New Piece of Express Jet Puzzle?

[YMICFI]

There is no doubt that MidEx & Skyway are "the best care in the air."

 

[Superpilot92]

I'm not trying to bash expressjet, by all accounts they do a great job at what they do. My point is that few airlines do what Midwest does. How many times have you held push so you could get a single passenger on? I'm guessing never (I haven't at my current company), because on-time performance is so important. When I was there (Skyway that is) I witnessed this happen all the time. Guess who that passenger is going to fly with next time? We once had a group of nurses on board to MKE who went to Toronto for the day to go shopping. We didn't have cookies on board, and they were mildly disappointed. When we called in range we requested cookies for them and when we got there the operations agent had two or three plates full of cookies for the nurses (and anyone else who happened to be on board). Guess who they will fly with next time? Again, my point is that Midwest does very well at what they do, and they have established themselves a decent little niche market up in MKE. There is no way that they can compete when they become like everyone else (my opinoin). Expressjet may very well be able to provide the sevice that a lot of loyal Milwaukeans have come to expect. Again, I hope this not just about saving money (in which case Expressjet probably would not get the contract), but Midwest has in the past made decisions to save money (again, the rampers).

However it plays out I wish everyone at Skyway the best, and for that matter I wish everyone at Expressjet the best as well. You guys seem to have a good management team that has built your company into what it has become today, and seems poised to carry it into the future.

To answer your question about holding a push for a passenger, we do that all the time.

 

[jws717]

It would realy make alot of sense for Wisconsin to pick this up. It would sove alot of issues at the company.

 

[XJETDriver]

To answer your question about holding a push for a passenger, we do that all the time.

Pax and bags!

 

[Superpilot92]

Pax and bags!

correct, i forgot to mention that.

 

[Hypoxik]

Maybe even waiting for the late arriving cookie truck????

 

[dogtown]

It goes to show how far the definition of service has slipped in our country, I'm not saying that holding a flight a few min isn't a good thing (I think we've all waited for pax before) however I cant say that qualifies as "going above and beyond". Nothing against against Midwest, I have never flown on you guys but I hear it is a nice ride, but it is kind of sad that in a service based industry not leaving a paying custumer behind is put forth as some great thing. Its also sad, and perhaps an explination of why things are the way they are, that a company (like Midwest) that tends to focus on cust. service isn't growing like crazy.
ok I'm done.

 

[RSRVWINDSURFR]

We didn't have cookies on board, and they were mildly disappointed. When we called in range we requested cookies for them and when we got there the operations agent had two or three plates full of cookies for the nurses (and anyone else who happened to be on board). Guess who they will fly with next time?

Oh yeah? Well, one time we were short a meal, so I gave the passenger my sliced salami out of my crew meal. So there.

 

[CFIse]

To answer your question about holding a push for a passenger, we do that all the time.

Does it make sense to inconvenience all the other passengers on the flight waiting for one dumbass who can't make it to the gate on time?

Discuss.....

 

[Superpilot92]

Does it make sense to inconvenience all the other passengers on the flight waiting for one dumbass who can't make it to the gate on time?

Discuss.....

I didnt say we held for 30 minutes but we have waited a few minutes. depends on the situation. Discuss....

 

[slackass]

I know the original direction of this thread was about the speculation of Express Jet flying for Midwest/Skyway. It seems as if it has drifted to a Skyway thread. Before I comment let me say that I am in favor of all the Midwest and Skyway pilots. I've wanted to work for Skyway in the past and still have my eye on Midwest. That being said it seems that if Skyway wanted to maintain the quality that is considered the "Best care in the air" they would obtain the aircraft for their own company. Unfortunately the reality is cost. Midwests financial condition is at best questionable. In the age of lowcost carriers their niche of catering to the buisness traveler is admirable but may be unrealistic. Watching Midwest get rid of all their baggage handlers and contract with their subsidiary Skyway may have been just the beginning of getting their costs under control. In order for Skyway to move to RJ's it would take a significant cash committment for down payments, to the tune of 4 million per airframe, as few lenders consider the airline industry a good investment. I believe lease rates for 50 seaters is around $65,000 per month. (If someone has more recent numbers feel free to correct me). The options I see is for Midwest/Skyway to outsource their flying if they want to move to an all jet fleet. Unfortunately that leaves the dedicated employees of Skyway out in the cold. The other option is for Midwest to dump its wholly owned regional Skyway which is what all other carriers basically did just before filing for bankruptcy. Express Jet may be a nice fit although 50 seaters are just not that profitable anymore with gas being what it is. 70 seats+ seems to be the rage these days. I'm not a doom and gloom sort of guy. Just a realist.

 

[mckpickle]

65K.....I wish. Xjt got the original contracts for the ERJ series. They were paying just over 100K a month. Add the 2% increase due to the sub lease from CAL and thay are up just a bit more. But it is still a very competitive rate for 50 seat a/c. The ONLY validity I give to this whole XJT/Midwest things is the number 10. Under the CPA with CAL we cannot fly for anyone unless we give CAL the same price on flying...IE the most favored nation clause. That clause does have one exception.....if we fly 10 or fewer A/C for the other carriers. Hence why the number 10 has peeked my interest.


As far as service goes...who knows. I'm sure Skyway is a great airline. But I do recall the problems that ACA had with the DoJets. Lots of engine changes MX problems etc. XJT has a very very high completion rate. The lowest controlable completion factor I've ever heard was 99.7%. Those numbers alone would imply that XJT can deliver very good service.

 

[dwstl2327]

hey cfi not all pax are late because they just are slow and get to the airport late. ever hear of a late inbound? maybe because mke slows you to 210 every dang time we check on, or for some other reason (wx in bos or phl)... so we wait till the pax or any other pax gets to our flight from a connecting flight.

on another note: going beyond the call of duty, maybe when you show up to the plane at 5am and there isnt food or drinks for the sorry saps traveling out of cleveland, so the gate goes and buys oj, milk and donuts. or any of the countless other things our stations do for us.

 

[jws717]

express jet will be in mke when pigs fly

 

[ERJFO]

express jet will be in mke when pigs fly

As in G0Jets or CAL flow throughs? Either way it looks like your requirement has been met.