Mesa Go'in Solo.....Hawaii Here they come!!!!

[mdanno808]

Regardless of what does happen, it will be interesting. New Airline name, new investors, so who will be flying the planes? Mesa pilot's, or new hires at airline x?

 

[ImRickJames]

Regardless of what does happen, it will be interesting. New Airline name, new investors, so who will be flying the planes? Mesa pilot's, or new hires at airline x?

Due to the last contract bashing, the only positive note was that a new Scope Clause that does not permit any alter-ego airline. So this new venture will have to be under the Mesa Air Group umbrella, could be a different certificate, but all rights to fly aircraft will be with the current Mesa seniority list. There will be quite a few happy pilots with this because there are a few that are from Hawaii or commute from there.

 

[surplus1]

Why is everyone so negative? Is there some reason why Mesa should not enter this market if it wants to?

Sounds a lot like the Hawiian and Aloha pilots trying to protect their turf.

 

[mdanno808]

Why is everyone so negative? Is there some reason why Mesa should not enter this market if it wants to?

Sounds a lot like the Hawiian and Aloha pilots trying to protect their turf.

Of course. The pilot's are concerned because the interisland market is flooded, and has not been all that profitable to begin with. Enter Mesa, who will pay their employee's MacDonald's wages, and lower ticket prices to an all time low. If, as a result of this, AQ and HAL lose money, they are probably going to come to ALPA for concessions. http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/content/view/53/17/

http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/content/view/74/18/ .

Yes, that's right, a 3rd year 717 FO makes more than an 11 year captain at Mesa.

The Hawaiian and Aloha pilot's are worried, because it may drag their pay down. It may cost job's. Then again, who knows what will happen.

 

[dash8driver]

Looking through the classified, the population isn't so higher compensated compared to mainland as I would expect with all the talk about cost. There are $8 jobs and etc in the paper, how the hell do these people live. How d people live in san diego which has higher cost than Hawaii. People adapt and learn to live within their means. However, I contemplate more senior folks bidding to the big island.

I don't know what the specifics are and why JO wants to go to the big island but I do know that this is a bold move. It is make or break time. I'll be watching from the sidelines.

Pitch, Power, Trim forever.

you're right on the general level of compensation being roughly the same.
keep in mind we're talking about people relocating to an area for these wages. not many people move to SD, SFO or other high cost areas for jobs in the newspaper paying low wages. these jobs are usually taken by the people who are already living there. a lot of people who take these jobs are taking them as their 2nd or 3rd jobs... and people that are living "on their own" are usually packed in houses with roommates. one way people cope with living in high cost areas in the mainland, is they keep driving outward til they find a cheaper area to live, and drive into the city from there. well, unless you're aquaman you cant do that in hawaii.

the other, very common way people make it work in hawaii is by living with parents. i dont know if there is a chart online with the average age of people living with their parents in hawaii, but i can tell you its much, higher than in the mainland. its not uncommon for people in their 30's and 40's to still live with their parents. its even common to have a family and still live with your parents.

 

[RJP]

http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/content/view/74/18/


First year pay sucks? So does 2,3,4,5 etc. The pay at Mesa is really really bad. You will not be able to live off of pay like this unless you are from here, and have somewhere to stay (ie mom and pops house).

You think those pay scales suck. Check out what they offer on the mesa-air.com careers section.

Compensation
Pilots are paid per flight hour as negotiated between the Air Line Pilots Association and the Company in accordance with the provisions of the Railway Labor Act.**********The Contract stipulates minimum pay of 70 hours per 28-day bid period and pilots are paid every two weeks.**********Current first year First Officer pay is $18.15 per flight hour for turboprops and $20.43 per flight hour for Regional Jets.

Ouch! The worst part is that the FO scale on airlinepilotpay.com tops at five years at $25. That's less than second year at WP.

Then there's this:

Relocation
Mesa Air Group pilots are initially assigned to a domicile as needed by the Company operations.**********Relocation is at the employee’s expense.

It's going to be a pretty difficult sell when you include the moving costs. But at least there are reportedly "cheap condos" here in HI or the elusive mud huts that I'm still looking for.

 

[islandhopper]

Mesa Airlines has finally showed their hand at attempting to aquire Aloha Airlines via "whatever means necessary". Mesa's recent announcment to begin inter-island service with 50 seat RJ's and their inherantly high cost per seat mile, (CSM) along with crews being paid on Mesa wages is ludicrous to begin with. The regional jet is not now, and never was intended to be a mainline aircraft. The RJ with is high CSM is typically operated on a guaranteed "fee per departure" basis. There will be no guaranteed revenue for an independant Mesa in Hawaii unless they announce a full on United Express, America West Express, or Delta Connection codeshare. Mesa will LOSE MONEY.

Mesa's real intentions can only be to scare and intimidate away Aloha's recently announced investors, the California based Yucaipa Group and AAIG. This is curiously reminiscent of the recent hostile takeover attempt of ACA by Mesa less than two years ago, only the irony is so thick it borders on the humorous. Mesa must be stopped from aquiring the ALO certificate and our narrow body ETOPS fleet. This is Mesa's real intention. Make no doubt about it.

 

[RP170]

At least there is more stability at Mesa right now than others. The pay does suck 1st year as does everywhere else. Upgrade time in CRJ is just under 2yrs so if you look at it that way, Mesa isnt the worst. 1st year Capt. or 3rd year FO....... whats better pay?? Hope they find pilots/employees in Hawaii to fill the slots.

PS. Rita is a whore

Pack your bags. I'll bet you'll be one of the displaced ones to go since you are a new hire. I guess the PHX-HNL commute would be about the same as the PHX-IAD commute you are doing now though.

 

[Taco Rocket]

Mesa Airlines has finally showed their hand at attempting to aquire Aloha Airlines via "whatever means necessary". Mesa's recent announcment to begin inter-island service with 50 seat RJ's and their inherantly high cost per seat mile, (CSM) along with crews being paid on Mesa wages is ludicrous to begin with. The regional jet is not now, and never was intended to be a mainline aircraft. The RJ with is high CSM is typically operated on a guaranteed "fee per departure" basis. There will be no guaranteed revenue for an independant Mesa in Hawaii unless they announce a full on United Express, America West Express, or Delta Connection codeshare. Mesa will LOSE MONEY.

Mesa's real intentions can only be to scare and intimidate away Aloha's recently announced investors, the California based Yucaipa Group and AAIG. This is curiously reminiscent of the recent hostile takeover attempt of ACA by Mesa less than two years ago, only the irony is so thick it borders on the humorous. Mesa must be stopped from aquiring the ALO certificate and our narrow body ETOPS fleet. This is Mesa's real intention. Make no doubt about it.

That's precisely why JO will not lose money: I'm sure he will have some sort of revenue from HP/US, UA, or some other fee per departure deal. He has repeatedly embraced this business model -- why would he do anything else?

And after CCAir there's no way, IMHO, that he would ever acquire another airline. His real goal may well be to put you guys out of business and acquire the assets (like Midway) but he's not going to pick up planes and pilots in a merger (like CCAir.)

 

[Taco Rocket]

Why is everyone so negative? Is there some reason why Mesa should not enter this market if it wants to?

Sounds a lot like the Hawiian and Aloha pilots trying to protect their turf.

Sure!

And for those who ridicule my statement about JO being a good businessman, isn't this what it's all about? Growing your company, providing value for your shareholders and making a profit? Nobody gives a S about "the industry" or "the bar" other than the pilots. To think otherwise is fantasy.

And FWIW our newest contract is a STEP UP from what we had. But then again that is another discussion. But I'll throw one more grenade: we have been ALPA for years and years. If JO and his industrial destruction is so important, who dropped the ball?