RUMOR: Alaska to Buy Frontier!!

[Draginass]

That'd be rich . . . . the company asking for a 23% pay cut, then setting the Frontier and Alaska employee against each other in a seniority battle. Just like AA . . . . only the pain of the seniority integration came first, then the 23% pay cut.

Believe me, you don't want part of either.

 

[mach none]

Re: getting the 300s

Yesterday I spoke with a supervisor of maintenance for Alaska Airlines. He is a Master Chief in my Navy Reserve squadron, and he was explaining to me that the -200s were going away because of an expensive maintenance check that would be due in the near future, and that instead the company will be leasing the -300s for less money. He also said there would be no net increase in total aircraft (as of the current plan that may change tomorrow).

Being home for dinner most every night sure sounds great!

I think there will be no a/c increase to the ANC base. Just a capacity increase due to the -300 vs -200. I know the -200 are becoming very expensive to maintain, and the company has been looking for some time. The -300 would be great fit. It could do RNP and for that matter, all 737 pilots from all the bases could do the flying. It would make for some better lines and more efficient flying too. No more home everynight for the ANC crews though. It will be the end to the best airline gig in the industry!

The rumor floating around is two new cities to be announced early 2004 with some more connecting the dots. Also have heard rumors of some possible classes late winter/early spring. Stay tuned.

 

[Singlecoil]

I disagree with mach none. I think the Anchorage base is going to double in size in the next few years. The company spends a lot of money on hotels in Anchorage right now. Make the Anchorage base a 200, 300, 400 base and you can alleviate many of those hotel costs. The base needs to get bigger to be more efficient with regards to reserves. Once the 200s are all gone, then they can make it a 300, 400, NG base along with Seattle and LA. Once that happens you can have ANC crews doing trips similar to the ANC flight attendants, who work trips all over the system. While that will mean a lot more time away from home for ANC crews, it will also mean more opportunities to upgrade.

 

[mach none]

I disagree with mach none. I think the Anchorage base is going to double in size in the next few years. The company spends a lot of money on hotels in Anchorage right now. Make the Anchorage base a 200, 300, 400 base and you can alleviate many of those hotel costs. The base needs to get bigger to be more efficient with regards to reserves. Once the 200s are all gone, then they can make it a 300, 400, NG base along with Seattle and LA. Once that happens you can have ANC crews doing trips similar to the ANC flight attendants, who work trips all over the system. While that will mean a lot more time away from home for ANC crews, it will also mean more opportunities to upgrade.

Singlecoil:

I am sorry, I did not make myself clear. I don't think the base will grow immediately. They will get the -300s on board and phase out the -200s. After that is done, than, I agree. They will grow the base. It only makes sense. I can also see them growing LA too. I does not make sense having one big base (SEA) and two small bases (LAX than ANC). I am all for it. More opportunities for all of us.

 

[Alaskaairlines]

Any idea what the new destinations may be? Would the -300's be coming from out of the desert, possibly old US, UA, FR planes?

 

[mach none]

Any idea what the new destinations may be? Would the -300's be coming from out of the desert, possibly old US, UA, FR planes?

Mostly likely destinations will be somewhere on the east coast and somewhere in the midwest. I have heard Costa Rica and Belize too. My guess would be somewhere will higher yields.

Where the -300s would come from? Who knows. The would be glass, HUD, and dual GPS though (RNP).

 

[FL510GV]

-300s with a cargo door?

Are there any -300s with a door out there or will it be a mod? The Navy has bought the -700C with the aforementioned door and that would be a great fit... or does the -300 fall under the FAA clause that the -200 does for the mixed cargo/pax config and the -700 does not? Just curiosity...

Machnone... if your classes rumor is true... oh yeah baby... but I fly with AS guys at TCM all the time and hear the FULL range of rumors. Can't wait until the phone finally rings... maybe Christmas Eve again?

 

[Alaskaairlines]

Will the entire panel be glass, or will the engine gauges still be the round dials?
I don't think I've seen any glass -300's around, again I don't get to ride on them a whole lot either.

 

[mach none]

I know -300 mod is around with some being converted in Isreal. There are not that many. I believe FedEx flew -300s with a cargo door for a short time. It just did not work for their operation.

I also believe that once the -200s go, the movable bulkhead goes too. That has been why that company has hung on to them for so long. Gravel kits help too. The -300s would not be certified for gravel. It would be cheaper to pave the strips that we fly to then certify the -300 for those ops. That is according to Bill Ayer. Maybe that is where our 23% give back (won't get!) will go. To buy pavement.

As far as them being glass. It is just like the -400. A mix of glass and steam. The engine gauges are a LED needle on an anolog gauge. Difficult to describe, but those that have seen it know what I am talking about. Not the greatest setup.

Rumors, rumors and more rumors. I hope we have class soon. It sure would be nice for the poolies.

 

[flx757]

Rumors, rumors and more rumors. I hope we have class soon. It sure would be nice for the poolies.

Since some have asked on here, I have gone to the "Managers" and the "Managing Director" in the training department, and asked about classes for next year (under the guise of asking for my own benefit, training, etc., and what my timetable looks like for getting completely signed off), and I get the same answer from all of them. Only CQ (continuting qualification, or recurrent) and possibly transition classes. No new hires until 2005. However, I get the feeling that this is the "official" company line, and new hire classes will be talked about only when they are announced and become a reality.

 

[dogg]

Alaska could use some of Frontiers -300's for the 737-300QC program and the tail art could be Bob Marley hunting rabbits and foxes, hmmm.....

AK, what in the world is a mud hen?

flx757, Ther must be a good story behind why you would leave a good flying position at a Major airline to go be a desk jockey at another one. Just curious because ATA seems like a great job

 

[mach none]

Since some have asked on here, I have gone to the "Managers" and the "Managing Director" in the training department, and asked about classes for next year (under the guise of asking for my own benefit, training, etc., and what my timetable looks like for getting completely signed off), and I get the same answer from all of them. Only CQ (continuting qualification, or recurrent) and possibly transition classes. No new hires until 2005. However, I get the feeling that this is the "official" company line, and new hire classes will be talked about only when they are announced and become a reality.

Of course they are going to say no new classes. We are in negotiations! Some of my friends in the school house have said the rumor is going around.

 

[flx757]

flx757, Ther must be a good story behind why you would leave a good flying position at a Major airline to go be a desk jockey at another one. Just curious because ATA seems like a great job

First of all, I was not at ATA. Second, IMO Alaska is the best airline company around and this is where I have always wanted to work. Third, the "circumstances" have been discussed here at length in the past. It has to do with losing my medical. However, I would have left any job for the opportunity to come to Alaska and move back to Seattle. I enjoy doing training very much. It is what I prefer to do. And being with my family every single day is BY FAR the most important thing to me at this point in my life. I'm doing what everyone else is doing (I would hope), and that is what I think is best for myself and my family.

None of this will change when I get my medical back in a few months.


mach none...

I agree. I'm just telling you what I was told. That is the only talk I have heard around the school house over the past two months. So for now, I'm off to school. If and when I hear anything different, I'll post it.

 

[AK737FO]

Mud Hen

Dogg,
Mud Hen is a nickname for the 200's. 6 of the 9 airplanes have gravel kits and can go "play in the mud". Right now the only gravel runway we go to is the Red Dog mine.

I have found out that some of the rumors around work are true. I don't want to post it all here just yet, as most employees don't know about the changes that are on the horizon (I'm only talking about changes in ANC, not something silly like buying F9). Pretty soon it will be out, and after everyone at work knows what is going on, I'll gladly chat about it here.

 

[dogg]

First of all, I was not at ATA. Second, IMO Alaska is the best airline company around and this is where I have always wanted to work. Third, the "circumstances" have been discussed here at length in the past. It has to do with losing my medical.

flx757, my apologies. ATA (American Trans Air) and ATA(Air Tran Airways)I confuse the 2 on a regular basis.

A friend of a friend was telling me that Alaska is replacing all of it's line pilot instructors with salaried staff instructors who will not be on the pilot seniority list or working under the pilot contract. He was saying that under the old system, instructors were given line numbers after a couple years. Curious if these changes are real......

 

[flx757]

Dogg,

Those changes are real. They did away with the FOSI program (the one where they gave you a seniority number) a couple of years ago. At least they haven't hired into that program for a couple of years.

I don't think "all" the line pilots are being replaced. At least right away. That process will take some time. There are still many line pilots working in the training dept.

 

[Big Air]

flx757,
It seems to me that with 60-70 retirements in 2004, that they have to do some initial training just to maintain the current sked.

 

[av8instyle]

It seems to me that with 60-70 retirements in 2004, that they have to do some initial training just to maintain the current sked

There's only 20+ retirements in '04. It goes to the 40's in 05, and 60's in '06.