Wow, where to start...
First, why don't you go talk to pilots of United, Delta, NWA, etc about "...be happy that pay, work rules, and all the other "perks" that ALPA and the other carriers gave up years ago are finally coming back".....uhhh, yeah go talk to UAL pilots about their work rules...I don't think "coming back" is the terminology I would use.
..."Frontier CEO Sean Menke said employees were told Wednesday that the Denver-based carrier was cutting its indirect labor work force by 10 percent. Spokesman Joe Hodas described the jobs as corporate jobs not directly related to flight operations and said the cuts represented 1.4 percent of the total work force.
The layoffs were expected to save Frontier about $5 million on an annualized basis, Menke said.
The airline also plans to scale back how much it expands its available seat miles, an industry unit that factors in the number of seats available and the number of miles flown. It also is evaluating the size of its fleet, Menke said.
The carrier plans to reduce mainline year-over-year growth in available seat miles through the first three months of 2008 from 13.7 percent to 8.6 percent(ohh, but what are they increasing - yes the regional side - Lynx - why - ITS CHEAPER), Menke said.
"In contrast to encouraging year-over-year unit revenue improvements for November and October, the cost of jet fuel has climbed 18 percent since October when we last provided an earnings estimate for the December quarter," Menke said.
Several other airlines have announced plans to slow growth and cut costs to deal with higher fuel prices and the prospect of an economic slowdown that could have people flying less.
"....Southwest Airlines Co. said Tuesday it would slow its planned growth in 2008, the second time this year that the low-cost carrier has reined in expansion as it struggles with high fuel costs...
...."We are concerned about growing evidence of slowing economic growth that would inevitably affect passenger demand, coupled with a surge in energy prices," Chief Executive Gary C. Kelly said in a statement.
Southwest's announcement came a day after rival Continental Airlines Inc. cut its growth expectations for next year to between 2 percent and 3 percent, down from 3 percent to 4 percent...."
....Why close to EVERY UAL jumpseater hates UAL -
"UAL Corp. Announces $250 Million Distribution to Shareholders
Friday December 7, 90 am ET United Airlines Pays Down $500 Million of Term Loan Amendment to United's Credit Agreement Allows For Further Shareholder Initiatives
CHICAGO, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- United Airlines (Nasdaq: UAUA - News) today announced that the UAL Corporation Board of Directors approved a special distribution of $2.15 per share to holders of UAL common stock, or approximately $250 million....
....."This shareholder distribution underscores our commitment to creating value for our investors," said Glenn Tilton, chairman, president and CEO. "On behalf of our board of directors, we are pleased to make this decision to provide a distribution to our shareholders....
....Ok, next...."Any pilot with career ambitions should be happy that there is finally a movement back to the legacies and other major carriers. Movement from an "express" carrier to mainline should be praised, not twisted into a bad thing. Get some friggin' ambition if you are mad that SkyWest and other regional airlines should not be retirement options and base their business models on turn over.....
Umm, nice, so you are saying that every pilot who DOESN'T move on lacks ambition? Nice.
Just bail if you are mad that SKYW management is leaving the pilots behind and fast making us the mockery of the industry. Good attitude. Don't try to fix it, don't try to change it. Don't try to affect the outcome of the situation. Just give up. Go somewhere else.
The problem with SKYW is "we" can't fix it, change it, affect the outcome. The outcome is fixed by JA and the boys with SAPA as the mouthpiece. You really think you have a voice in our system - THAT'S WHERE THE "KOOL-AID" COMES IN! WE HAVE NO VOICE, NO SAY. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. There is no bargaining, no negotiating.
It is a good thing that the majors are hiring. But, if you actually talk to most of their pilots, the pay is down and the QOL has declined in the last few years.
The way for this industry to recover and the way to increase compensation and benefits is NOT from the bottom up. Pull from the top, not push from the bottom....
....Less rj expansion, more "mainline" aircraft.....
Uhhh, duhh.....If the majors fly more a/c on routes now currently run by rjs 80-90% full - it pulls everyone - UP!
By pumping planes and people in the bottom without stimulating the growth up top we are holding movement, pay, benefits, QOL, down.
But that is what is happening. Skybus with their A319 at $60/hour capt. - nice. Skywest with no limits on seats - with regional pay, rumors abound of SWA regional flying, larger a/c, etc. But at what pay?
3rd yr ca + new hire fo @ SWA = $231/hour crew cost.
3rd yr ca + new hire fo @ SKYW = $82/hour crew cost.
You think that managements aren't figuring that out. But look what happens. Rjs flying longer routes out of major hubs crewed by pilots that are paid less, cuz' the experience level is less. More and more and more and more rjs in the system. Less mainline a/c in the system. Less overall numbers of mainline crews making the big $. Mainline $ down. Incentive for regional pilots to leave DOWN. Regional QOL starts to win out over a marginal pay increase with less QOL at a major.
You're right. You want to fly larger a/c for more $ - go to the majors. That's how it should be. However, the managments are going the other way - larger a/c for less $ - can't wait for that CRJ1000 - yippee lets fly that thing w/100 seats for $60/hour. Sweet.
You say for people to move on to the majors. How? The regional airlines managements with their greed driven by the promise of contracts are going bigger for less. And they can do it with the a/c getting bigger and cheaper to operate. They can do it, cuz' they can go to the fbo's and sell it to the poor CFI. They can do it, cuz they sell "feel good fuzzies" to the pilots who buy into it.
The "kool-aid" drinkers put their faith in management to do what will be best for the employee. By default, that can't happen. Management is concerned with profits for shareholders.
You talk about raising the standards for all of us...How, by voting for a useless management puppet...SAPA....What a joke the system is.
.....You talk about 5-6 months....we have been asking for improvements in pay and QOL for years and we get 1% over 4 years. Nice.
Your list of carriers are all union except for SKYW. So, are you saying that pilots of SWA are stupid because they have a union and haven't put their entire career goals, wants, and needs in the hands of management? Why don't you jump on a SWA a/c and tell them that - see what response you get with that attitude.
In fact, the next time you are jumping on any mainline, hand them some kool-aid and be sure to tell them that you think they are idiots for having a union, and they should place all their trust in management. Good plan.
What I am ADVOCATING is.....we need to stop this race to the bottom. The only way to do that is to promote aircraft growth and wage growth at the top in order to have a vacuum effect. Stop whoring the bottom of the industry out. Stop having more and more percentage of the flights in the country(hello airport congestion, anyone....) with more and more percentage of pilots in the lowest pay bracket of the industry. The rj has a place. Put it there. Keep it there.
Let the higher pay pull up. That's what we can all agree on. We would all like more $.
