Skip Barnette talking to ASA pilot group

[letthebigdogeat]

supposedly right now in the pilot lounge?!? At ten at night? Anyone with additional details? Probably just silencing the rumors...

 

[flyjumpseat]

Kind of hard to silence the rumors when there is always someone willing to start another one.

supposedly right now in the pilot lounge?!? At ten at night? Anyone with additional details? Probably just silencing the rumors...

 

[Plug]

supposedly right now in the pilot lounge?!? At ten at night? Anyone with additional details? Probably just silencing the rumors...

I don't know but I thought it was kind of strange being so late and all.

 

[DDpaysoff]

Is there some kind of contest going on at ASA to see who can start the most rumors?

 

[~~~^~~~]

Did Skip bring Pizza?

The GO is rumor central. Management used to get all worked up about theories that ASA pilots were going to sympathy strike, or perform some other illegal job action. When the rumors reached a crisis level they would dispatch Drew to the ATL pilot lounge armed with pizza.

It is harder for pi$$ed off pilots to ask embarassing questions when they have a mouth full of your free pizza.

I'm sure Drew would go back to the GO telling them that the pilots were about to begin burning RJ's and he saved the day with the Pizza. It was a unique "win/win" for the employees and management ( and the Pizza guy )

 

[~~~^~~~]

Is there some kind of contest going on at ASA to see who can start the most rumors?

Why - Did you hear anything?

 

[Mmmmmm Burritos]

Heard about it from someone who was there. Basically he was just quelling rumors. He ended up staying for more than an hour until 10:30 or so answering questions about everything. The Virgin rumor was virtually dismissed as bogus but he didnt say anything one way or the other about being sold, except that he has plans for just about every scenario. More highlights:

-ATR's will most likely be gone in 2007 when the leases are up (if not before). He cited the savings from training will be more than they are worth with cheaper fuel burn
-SLC will get some 50 seat flying later this year, but probably not a crew base (like CVG is now)
-Pay rates were submitted last Thursday for negotiations, but they wont start negotiating them until May. Right now they are reopening the scheduling can-o-worms
-They're in negotiations with Bombardier to convert as many future aircraft to 70's as possible. Something about 4 extra 70 seaters beyond the 25 original aircraft (he didnt say for sure, just possibly)
-DB wasn't fired over an argument, Skip just reorganized the mgmt and DB's position wasnt in the new one. He said he offered DB Director of (all) Ops but DB declined.

Yeah the guy I know said he was kinda freaked out when he went down there at 10 and Skip was there on the day of the supposed "BIG announcement".

 

[CR7pilot]

Burrito-

Sounds like an empty fire extinguisher used to put out a blaze.

I like the part about DB

What's next, we become 'bus drivers and free pizza?

 

[~~~^~~~]

More highlights:

-SLC will get some 50 seat flying later this year, but probably not a crew base (like CVG is now)
-They're in negotiations with Bombardier to convert as many future aircraft to 70's as possible. Something about 4 extra 70 seaters beyond the 25 original aircraft (he didnt say for sure, just possibly)

Yep, we are hearing 7 CRJ200's bound for Skywest, but leased by Delta, will in fact be operated at ASA. This brings the RFP airplanes to 32. ( and we did not take concessions to get them )

We are also hearing that Bombardier does not want to convert the orders from 200's to 700's because they want to keep the 200 line going and our request to waive the down payment works better on the 200 than the 700 because there is less demand for the smaller jet.

As far as 50 seat SLC flying goes - errr yuck. Get ready to be stuck on reserve in SLC and hope you like 5 day trips