FLOPS and XO Jet

[Myster79]

The higher the hopes....the greater the fall.

I agree. But, don't you worry.

If you guys are lucky, you will be stapled to the bottom of our seniority list. Just think in a few months, you can be an SIC in a spacious BE400A.

Hang in there Sport!

 

[learflyer]

about the same size cockpit as the X.

 

[X-rated]

what's that supposed to mean? RTA was a class act until Sanford n son came along.

Sorry. I didn't mean to suggest RTA wasn't a class act. I met many of you guys back then, and considered it high on my list of career choices.

Think what you like about a merger. You'll know soon enough.

 

[Whale Rider]

I agree. But, don't you worry.

If you guys are lucky, you will be stapled to the bottom of our seniority list. Just think in a few months, you can be an SIC in a spacious BE400A.

Hang in there Sport!

I'm not going to say it. You'll see soon enough.

 

[Myster79]

I'm not going to say it. You'll see soon enough.

Go ahead and say it. That's why I started this thread.

However, I am getting pretty sick and tired of XO jet guys posting things like your previous post.

What makes you think that we want a merger? We have already been through a merger before. You guys act like your the best company in the world. BELIEVE me, FLOPS pilots don't care if our companies merge. We are just seeking information on the possibilities.

Furthermore, I personally hope that we don't merge. I can't imagine sitting next to one of your holier than thou guys for 7 days. You all need to deflate your heads a little bit. I am glad things are working out for you. However, don't preach to guys that have been in the fractional business since its conception.

 

[Options_SLAVE]

Smell it

Pretty typical responses, really. I remember the RTA guys talking the same way when the rumors about a merge with Options came about. "impossible". "Never happen". "We'd never merge with that POS company". "over my dead body".

It happened.


At some time, when you see it, smell it, and step in it, you will finally realize, you're in it.


None of us have control over that happens or not. Personally, I see it as a definite possibility and a more than likely. At least this time we have a Union on the property, and seniority has already been TA'd.

From what I can see about the pay scales at XO Jet, they are pretty awesome. Definitely better than what Options pilots get paid. Mixing the pay scales at XO Jet with the work rules that our Union is forging in our contract, I think a merger would probably make our pilot groups combined a pretty strong entity and with a contract with pay and work rules competitive with Net Jets' contract, and we all would benefit. In fact, Ken Ricci has always had the attitude that his pilots should be paid the most because he wants the best. That was his motto when he was CEO of Options in the beginning, and Options pilots were in fact the highest-paid. Then Scheeringa came and ruined everything there was to ruin. That's another story, though.

Ricci, Flight Options' President, and ex- XO Jet Silvestro, Flight Options' CEO, could be preparing to make a big statement by merging the two of our companies and in fact paying us the best in the industry, to give our customers the peace of mind that he is building, once again, "the best" fractional (at the time, RTA had the best customer satisfaction during the merger. I say that and I was not an RTA guy). If he pays us better than Net Jets, we just raised the bar, and everyone, including Net Jets pilots, will benefit.

Then all that would need to be hashed out is how to merge the lists, and we all can get to business on making that new company the best it can be and a career opportunity for all of us.

Time will tell. A merger does not have to be ugly, and could definitely be a good thing.

 

[gunfyter]

Is there any factual basis behind the merger rumor besides Flightinfo.com speculation?

What are the factors pointing to the possiblility?

Thanks

 

[jetwash]

Is there any factual basis behind the merger rumor besides Flightinfo.com speculation?

What are the factors pointing to the possiblility?

Thanks

Nothing concrete but the new Flight Options CEO told a crew that they were talking with XO Jet.

Kenn Ricci mentioned that he wanted to grow and really liked the CL300's. Too bad all, XO jet has a lot of the slots in the next few years.

So for Kenn to get CL300's and grow the logical step is merge with someone who has the slots or buy their slots from them.

 

[clydefastly]

Go ahead and say it. That's why I started this thread.

We know that the Flops pilots are going through hard times with contract negotiations, or lack there of, and we wouldn't wish that on any pilot group. Please don't take our comments the wrong way, we don't want to kick guys when they are down.
With all of the Flame Bait that has been put on this thread, it wouldn't matter if thruth of what is happening was posted because it would be dispelled, torn apart, or spun into something bad.
We are trying to keep to ourselves, because anything we say is spun to make us look like the spoiled new kids that don't know how it is. Many people here have been through similar situations, and we don't think we are immune to the ways of aviation business. We are trying to not add to the fire that has been started here.
I hope I have a chance to meet most of you folks at an FBO someday so that you can see that we are nice guys/gals just trying to make a living flying airplanes just like everyone else out there.

 

[Whale Rider]

Ditto, thanks Clyde.

 

[Whale Rider]

Go ahead and say it. That's why I started this thread.

However, I am getting pretty sick and tired of XO jet guys posting things like your previous post.

What makes you think that we want a merger? We have already been through a merger before. You guys act like your the best company in the world. BELIEVE me, FLOPS pilots don't care if our companies merge. We are just seeking information on the possibilities.

Furthermore, I personally hope that we don't merge. I can't imagine sitting next to one of your holier than thou guys for 7 days. You all need to deflate your heads a little bit. I am glad things are working out for you. However, don't preach to guys that have been in the fractional business since its conception.

Yes, I wish you all the best, and I hope it works well for all parties.

 

[hammer2]

Flops pilots can smell the 300, It saved Flex!

 

[X-rated]

Ditto Clyde

Good luck to Flight Options and especially to their pilot group.

 

[t-bone]

Is there any factual basis behind the merger rumor besides Flightinfo.com speculation?

What are the factors pointing to the possiblility?

Thanks

No there isn't. If it weren't for the FI rumor mill, there'd be no talk of a merger. Yes, our CEO met with FLOPS management...but there are plenty of reasons other than merger talk for meetings like that.

 

[Myster79]

No there isn't. If it weren't for the FI rumor mill, there'd be no talk of a merger. Yes, our CEO met with FLOPS management...but there are plenty of reasons other than merger talk for meetings like that.

You are absolutely right and if you go back and read the first few posts of this thread, we said that we were only trying to gather information and not speculate. Also, you refer to this as the FI rumor mill. I started this thread after our CEO confirmed that our companies are talking. So, at this point anything is possible, including a merger. However, at this time we have no solid information.

In the future, lets try not to speculate.

Again, if any XO or Flops pilots hear anything please post the information.

 

[RNObased]

Kenn Ricci mentioned that he wanted to grow and really liked the CL300's. Too bad all, XO jet has a lot of the slots in the next few years.

So for Kenn to get CL300's and grow the logical step is merge with someone who has the slots or buy their slots from them.

According to another thread on flightinfo, XO cancelled part of the their CL300 order. Now if this was true in any way doesn't that open up some slots for Ricci to weasel his way into??? So a meager would be a waste of time?? Unless there is another reason, like Options is losing owners and needs money, XO has a huge line of credit just waiting for Ricci to spend.

If I was the XO guys there is no way I would want Ricci anywhere near my operation, the guys track record is scary.

 

[gunfyter]

RNO,

Maybe XO was selling a few 300 positions....

 

[993_Pilot]

RNO,

Maybe XO was selling a few 300 positions....

That is a possibility. Ken Ricci said that he was interested in showing the market place that Flight Options was growing and said that the best way to do that would be to make an acquisition and/or to add a new type to the fleet. He also specifically mentioned the CL300 twice. Who knows what the real reason behind the companies talking is, but I suspect we'll find something out in the next few months.

 

[onetimer]

As soon as the ink is dry on the contract we will know whats to come. I smell a 300 type and more money on the way!!

 

[t-bone]

As soon as the ink is dry on the contract we will know whats to come. I smell a 300 type and more money on the way!!

Phenom 300 type?