Midwest Express

[aeflyer]

Any news from Midwest Express on the Furloies??

 

[Lindy]

No Information

The pilots are still furloughed. No information regarding recalls has been received.

Others may know the answer to this: Flight Attendants, Mechanics, Rampers, & CSRs have been recalled, to a certain extent, however, some still out on furlough.

 

[devine9driver]

Loads are better, revenue is up, and future bookings are on the rise. However good old Timothy has just sold one of our MD-80's and previously parked some of our older DC-9-10's. I really don't see any recalls happening until they can decide on an airplane type. Even then it will be at least a year before anything new is on the tarmack in MKE, so my guess is about a year before anybody gets recalled. I really, really hope that I'm wrong about this. I just want to get out of here myself, 3 years under this management will turn you bitter toward airline flying, not to mention turning your hair gray at the same time. To all ME furloughees, pray for new management in the new year.

Merry Christmas and don't let Timmy get you down.

 

[devine9driver]

Oh Yea I forgot to mention for what it's worth, ME just had a dispatcher familiarization class for the 717 this week over there at the BEST CARE CAMPUS. Probably so they could tell the stockholders that progress has been made toward aircraft selection.

 

[ultrarunner]

hmmm, reports from MEA rumor control mentioned that Boeing has just finished up a week of meetings in MKE, and MAYBE an announcement soon as to when 717 deliveries may start. The talk is that the TWA birds are likely not part of the negotiations since #1 Boeing may decide to remarket them since the line is staying open, and they have no reason to just dump them, and #2 AA is now reconsidering the airplane for similar reasons...line staying open, long term 80 replacement if streched, dumping F-100's instead, etc...

The rumors indicate that load factors, advance bookings, and the marketing projections point to nearly back to 100% of our pre 9/11 sched. by June 1, which will require recalling before then. MEA would like to take 717's as soon as Fall 02, and the opinion of rumor control is that if in fact that happens, all 100 pilots will likely be back by June to allow for training. If delivery is pushed to early 03, the rumor control indicated that all but the bottom 15 pilots or so would stay on furlough several additional months.

Also, it is likely the recall could be in very large groups as opposed to just 5 or 10 at a time.

Now, about the -80 that has just been sold...was that an airplane that was in scheduled service?????? Or was it one that had been sitting and not on line yet? Doesn't seem right to announce increased flying to Vegas and Orlando and then get rid of a plane. And about the -10's. IIRC there were two that were parked when the heavy checks came due a while back. Have more been parked since? What is the current fleet number? If we're parking more birds, and sold one, then I'd expect more furloughs. And if you've just sold a -80 that's been in service, then you don't need to fill 12 vacancies in the plane which was just done...unless of course there were just 12 too many 9 folks sitting around OR you fuloughed too many, and you're flying the heck out of the -80's.

What's the scoop there??

 

[devine9driver]

Like I said before, I really hope I am wrong about the recall time but I don't see everyone back by June 1. Yes you are right about Boeing. One representative was here this week for the dispatcher familiarization class. If you have been here for a while you will recall that an Airbus rep. was here about a year ago doing the same thing. This means nothing. As far as the 80 that was sold, it was the one that has been in the hanger forever and was suppose to be on line this quarter. So no it was never in service. I know your trying to be opptimistic about the whole situation and I can appreciate this. However you've got to look at the company from years ago. The growth rate is at a snail's pace usually around 5% a year at best, and with what's happened with a 20% decrease in service that calculate's to about 4 years away from being back to normal for this company. I realize that things will probably come back a little faster, maybe 10% a year but there again your still looking at 2 years before normalicy. So that puts the first NEW aircraft online around 11/03, with delivery of the first one a few months before. The bigger problem over here now is Skyway, or as the higher ups want to call it Midwest Airlines. I don't know if you've heard this one or not but the higher ups want to rename Skyway to Midwest Airlines and keep us Midwest Express. NO I'M NOT KIDDING. But back to the problem, as you have seen management has handed Skyway some of our longer routes and introduced new service to BWI with Skyway. I talked to a few of their pilots the other day and they are starting recalls in Jan. only 8 but it's a start for them. So we need to get our MEC into protect our own flying mode right away and maybe get some of our old routes back and this could lead to quicker recalls for all.

 

[ultrarunner]

Hello there devine, thanks for the comments. Yes I am trying to be optimistic...especially when I see one of the paragraphs from an MEC update about an hour ago nearly match verbatim, a comment from Rumor control in my previous post. At least the source is accurate.)

I have not been here long at all. I'm currently on furlough, which might explain my 'excessive optimism'. I agree with many of your points and I am trying to keep things in perspective.

Now, about the skyway name. YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!!!!???? I always maintained that it was time to swap things around and let them either stay Skyway or become ME, and we would be renamed just M. It's long been time for us to loose the E moniker, don't ya think?

The Skyway recalls make sense...new service, increased service, and new planes comming...things are happening quickly for them.

I'm not sure if growth rate and "rebound rate" can be correlated. I tend to think the latter is quicker, and indications from the rest of the industry, with respect to delayed or cancelled furloughs, would lead me to belive that the rebound rate potentially could be much quicker that ME growth rate over the last few years.

Keep us posted and you send me a pvt too.

thanks

 

[Capt. Over]

Hey ultrarunner...

Hey there, check your pvt messages....

 

[1800 RVR]

To ultrarunner and devine9driver-

I have watched your posts over the last few months, being that I'm one of those waiting to get a letter saying that the furlough is done and time to get back to work. You both probably have the best "rumors" out there that I have read.
As for the Skyway topic, having worked there and now with ME, unfortunately, a scope clause was not fought for hard enough during contract negotiations. TH got a huge victory in that arena and it is rearing its ugly head now. Even though it sucks being on furlough, I am watching this expansion of service with a cautious eye. Right now I believe it is something that needs to be done, but if we start to lose more mainline service, then I will sing a different tune. Starting new service with Skyway (i.e. BWI) is a great idea - test the market first, then if it succeeds, then add mainline service. In this economy, you just have to do it.
As for the 717, or any plane that they choose, this should have been done years ago. We are getting our butts kicked with these old birds. With fuel prices being so low, we should be saving a butt load of money, but instead we are burning it out of our tailpipes. The sooner we make a decision, the better. I agree with you both - something needs to be done very soon for our monetary survival. However, I agree with you devine9 driver.

 

[StaySeated]

Midwest Airlines...

Hello to the ME guys...

I'm a skyway guy and have heard some different versions of the name change fiasco.

Yes both airlines are changing names, but I heard Midwest Express was completely going away with ME becoming Midwest Airlines or Midwest Air. Skyway is to become something like the Midwest Connection. Just rumors of course, but from some people that have been consistantly close to what actually happens.

As for the scope clause. Timmy didn't really win anything because a scope clause wasn't really even brought up during ME contract negotiations. If it had been, the "f" scale (skyway pay is not worthy of being considered "b" scale) wouldn't be a problem and we wouldn't be recalling while you were still furloughed. I am one of those who wants to move on, I think scope is a good thing and RJ's flying 1300 mile legs is a bad thing. Too late I guess.

Hopefully, things will improve and everyone will get a call soon in the future.

 

[9guy]

As someone who was furloughed without ever completing my first year at MidEx, allow me to add my two cents to this.

Not one thing that happened during my time at MidEx gave me even the smallest scintilla of confidence in its management. In fact, it became appallingly clear early on that their management is horrible. In fact, it reminds me of some poorly managed flight departments I worked at- the reason I left corporate aviation to begin with. I will return to MidEx if it is my only option, and for no other reason.

I apologize to those who had hoped to make a career there. I did too. The few months I spent there were crushingly disappointing.

good luck to all ofus.

 

[Ty Webb]

Guys, I interviewed at MEH earlier this year. I did not get an offer, but, as a result of jumpseating on AirTran to my Midex interview, I DID get on at AirTran, and I have been very happy here.

If you guys are unhappy at MEH, take a good look at AirTran- we fly newer equipment, pay better and we are hiring like crazy. They are saying 24-40 a month all next year- which means I am lookng at 1-2 months on reserve, and probably less than 18 months to upgrade in the B717.

If not, good luck to you, and I hope all are recalled soon.

TW

 

[JetPilot500]

Just wondering....

If Midwest Express (MidEx) changes its name to Midwest Airlines, would we change our radio call sign to Mid-Air?

LOL! Couldn't resist.

Hope the recalls happen soon!
JetPilot500