Cherry just don't think it's impossible that a merger will happen.
Both the flight options pilots and the raytheon travel air pilots did not believe the rumors of a merger between the two. Raytheon was the more profitable company at the time, and if anyone thought there would be a merger, they thought that if it happened, RTA would be buying Options.
Everyone was wrong. There WAS a merger, and it was Options who bought RTA. Neither was unionized, and the merger was about as messy as it could be. It's in the past and most of the pilots have put what happened with the seniority lists behind them now, as they all finally realized everyone got screwed one way or another, and some pilots from both sides got screwed more than others.
Since that merger, it has been a down-hill spiral with management basically taking anything that was good from both companies, stripping it down to nothing so that they could try to get the company sold. They totally destroyed the quality of life for the pilots, and even to this day, almost 6 years later after the merger, have NEVER given the pilots a raise.
The pilots finally had enough and voted in the Teamsters and Local 1108 (with a LOT of help and support from our Net Jets brothers) in March 2006, which kick-started a war between management and the Union. We are hopefully, well over 2 years later, finally starting to see the end of negotiations, but that remains to be seen. The pilots have a glimmer of hope now that Ricci is back in charge, but the glimmer gets dimmer every day now as the "flair" of Ricci arriving is already starting to fade as we settle once again into mediocrity at the negotiating table. Although the pilots have "let up" on their war with management, in a cease-fire if you will, all it would take would be an e-mail from the Union stating that things are looking like they did before Ricci arrived and the war would again be full-blown.
So. Never say never. As unlikely as it may seem to you (which is hard to believe since you are a new-hire not even in class yet), the fact is, our CEO came from Options, went to XO Jet, and is now back as our CEO, and both companies are talking.
Our pilots know what a merger smells like, and they smell it. Options needs growth, and the Phenoms coming starting late next year will only be replacing retiring beechjets - there IS no officially planned "growth", although the company tried to sell it as that. Our beechjets are very old, some are over 10 years old. Most of our hawkers are also approaching 10 years old, now. We have the ugliest and oldest fleet in fractional aviation. The phenoms will be a good replacement, but that's all they are.
The growth that XO Jet has would be a perfect match for Options when it comes to our existing client base and the growth and potential that XO Jet has (and they do NOT have the customer base).
XO Jet is lean, ready to grow, and financially backed. Options is well-backed with H.I.G. now, and XOJet would be a perfect buy for them. It certainly does not seem impossible to me. I'd almost bet money that in the next 12 months, it will happen.
There is also the rumor that the legacies will go away, to be replaced by gulfstreams from ACM Jet - question is, will the Jets come complete with ACM Jet pilots. That will go over like a fart in church, and would surely get the legacy fleet pilots, the ONLY fleet that as a whole would not be considered "on board" with our Union (and amounts to a small percentage of our most senior pilots) would jump on board in a heart beat. Last year during peak travel the legacies were covering broken beechjet trips like crazy. I doubt the company could count on that this year. Those legacy pilots may not be so apt to break the FAR's, carry write-ups and ignore crew rest like so many of them have been reported to have done last year.
The question is, will the merger(s) happen before or after the contract is done at Options? Rumor has it, H.I.G. wants to inject a lot of cash into the company for such an aquisition, but they won't do it until the contract is done and the pilot costs are known. Let's hope that's right, as that is the only real motivator we have, and life will continue to be miserable, for both the company and the pilots, until it gets done.
However, our pilots are used to the misery. It won't bother us to wait even another 12 months. The company can't wait that long. If they wait another 12 months they would have to weather another hurricane (the Union) during peak travel, and our owners won't tolerate it, and the company knows it.
So. Bring it on. Our pilots are ready. Won't bother us to shore up the windows for another stormy peak travel. The ball is in the company's court and time is on the pilots' side. We have nothing to lose, the company's already taken it all, and the company tried firing the most ardent union supporters and that back-fired on them.
Company's move. Merger? Sure. Make things messy again during peak travel. See what that gets Ricci with his customer service to the few owners we have left.
Our pilots are ready. To help, if the contract is done, or to fight, if it is not. As usual, it is management's choice.
