Stevens Amendment At Work

[ILStoMinimums]

Re: UPS

I hear it said all the time that we leave freight behind in China every day because we don't have the lift. Not enough airplanes and crews to do the job....

Thats probably why ever single foreign heavy I see in ANC is packed to the gills with freight - I can imagine them hauling or starting to haul US carrier cargo now?

 

[OPECJet]

I'm not too familiar with this bill, but it doesn't sound good.

Air China has been flying into BNA for a few years now from what I understand. Panalpina had been trying to get the flight moved to HSV to "connect" with the flights from Europe and Mexico that fly there. My understanding was that it was a weekly service at first, but has obviously grown into more than that. I hear them on the radio more than once a week.

 

[Q200_FO]

Good 'ol Ted.....

This is but one of many reasons why I've never voted for Ted. But every time he comes up for re-election, everybody just puts him back in office because they're so used to seeing him there. He doesn't even have to campaign anymore! Just put a couple of signs up on the city buses and he's good to go. Seeing things like this doesn't make me sorry I left home, but at the same time, it'll affect all of us in one form or another if it isn't stopped. At least the regionals are somewhat insulated from all this int'l outsourcing that will eventually happen. For now.....

 

[ILStoMinimums]

Air China.

He has been around forever, thats probably why they just blow off the letters he has gotten from pilots - absolutely no heart for the airlines in his OWN state!?

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

Re: Good 'ol Ted.....

At least the regionals are somewhat insulated from all this int'l outsourcing that will eventually happen. For now.....

When the majors get threatened the regionals will too. There is no insulation I know of to prevent it. If by insulation you mean just the international flights, you are right for some regionals but not others. Comair, Eagle and CoEx fly international. I think ASA does too.

BTW, the regionals will be ripe for mergers and upstarts in the next couple of years before you see that kind of activity again for the majors. Mergers and startups almost always follow a period of growth and prosperity. That seems to be the most attractive (read profitable) time to try those kinds of moves.

just my $.02

 

[UpNDownGuy]

I called...

My two Senators (both Democrat) voted against this bill. Something to think about come November. It's real fun, and very easy, to be Republican when you're making nice change. A different deal altogother when you're a freshly unemployed pilot, courtesy of the Senators you helped vote into office.

 

[Cpt. Underpants]

I hate to play the devil's advocate, but what goes around...

I work and live in Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the Peoples Republic Of China. For about ten years, my employer has been trying - largely unsuccessfully - to base non-US nationals in the USA. Purely economic reasons. There are many - including me - who would like to be based out of the USA. Closer to home (Canada), weather, lifestyle, etc.

My company does have bases in the USA, all of which must be staffed by US Nationals or "green card" holders. All bases conform to US labour laws and basees pay US taxes. Most bases remain understaffed.

In Hong Kong there are (at last count) about 500 UAL Flight Attendants based here. Most are US Nationals and most are here without work permits or HK Permanent ID Cards. None pay taxes in Hong Kong (15% flat rate). All enjoy the benefits of Hong Kong society (and yes, there are many) and the security of a "high-value" base like Hong Kong.

This state of affairs is mirrored by a few other airlines and many hundreds more are based in Taiwan, Singapore and Tokyo.

I realise that the HKSAR Government could put an end to this pretty easily, but my understanding is that the US Government has threatened the HKSAR with trade sanctions should it close the bases.

So, here we have US Nationals living in HKSAR and other countries greedily enjoying all that it implies, while the US denies reciprocity in any form to any Asian Countries.

More than a little unfair, don't you think?

Why don't you "write" your congressman about that?

INCOMING!!

 

[Q200_FO]

I can totally see why you have your "I don't care" attitude coming from Canada. What do you care what happens to the US airline industry? And do you see Delta, United, American, etc running routes within China like they're already doing here? So there are US personnel based in Hong Kong. Whoop dee doo. When they go to work, they leave China and come straight to the US. No routes within China. Call me back when US based airlines start running cargo to points within China. Then you have an argument.

 

[Cpt. Underpants]

When they go to work, they leave China and come straight to the US

No, they don't. They fly HKG-SIN-HKG, HKG-TPE-NRT, NRT-SIN, SIN-NRT-SIN, TPE-HKG-TPE and...(get the idea?)

The fact that it's between countries (smaller than Rhode Island) is not the point. The US Government uses trade issues (blackmail) to force cabotage and squeals when others want reciprocity.

Oh yes...(can't resist this)

BLAME CANADA

 

[FoxHunter]

Cpt. Underpants:

What you describe is not cabotage, no flying within one one nation. Having said that the Air China flights from Anchorage to Nashville are not cabotage either. Looks to me that the freight originates in Asia and ends up in the lower 48. I've been told that computer manufacturing in Alaska has yet to require 6 747s a week.

Airlines like UAL, AAL are threatened cabatoge but then Fedex, UPS and their pilot goups would benefit from cabotage. No more A300-B4s, or C130s sitting on the ramp in STN or CDG. Those FedEx B727-100s flying within Canada, flown by a Canadian operator would have to be flown by pilots on the FedEx system seniority list.

MUST ALL BE CANADA'S FAULT,eh