Skywest losses IAH COEX flying

[BluDevAv8r]

Do you think your managment would retain aircraft if they lost flying? Just sit there and pay a higher lease rate to park them in a boneyard? Unless they had another contract to fulfill I suspect they would not pay leases on equipment that isn't being utilized.

I cannot comment on what XJT would (or wouldn't) do in such a theoretical situation.

SkyWest operational performance and reliability is excellent also. In fact the DOT rated them as the #1 ontime airline.

I'm aware of the DOT numbers. Skywest runs a great operation. On-time performance (especially when some aircraft aren't ACARS-equipped...although I don't believe they factor into the DOT rankings) isn't the only metric one should look at. What is Skywest's all-in completion rate? What is their completion rate when one backs out weather and ATC cancellations? Etc.

But look at how much flying is going to Mesa, Chataqua, Colgan, and other carriers. For Continental to remain comptetive do you think they can afford much exclusivity with Xjet? As many others have said, it's truly a race to the bottom. UAL clearly doesn't care much about whether or not pax make it to their destination. Just take a look at the amount of cancelled and delayed Mesa flights on the monitors at any airport they serve. Unless oil drops and yields increase it's just a matter of time before Xjet faces new and dirt cheap competition. Mainline Co is already hitting their pilots for concessions.

Yep. Sad but true. Price has overcome quality in many instances. We'll see if CAL succombs to such a path for its jet feeder flying.

I wish the Xjet the guys the best and hope they can hold on to their recent gains. You guys have a great commuter policy, decent work rules, and pretty decent retirement. I'd not only like to see you keep it all but I'd like to see some other carriers play catchup instead of lowering the bar.

I agree with you here. Sadly, nobody (in the small jet ranks) is up for a few years...except you guys and ASA. ASA has mounds of problems negotiating with their management right now due to DL. Comair is in June 2006 (not too far away) but Air Wisconsin isn't until 2011 and CHQ is in October 2008, 2 months ahead of when ours is amendable. Eagle...well...4 years from now they go into another round of their process.

The best hope is to get a job outside of 121 pax service and find a segment of the industry where the business plan does not consist of losing money on every ticket and trying to make it up in volume. Maybe freight, charter, or some overseas opportunity. I doubt that companies like Emirates and Cathay make it a point to lose money.

Agreed here too. I think the last few years and next few years will really cause many pilots to rethink their goals and their expectations with their aviation careers. Some will choose to pursue another road in aviation and others will leave the industry altogether...because so many (myself included) had their heart set on flying 8 days a month in a 777 for $350,000 per year.

-Neal

 

[getout]

Colgan will rule the world

Whats wrong you big time RJ drivers don't like loosing contracts? watch as your union contracts drag you into the mud. I have been flyin in the northeast to long and I look forward to coming south and taking more of your routes. Last time I checked you couldn't make a profit flyin a 17 million dollar jet that takes 2 and a half times the fuel a SAAB does on a 250 mile route. You all have a nice day and call your ALPA rep cryin the blues!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[rumorhasit]

100% agreed....but all ramp activity is run by big brother CAL....


If you put a Skywest outstation up against a XJT outstation there is no comparison on ontime and overall performance..... Again the winner is XJT!!!!

 

[MELIT]

Whats wrong you big time RJ drivers don't like loosing contracts? watch as your union contracts drag you into the mud. I have been flyin in the northeast to long and I look forward to coming south and taking more of your routes. Last time I checked you couldn't make a profit flyin a 17 million dollar jet that takes 2 and a half times the fuel a SAAB does on a 250 mile route. You all have a nice day and call your ALPA rep cryin the blues!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dumb A$$ Skywest is non union and they flew the Emb 120 not crj's. You better go home now I think I hear your mom calling you.

 

[vc10]

Not quite true. CAL has an early termination option effective year end 2006. In theory CAL could simply walk away from ExpressJet at that time. No, that doesn't have to happen, but CAL does have the ability to significantly rework its relationship with ExpressJet as of the end of 2006.

Dave,

CAL cannot just "take those airplanes that they own and lease them to" our replacement. We have sub-leased those aircraft and have first right of refusal on them if CAL does not want them. Should that happen, we pay a slightly higher lease rate on the aircraft over the fairly rate we are paying now.

Remember, the CPA does not terminate in 2007. On January 1, 2007 (with 12 months notice), CAL may use other feeders in the CAL hubs using jet aircraft. However, the CPA remains in full force and effect. There is no "renewal" required.

XJT has, for quite some time, been implementing various initiatives that will allow us to remain competitive with CAL and keep our business with them over time. Costs on an ASM basis have come down, as has the block hour rate. XJT has also lowered its top end margin guarantee from 11.5% to 10%. Other initiatives are in the works as well.

Our operational reliability and performance is second to none and CAL recognizes that. While we might be a tad more expensive than some other operators out there, we shall soon see if that incremental expense is worth it to CAL for the product that we provide.

-Neal

 

[Chairman]

100% agreed....but all ramp activity is run by big brother CAL....


If you put a Skywest outstation up against a XJT outstation there is no comparison on ontime and overall performance..... Again the winner is XJT!!!!

Are you kidding me BPT is the only place you can show up 40 minutes early and still leave 5 minutes late....................

No mud sliging though we will continue to do our very best till our last day.

 

[EMBpilot]

Dumb A$$ Skywest is non union and they flew the Emb 120 not crj's. You better go home now I think I hear your mom calling you.

MELIT: Not sure but I think he was talking about CoEx..



The only reason SkyWest lost the flying in IAH is because of unwillingness to get a bigger prop aircraft type.
SaaB 2000 or Q400 or whatever CAL wants to do close flying in from IAH.

 

[Godfather]

Colgan rule the world? I needed a good laugh

Whats wrong you big time RJ drivers don't like loosing contracts? watch as your union contracts drag you into the mud. I have been flyin in the northeast to long and I look forward to coming south and taking more of your routes. Last time I checked you couldn't make a profit flyin a 17 million dollar jet that takes 2 and a half times the fuel a SAAB does on a 250 mile route. You all have a nice day and call your ALPA rep cryin the blues!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The last peeps we need to P*ss off is our fellow brothers and sisters at ALPA. They are just pawns in this war like we are. Like we are gonna take over....never. Besides it's MLK Day, can't all just get along?

 

[JetLinkin Park]

Dumb A$$ Skywest is non union and they flew the Emb 120 not crj's. You better go home now I think I hear your mom calling you.

Melit is right. Colgan fan boy is so busy ripping ALPA, he forgot to point out they're replacing A NON-UNION carrier. Who the hell is Colgan anyway? I think I brush my teeth with that.

BTW, have fun serving Waco, Tyler, and Victoria while we're blocking out and heading to MEX, LAX, MIA, and DEN. Moron.

 

[CLE145CA]

Not quite true. CAL has an early termination option effective year end 2006. In theory CAL could simply walk away from ExpressJet at that time. No, that doesn't have to happen, but CAL does have the ability to significantly rework its relationship with ExpressJet as of the end of 2006.

vc10,

Given the situation and his knowledge, I would trust Neal's information on this more than any single person out there as it relates to ExpressJet Airlines and the CPA.

getout,

Last I checked it was spelled l-o-s-i-n-g NOT l-o-o-s-i-n-g.

 

[getout]

I was not addressing the company loosing the routes at all. Hell that could be me trying to figure out what to do next. Just the over all tone of the thread. There is a reason Colgan got the contract they weren't the lowest bidder. We colgan boys just try harder to kiss alittle more a** so are pay sheets don't get looked at to hard. Not havin ACARS also helps. I only wish I could have it as good as all those RJ drivers. Sounds like there schedule and pay are just great and the upgrade times are what? 6 months. RIGHT. Oh and the spelling; I drink alot so get over it. Oh and I don't give a sh$$. So let me get back to humping Mikes leg.

 

[homerjdispatch]

getout,


Read the post right before your last one. the word is LOSING not LOOSING!!!!

 

[JetLinkin Park]

I was not addressing the company loosing the routes at all. Hell that could be me trying to figure out what to do next. Just the over all tone of the thread. There is a reason Colgan got the contract they weren't the lowest bidder. We colgan boys just try harder to kiss alittle more a** so are pay sheets don't get looked at to hard. Not havin ACARS also helps. I only wish I could have it as good as all those RJ drivers. Sounds like there schedule and pay are just great and the upgrade times are what? 6 months. RIGHT. Oh and the spelling; I drink alot so get over it. Oh and I don't give a sh$$. So let me get back to humping Mikes leg.

I can't decode a word of this.

Far as XJT is concerned, we could be flying around in MU-2's; the point is that we offer a better product. We "RJ" drivers, those "Boeing" drivers at USAir, and the "Airbus" drivers at United are all in the same ship. Ask those guys about schedule, pay, and upgrade times right now. The point is that we offer a superior product to the consumer- hands down. CAL knows this and even if our costs slightly exceed some other carriers- ultimately it's our reputation and track record that will keep the relationship intact.

 

[MELIT]

I was not addressing the company loosing the routes at all. Hell that could be me trying to figure out what to do next. Just the over all tone of the thread. There is a reason Colgan got the contract they weren't the lowest bidder. We colgan boys just try harder to kiss alittle more a** so are pay sheets don't get looked at to hard. Not havin ACARS also helps. I only wish I could have it as good as all those RJ drivers. Sounds like there schedule and pay are just great and the upgrade times are what? 6 months. RIGHT. Oh and the spelling; I drink alot so get over it. Oh and I don't give a sh$$. So let me get back to humping Mikes leg.

I hate to repeat myself but your a Dumb A$$

 

[Rogue5]

What is with this myth that SkyWest doesn't have ACARS? Is it because of the DOT rankings that the numbers MUST have been fudged?

As has been stated before: ALL the EMBs, most of the UAL RJs and about half the DAL birds have ACARS...

 

[BluDevAv8r]

Not quite true. CAL has an early termination option effective year end 2006. In theory CAL could simply walk away from ExpressJet at that time. No, that doesn't have to happen, but CAL does have the ability to significantly rework its relationship with ExpressJet as of the end of 2006.

Well...yes...and no. On January 1, 2007, CAL may use feed from carriers other than XJT, provided they give 12 months notice. Otherwise, the CPA has an expiration date of December 31, 2010 subject to extensions by CAL until 2030.

With that said, there have already been several pro-CAL modifications to the CPA in the past 6 months and there is likely to be more...but in order for that to happen further, there will be quids for XJT. XJT has been working tremendously hard to manage this situation and solidify its relationship further with CAL.

I do agree with you generally however...but I will also go on record as saying I highly doubt you will see CAL toss away 274 jets worth of feed. Will there be changes? Undoubtedly...given the fluid nature of this industry. Will some of those changes benefit XJT and its employees? Absolutely.

-Neal

 

[Mookie]

Rogue,

The white birds down here in iah don't have them (acars). Good riddance to those "gems". Hope Colgan has fun with the rumored ATR's in the desert that they bid to fly. Word is they were bigger pos's than the white emb's. scary. I've heard that one of the reason's we didn't make a better offer on the the flying was that it would mean that we would have to take more white birds out of the desert. It was costing us too much to maintain them to SkyWest standards, so there we go. You always know when the guy checking in next to you gets one, you heard this AAAAUUUUGGGGH.....not f()cking 734 AGain!!!!!! I kinda liked the white birds, they were "squishy" to land.

It was fun down here while it lasted.

Mookie

 

[nimtz]

Hey SKW guys,


If you are so concerned about the race to the bottom this demonstrated why don't you tell your management team to pay you more to fly the 70 seaters. Next time your in TUS you will probably see some parked UAL 737-500's. Guess where that puts all of us in the race to the bottom.

 

[swoopyswoop]

To CoEx flight crews that believe that Skwest has terrible service in IAH. I am a furloughed pilot from an airline. I have 12000 hrs and have worked for a regional carrier for seven years. I have never been at a place that has such a bad ramp service and communications in the industry. We bust our butt down here and people down here just don't care. I get tired of reading the board blasting just how bad we are. Unless you worked somewhere that runs a proficient carrier please keep to yourself. Another thing I quite don't understand is when I walk down the terminal and pilots can't even say hello. Wake up and smell the roses.

You ought to be thankful that you even have a job. I tried for two years and I was alway told that I was overqualified. Think next time.

 

[BluDevAv8r]

To CoEx flight crews that believe that Skwest has terrible service in IAH. I am a furloughed pilot from an airline. I have 12000 hrs and have worked for a regional carrier for seven years. I have never been at a place that has such a bad ramp service and communications in the industry. We bust our butt down here and people down here just don't care. I get tired of reading the board blasting just how bad we are. Unless you worked somewhere that runs a proficient carrier please keep to yourself. Another thing I quite don't understand is when I walk down the terminal and pilots can't even say hello. Wake up and smell the roses.

You ought to be thankful that you even have a job. I tried for two years and I was alway told that I was overqualified. Think next time.

a) I don't think I recall reading too many, if any, XJT guys blasting Skywest quality or service.

b) Continental Airlines runs the ramp as well as the entire operation in IAH. XJT just provides airplanes and crews at IAH.

c) I've tried saying hello to your folks and gotten blank stares as well. Goes both ways. I don't take it personally.

Good luck with the transition back west and fly safe.

-Neal