Mr Pickle, my opinion of midwest is just that...my opinion. Note I was referring to midwest, not midwest connect. Why would I have such an opinion, hmmm lets see. Midwest buys 717's after years of research and bases their opinion on the fact that 717's are better than 73's or airbuses because they are better suited for 2x2 seating and the others would be 3x2. The 717 can't reach the west coast so this dooms midwest into maintaining two aircraft types. Idiotic. Even better, shortly after taking delivery of the 717 Midwest reallizes that 2x2 seating is not a viable business option and changes the configuration of all the remaining mad dogs into 3x2. Ugh. Shortly before the 717 debacle midwest was duped by fairchild not once, not twice, but three times. Midwest picked the dornier because it was cheaper than the other two options, never mind the fact that the other "launch customer" for the 328 (prop version) Horizon told dornier to F themselves after they received no support. Before Midwest recieved 1/4 of the original order dornier goes tits up. Midwest sues for breach of contract and had the ability to run very fast from dornier, but no, they stick around because dornier promised free planes. Free planes from a company that is going out of business? Dornier then announces that they are not going to build the 428. Midwest sues again, but instead of cutting their losses and getting out of the 328 completely they agree to a large cash settlement (presumably to pay for EMB's that should have been ordered years earlier). What happened immediately after the cash settlement announcement? Dornier liquidates and Midwest recoups a fraction of the agreement. Say it with me...STUUUUUUPPPPPIIIIIDDDDD. I could throw in the fact that midwest encumbered the 1900's with leases that last FIFTEEN YEARS. Whoops, that was pretty stupid after they paid cash for them new. Refusal to advertise, anywhere, except milwaukee. Stupid. The head of marketing was asked why midwest doesn't advertise in large markets like New York. His response, and I am not kidding, "We don't think there are enough people in New York that want to come to Milwaukee to justify the cost". Oh my god I don't know whether I should laugh or cry at that little gem.
I flew at skyway for several years and everyone from scheduling (well maybe not "bandcamp" herself) to flight standards to the line pilots were truly awesome people. It was a really great place to work and I made dozens of life long friends. That being said, Midwest is still run like a circus. Now go get your panties out of wad and drink a beer or something, gerkin.
