Delta to shut down REAS

[Whataboutbob]

This is the way of the future, friends. The military has been doing this for years with several functions - crew training, for example. Outsourced contract is up for RFP every few years. Guess what? The current contractor rarely wins. Peons can either start all over with the new co., or find another job. No seniority, no longevity, and your position/grade at the new co. is far from guaranteed - especially if they can find someone to do the job for less. Crappy medical? Take it or leave it. No 401K matching? Have a nice day.

Just a matter of time before MGTs, and their buddies in the beltway, figure out how to effectively do this with pilots. Majors and regionals, both, are just one bankruptcy round away (or other convenient "force majeur" event) from voiding contracts and putting out RFPs to replace their own pilots (on THEIR equipment) with Republic Air Services - then three years later with Pinnacle Elite, then Go-Jet Services Intl, etc. Don't expect travel bennies either.

Haven't they already started doing this with pilots? They are already starting to bust the union at the regional level. Not that it was that strong to begin with. Taking ALPA carrier jets and handing them to the likes of Skywest and Gojets. I'm guessing if furloughed and frustrated (not happy with career progression) pilots go chasing the jets and are willing to start at year 1 pay at Skywest and Gojets it will continue. Delta is almost complete with their little experiment. I would say the future of 9e depends on how easily Skywest and Gojets fill their classes. If they fill them easily why wouldn't Delta pull the plug on 9e and rid the 20+ year pilots and move the 900's to a cheaper regional?

 

[WMUSIGPI]

Haven't they already started doing this with pilots? They are already starting to bust the union at the regional level. Not that it was that strong to begin with. Taking ALPA carrier jets and handing them to the likes of Skywest and Gojets. I'm guessing if furloughed and frustrated (not happy with career progression) pilots go chasing the jets and are willing to start at year 1 pay at Skywest and Gojets it will continue. Delta is almost complete with their little experiment. I would say the future of 9e depends on how easily Skywest and Gojets fill their classes. If they fill them easily why wouldn't Delta pull the plug on 9e and rid the 20+ year pilots and move the 900's to a cheaper regional?

They are already beginning that process, the 16 ATL based 900's get their turn in the DCI shuffle starting in January.

 

[Leroy Smith]

That process "started" a few years ago when DL put that pot of ASA's flying out to bid and PCL won it with a money losing bid. I would love to see those flights back in our pairings, but I have a feeling that those planes are not staying in ATL....

 

[WMUSIGPI]

My bet would be on either JFK or LGA, enjoy.

 

[CRJ puppy]

That process "started" a few years ago when DL put that pot of ASA's flying out to bid and PCL won it with a money losing bid. I would love to see those flights back in our pairings, but I have a feeling that those planes are not staying in ATL....

No "ASA crj 900" flying was ever put "out to bid". That is NOT the history of those aircraft at all.

 

[Beergut]

I guess they can lay off station personnel AGAIN and get rehired at a lower rate AGAIN.

I thought it was as cheap/bad as it could get. I was wrong.

Way to go Delta. Ground service will continue to decline.

It looks like Delta Global is taking over the regional handling.

 

[Leroy Smith]

No "ASA crj 900" flying was ever put "out to bid". That is NOT the history of those aircraft at all.

Those aircraft came straight from Montreal IIRC. But who do you think did those flights (with CR2/7s) before PCL lowballed their way in? We saw a big change in our schedules when PQ tail numbers appeared on the ramp in ATL.

 

[jetstream]

Haven't they already started doing this with pilots? They are already starting to bust the union at the regional level. Not that it was that strong to begin with. Taking ALPA carrier jets and handing them to the likes of Skywest and Gojets. I'm guessing if furloughed and frustrated (not happy with career progression) pilots go chasing the jets and are willing to start at year 1 pay at Skywest and Gojets it will continue. Delta is almost complete with their little experiment. I would say the future of 9e depends on how easily Skywest and Gojets fill their classes. If they fill them easily why wouldn't Delta pull the plug on 9e and rid the 20+ year pilots and move the 900's to a cheaper regional?

I'm no airline history expert but its my understanding that if you go way back to when the RJ's first appeared on the scene, the Delta mainline pilots refused to fly them (at least for the pay rate being proposed) so Delta gave them to the regionals instead. Am I wrong?