities they can take advantage of.

 

[bvt1151]

There is no "brotherhood" in the regional ranks. It's every pilot group for themselves. I don't wish any harm to any other pilot group but, I want my company to grow and prosper from whatever business oppurtunities they can take advantage of.

And there you have it. Whatever it takes for the good of the company right?

We've found the problem.

 

[SkyNation]

Get over your little W2. Admit you work for a non union, whipsaw regional and your owners keep you non union for a reason.

ahhhmm....

"I work for a non union regional. Being non-union, I make the same or more than my counterparts at similarly engaged regional airlines who are represented by a union, ever more when you discount their pay for union dues. The regional I work for is thriving in the market, and all indicators are positive for the future. I am not beholden by antiquated notions that would seek to put me and my company in the same situation as those we are competing with, thereby lowering our QOL, pay, etc., just to be 'part of the club.' Until I see a union represented regional that betters my company in terms of total pay, benefits, stability, sustainability, etc., I will maintain my current position."

there, I admitted it.