Yes I know why you guys signed a 16 year contract. To stop the Crandall back and forth with the 5 carriers. You still signed it.
No one is happy about the splitting of the flying. I fly for an airline that Continental created, built, and has used very effectively to remain at the top of the major carriers today. I would rather (much rather) remain the status quo, operate exclusively for CAL, and not have one of those dang blue chickens on my tail eventually...believe you me. I think Eagle should do all of AA's flying, everywhere. I think Comair should have done all of Delta's flying, everywhere. I think ACA should have done all of UA's flying, everywhere...etc.
The point in all of this back and forth...is that you do not have to be the lowest PAID to have the BEST bid (like all of the "other" regional CEO's tend to want you to believe - DCI, Republic, Mesa, Skywest, etc)....I didn't say most inexpensive (because I have no idea what the bids are/were). I am assuming here that AA has a need for, and we have the very marketable 145xr, which no one else operates. Had CHQ had XRs, they might very well have won the flying, if it comes to fruition.
I have no idea what your statement of "the guys from 98 upgraded with 11/2 to 2 years" means.
Our "crying" because of the CHQ bid was about how a lower paid, therefore easily lower bid carrier has won flying that was being flown by a higher paid, better contracted pilot group. It would have been extremely difficult for us to "cry" had a higher paid....ummm, errrr, well if there was a higher paid pilot group taken it...then it would have been hard to biittch.
I honestly think this whole outsourced carrier bidding crap just has to be the worst thing that has ever occured. Main line pilots are to blame for that in all reality due to someones belief that small jets just weren't worth maintaing control over its seniority list.
