Republic Airways posts first quarter loss

[Flying Illini]

Finally, I know these problems don't only exist at regionals, however, I think some regional pilots better get comfortable with the fact that it could be the end of the road. As I'm sure you're aware, regionals do half of the flying in the US and as you all continue to fly larger and larger jets, mainline jobs continue to go away (400 at YX for example). It's time that regional pilots start negotiating reasonable contracts that pilots can live with long-term. It's the only way to arrest the death-spiral the industry is presently experiencing.

That's the part that sucks. Regionals are quickly becoming the "end of the road." This career isn't anywhere close to the same career those 10yrs ahead of us got. It's too bad. Hindsight being 20/20, I wish we could stuff "scope relaxation" back into the box. Maybe then a mainline career would be a legitimate option.

Live and learn. All we can do now is make the best of the current situation. The only way to do that is to negotiate solid contracts. I think pilots at regionals are realizing that they have gone as far as they can and will start to become hardliners when it comes to contract negotiations. The other thing that regionals are realizing is that what RAH pilots didn't anticipate and therefore had no contractual protections against could happen to them. It's time to get some solid language in the contracts and either do away with regionals or make them palatable as the "career airline" they seem to be trending towards.

 

[Flying Illini]

"I enjoy flying airplanes. Do I want to fly airplanes for RAH for the rest of my career? Not a chance but I do hope that I leave a better airline for those who remain than what I found when I came here."

Well, that's an idea. Here's another one: Some of your new coworkers have been working at places where you could hang your hat for the duration (problems on the business side notwithstanding). Looks like were all stuck here for a while, let's see if we can't make a destination airline out of this place? Works for me...

My thoughts exactly. See you on the picket line.

 

[Minimaniac]

Just my opinion, but aren't unhappy pilots the ones who are more likely to seek significant changes in future contracts? Regional FO's feel entitled to the career they thought they were going to have. They then see that the career they wanted was sold out years ago by mainline unions' relaxation of scope (because they were entitled to make $330/hr), and they complain. Loudly. Yes, it gets old hearing from them all the time, but in truth we should be glad. Their sense of entitlement is what will make them fight for better. It is those who are happy with the regional status quo who are threatening our profession. A 28 year old regional FO who expects to show up to work and find a well maintained aircraft, and be paid well to fly that aircraft is far less of a threat to our profession than the 40 year old regional captain who barely even reads up on the list of MEL's before pushing back off the gate to sit on a taxiway with a plane full of pax for two hours so that he can make a few more hours of horrible pay without a single complaint.

 

[Toobdrvr]

My thoughts exactly. See you on the picket line.

If it ever comes to that, you can count me in...

In the meantime, I plan to find constructive ways to make this the best job possible. That and hoping/praying it doesn't come to a strike...

 

[dlzav8tr]

You never know when you might have to start over again. It is time to stop settling for below livable wages no matter where you are. I voted no on f9's current contract (pre concession) because first year pay was substantialy lowered. No pilot should ever make less than $50,000 no matter what seat and equipment they are in.

 

[instructordude]

Any update on the SLI over at Republic?

 

[Cardinal]

Your avatar has devoted multiple years of his life to serve our pilot group, while your only meaningful accomplishment in life is to troll Flightinfo. Hope you get sarcoptic mange.

 

[CitationLover]

Any update on the SLI over at Republic?

More delays requested by FAPA and the IBT. Now late fall is the latest estimate.

 

[Cardinal]

More delays requested by FAPA and the IBT. Now late fall is the latest estimate.

Now you're just lying. No delays were 'requested,' nor are there any delays at all, just the process moving along. Rebuttals are scheduled (at the pleasure of the arbitrator) for August 9-11. Then we wait on an award.

So is your leadership actually feeding you this bull, are you not paying attention, or are you fabricating this stuff to suit your agenda?

 

[CitationLover]

Now you're just lying. No delays were 'requested,' nor are there any delays at all, just the process moving along. Rebuttals are scheduled (at the pleasure of the arbitrator) for August 9-11. Then we wait on an award.

So is your leadership actually feeding you this bull, are you not paying attention, or are you fabricating this stuff to suit your agenda?

From our last update....

....Although we tried to get the rebuttals completed as quickly as possible by suggesting using video depositions and similar means, the IBT and FAPA attorneys insisted on doing them in a face-to-face hearing and the earliest that hearing can be scheduled is August 9, 10, and 11. This means a timeline that produces an award in October or early November and it gets even uglier from there because, quite frankly, we have no idea what the award will provide in terms of us returning to work or how long it will take to implement any return provisions the award might contain....

So why no video deposition? Why face to face? The delay was requested by the IBT/FAPA. It's ok, it's only 400 "brothers" on the street for cheaper labor.

 

[Cardinal]

At best skipping the travel day using the video would save one day, compressing 4 days into 3, so you assume that one day difference was the tipping point that pushed us back weeks on the arbitrator's schedule. Not lying, I apologize, but it's still disingenuous.

400 "brothers" on the street for cheaper labor.

You paint with an awfully broad brush. Bedford wants cheaper labor, the pilot groups at the table do not, so dont confuse the issue. I'm your biggest cheerleader, every time I end up in this discussion I remind the other guy about the 400 Midwest guys who have been screwed the hardest. A couple of my friends are in that number. I think it's horrifying that RAH is hiring in an off-the-street fashion. You've been shafted. Repeatedly. We get that. But FAPA and yes even the IBT are not your enemy.

 

[BORG]

At best skipping the travel day using the video would save one day, compressing 4 days into 3, so you assume that one day difference was the tipping point that pushed us back weeks on the arbitrator's schedule. Not lying, I apologize, but it's still disingenuous

I believe the point that the MEH MEC and CitationLover were trying to make is that the logistics involved with video conferencing are not as challenging as arranging face to face meetings and perhaps the hearing could have been held sooner via videoconferencing.

I'm not saying that FAPA and IBT are intentionally slowing things down, but they sure as hell aren't doing anything to speed it up...

 

[Flying Illini]

Our update indicated the delay is due to FAPA alone. I don't blame FAPA for wanting to pursue what is best for their pilot group, that's their job. This is just part of that process. As for the IBT "delaying" things, a face-to-face meeting only makes sense on something this big.

 

[BORG]

As for the IBT "delaying" things, a face-to-face meeting only makes sense on something this big.

Except that we DO live in the 21st century now and teleconferencing isn't new technology anymore. I've seen footage on tv of criminals being sentenced to long prison sentences and even death by video conferencing. It doesn't get much bigger than that.

 

[Flying Illini]

Except that we DO live in the 21st century now and teleconferencing isn't new technology anymore. I've seen footage on tv of criminals being sentenced to long prison sentences and even death by video conferencing. It doesn't get much bigger than that.

Agreed, it doesn't get much bigger than death.

Maybe we should have done the whole SLI over Skype or gotomeeting. But that doesn't make sense so why do just one meeting over video-conference after we've come all this way in the old-fashioned manner of "in-person?"

Businesses don't close multi-million dollar deals "over the phone" so there's no need to decide the career fates of 3000+ pilots "over the phone." We all wanted it done at the end of May per the original time-line but that didn't happen (did any of us really think it would?). The arbitrator has said that this next meeting is the last meeting so things will wrap up 2.5 months behind schedule. That sucks but it's not a complete surprise and it certainly could have been worse.

 

[CitationLover]

Agreed, it doesn't get much bigger than death.

Maybe we should have done the whole SLI over Skype or gotomeeting. But that doesn't make sense so why do just one meeting over video-conference after we've come all this way in the old-fashioned manner of "in-person?"

Businesses don't close multi-million dollar deals "over the phone" so there's no need to decide the career fates of 3000+ pilots "over the phone." We all wanted it done at the end of May per the original time-line but that didn't happen (did any of us really think it would?). The arbitrator has said that this next meeting is the last meeting so things will wrap up 2.5 months behind schedule. That sucks but it's not a complete surprise and it certainly could have been worse.

FAPA desires the status quo. Any delay in integration keeps itself as an entity still intact. The minute integration comes FAPA's future is in doubt.

The fates of the MAJORITY of the 3000 pilots you speak of CAN ONLY GO UP FROM WHERE THEY WERE originally. Keep flying the 190 cheaply. Pretty soon the C series will be $.40 to the $1.00 of current 737 rates. What a great profession we have.

 

[Flying Illini]

FAPA desires the status quo. Any delay in integration keeps itself as an entity still intact. The minute integration comes FAPA's future is in doubt.

The fates of the MAJORITY of the 3000 pilots you speak of CAN ONLY GO UP FROM WHERE THEY WERE originally. Keep flying the 190 cheaply. Pretty soon the C series will be $.40 to the $1.00 of current 737 rates. What a great profession we have.

I don't fly the 190 cheaply. I fly the 170 cheaply.

No I'm not happy about it. Yes I'm working to change it. No I'm not responsible for your current situation. No I'm not planning to stay here, it will always be a place, regardless of equipment flown, that will be managed by regional airline mgmt.

I assume the majority of the pilots you mention above are the native RAH'ers. I'm not sure how you think their fates can "only go up from where they were." Up in what way? Oooooh, flying an airbus.<sarcasm> I think you should try a different perspective. There are 900 or so FO's at native RAH whose fates will only go DOWN from where we were. That's right. Once all of the CA's are slotted in above us as well as, I'm sure, the majority of the FO's, what happens to our normal regional airline career progression? Put in your time in the right seat, move over to the left for a few years and then get the hell out to a better airline? Just what I always wanted to do, spend 9 years as an FO at a regional airline.

The way I see it, my career "fate" has taken a huge turn for the worse with the acquisition of F9 and YX.

 

[PBRstreetgang]

I don't fly the 190 cheaply. I fly the 170 cheaply.

No I'm not happy about it. Yes I'm working to change it. No I'm not responsible for your current situation. No I'm not planning to stay here, it will always be a place, regardless of equipment flown, that will be managed by regional airline mgmt.

I assume the majority of the pilots you mention above are the native RAH'ers. I'm not sure how you think their fates can "only go up from where they were." Up in what way? Oooooh, flying an airbus.<sarcasm> I think you should try a different perspective. There are 900 or so FO's at native RAH whose fates will only go DOWN from where we were. That's right. Once all of the CA's are slotted in above us as well as, I'm sure, the majority of the FO's, what happens to our normal regional airline career progression? Put in your time in the right seat, move over to the left for a few years and then get the hell out to a better airline? Just what I always wanted to do, spend 9 years as an FO at a regional airline.

The way I see it, my career "fate" has taken a huge turn for the worse with the acquisition of F9 and YX.

Oh well,
That chubbie you got from the "guppy killer" , is now a softy, oh well, the tragic irony is classic.
Sorry for your folly
PBR

 

[IdRtherBsailing]

I don't fly the 190 cheaply. I fly the 170 cheaply.

No I'm not happy about it. Yes I'm working to change it. No I'm not responsible for your current situation. No I'm not planning to stay here, it will always be a place, regardless of equipment flown, that will be managed by regional airline mgmt.

I assume the majority of the pilots you mention above are the native RAH'ers. I'm not sure how you think their fates can "only go up from where they were." Up in what way? Oooooh, flying an airbus.<sarcasm> I think you should try a different perspective. There are 900 or so FO's at native RAH whose fates will only go DOWN from where we were. That's right. Once all of the CA's are slotted in above us as well as, I'm sure, the majority of the FO's, what happens to our normal regional airline career progression? Put in your time in the right seat, move over to the left for a few years and then get the hell out to a better airline? Just what I always wanted to do, spend 9 years as an FO at a regional airline.

The way I see it, my career "fate" has taken a huge turn for the worse with the acquisition of F9 and YX.

Mmm, I just burned my tongue.

 

[BORG]

I don't fly the 190 cheaply. I fly the 170 cheaply.

No I'm not happy about it. Yes I'm working to change it. No I'm not responsible for your current situation. No I'm not planning to stay here, it will always be a place, regardless of equipment flown, that will be managed by regional airline mgmt.

I assume the majority of the pilots you mention above are the native RAH'ers. I'm not sure how you think their fates can "only go up from where they were." Up in what way? Oooooh, flying an airbus.<sarcasm> I think you should try a different perspective. There are 900 or so FO's at native RAH whose fates will only go DOWN from where we were. That's right. Once all of the CA's are slotted in above us as well as, I'm sure, the majority of the FO's, what happens to our normal regional airline career progression? Put in your time in the right seat, move over to the left for a few years and then get the hell out to a better airline? Just what I always wanted to do, spend 9 years as an FO at a regional airline.

The way I see it, my career "fate" has taken a huge turn for the worse with the acquisition of F9 and YX.

Dude, I can empathize with you, but are you really comparing your "career 'fate'" to ours? Do you think you've got it so damn bad? What did you expect when you CHOSE to work at the least scrupulous regional in the industry? F9 and YX are the victims here, not you...