What About Great Lakes??

[flythere]

Hey,

Haven't heard anything about Lakes since the new agreement with UAL?? What's the latest rumor out on the plains??


______________________
Always pulling for the underdog!!!

 

[FranktheTank]

Great Lakes is bad a$$. Yeah, you get treated like a second rate hooker but what do want. Rumors, there is always some crazy rumors runing around the crew room. Facts, the 1900 is picking up Grand Junction competing with, I think, Skywest out of Denver, and the Brasilia is picking up Rapid City, and that one is definately Skywest. Good news, who knows whats next. Anyone else hear anything good?

Once a Laker, always a Laker

 

[flythere]

I hope they can survive, I think the industry needs little companies to compete with the larger operators!!

Are they still looking at getting rid of all the Brasilia's? How has the closing of Chicago affected flying?

 

[WrightAvia]

Chicago is closed?

 

[Be200pilot]

chicago is closed and minneapolis is closing on sept 4th

 

[Brbrpole2theOM]

The EMB-120's are being operated out of Denver on the CPR, DIK/ISN, and RAP routes. Sounds like we plan on having all of them up and running by October. If RAP, and JNC work with just the ZK and F9 flight numbers, expect to see more head to head competition with UAX. No longer can we say "We relize you have NO choice in Air Carriers, thanks for flying with us"

We are also offering free bottles of water before flights in DEN for passengers. Also to celebrate the opeining of the two new cities, they had free cookies in the boarding area. It's really starting to look like a different airline. Mgmt is finally realizing that we need to take care of passengers and provide a good product. F9 is also VERY happy with the ZK product.

 

[Cornelius]

The airline is performing much better and providing a better service for the passengers. Still no change whatsoever how managament treats the pilots.

 

[Heavy_D_Driver]

According to Chuck....

All of the furlouged pilots have been called back at Great Lakes, but some of the furloughees didn't take Lakes up on the recall. Lakes is now somehow short on F/Os again, and junior manning is starting to run rampant.

Chuck Howell believes that the future of the regional airline industry is in the 30 seat turboprop market, so that tells you a little about our management.


Also don't forget the rumor about GLA opening a base in PDX. Yeah, right.

 

[flying4food]

I spoke with a couple of rampers up in Casper a couple of weeks ago, they said thing's were slowly getting better. Their ground equipment was looking well maintained, as was the 1900 that rolled in while I was there,,

I would imagine when Wisconsin and Skywest start hiring again, they will steal pilots from Lakes (I meant that stealing in a good way!!)

Did you guy's ever get a contract hammered out?? I remember seeing the info pickets at DEN, It seemed they had solidarity among the group!!

 

[eaglefly]

Free water !

Trying to compete with the local airport water fountains now ?

Shrewd business strategy for sure.

 

[Menace]

It actually isn't a bad idea. I used to drink water out of fountains at airports until I saw some guy washing his face in one. I haven't touched one since!

This thread is amazing! It's about Great Lakes, but mostly positive! (I'll just leave it at that)

Menace

 

[flying4food]

I think thing's may get better!!

August 1, 2003

Frontier, Great Lakes Expand Code-Share Markets from Denver
The following article was published by Aviation Daily on Friday, July 25, 2003.

Frontier Airlines added two destinations from Denver – Rapid City, S.D. and Grand Junction, Colo. – to its code-share agreement with Great Lakes Aviation.

Flights to Rapid City are scheduled to start July 30 and service to Grand Junction Aug.1. The two additional flights increase markets served by Frontier and Great Lakes from 34 to 36. Great Lakes flies Beech 1900Cs/Ds and Embraer EMB-120s. - LR

 

[Brbrpole2theOM]

The Rapid City and Grand Junction service is going pretty well so far. The Rapid City flights are sold out for the first two weeks. The first two days of flights were booked to 45 per Brazilia (3 flights per day) Frontier and Lakes did not properly communicate and both sold out the flights independently. The JR manning has been primarly due to that. We supplemented the Brazilias with 1900's to get everyone up to Rapid. Sturges (sp.?) is probably one of the main reasons for the high loads, however even the Junction flying has been going pretty well. Sounds like we are getting passengers from United Express when one certain carrier flying Dash 8's opperates a flight around the time we are and cancels or is running late. Hmmmmmm, I wonder who it could be? Things are looking pretty good.
The contract has not been resolved yet, however if Lakes is really looking at flying Jets for Frontier, expect it to be resolved very soon. All labor disputes would have to be finalized before starting jet service, no current pay rate in our contract. Keep your fingers crossed. I think anyone could provide better RJ service for Frontier then Mesa has.

Seeeeeeeee yaaaaaaaaaa

 

[Brbrpole2theOM]

As far as MGMT treating us better, no we do not have a new contract yet, but we are also getting more than 10 days off per month on average around 12. VERY VERY minimal JR manning, other than this last week with the over booking problem, there have only been a small handful of JR Man casses in the last 6 months or longer. Also we finally have Reserve pilots and the company is realizing the importance of having them there. Yes, sometimes we do run out of them, but it is not very often. Also MGMT is saying directly to the pilot group that we are a very large part of why the airline is operating so well, Pomeroy has called the Captains the Quarter backs of the airline on the day to day operations. This is a big change from a year ago when Voss told the pilot group that we were not an asset to the airline, and that we could be replaced when he attended a union meeting. Yes we need a new contract to get our FO's off poverty wages, and to make sure we keep a better working environment, but people also need to remember how it was not too long ago when you couldn't be JR maned any more because your schedule was maxed out. Sits in DEN are also much better. On average around 1 - 1.5 hrs. Not many of those 4 hr sits anymore. Still some long overnights in the middle of nowhere

 

[flythere]

Here's my .02 worth,,

Frontier & Lakes reach an agreement on the RJ's, Frontier leases them and Lakes provides crews, initial contract will run for 36 or 48 months, to be re-negotiated or re-evaluated at that time!!

In return Lakes will get paid XX amount per seat per flight, plus have the option to double book flights through their own reservation network.

Frontier get's their very own jet-connection without having to deal with re-negotiating contracts, they own the rights to the aircraft and control them, Lakes will not have to worry about financing or making payments!!

Just a thought!!!!

 

[Brbrpole2theOM]

I think that we would have to get minimum payment per departure to make sure that we return to profitability. I couldn't tell if that was what you were getting at, or if we would just recieve xx amount per filled seat.

The idea about letting Lakes sell seats also is pretty unique, currently Frontier can't sell just a ticket between ZK city pairs. They must have a connection onto Frontier. The only problem with the idea is now it is hurting F9 to allow GLA to sell tickets independently. They would be competing against eachother. They would have to match prices, and then it would just depend on who sells the tickets. would get the revenue. I think that this could cause too much hardship between the two companies. Also it would be very confusing when a Jet Express aircraft is being flown on a mainline route. If there were cancelations, delay's etc. Who would get the money if pax were moved to the other aircraft. It would also cause Frontier to place their jets in the best time slots/city pairs, and Lakes in less benifitial slots in order to maximize revenue. I think this would cause to many problems. If we are going to do this, we need to make it a seemless operation. Keep both parties happy and working together to provide the best product possible to passengers.

If we were serving markets that did not have the F9 code share, I could deffinetly see us trying to use our own reservation system. I think at this time, all of our Denver markets are code share with Frontier.

Keep your fingers crossed

 

[Cardinal]

Free water !

Trying to compete with the local airport water fountains now ?

Shrewd business strategy for sure.

LOL, It does sound pitiful, but on an aircraft with no flight attendant, no APU, and dark paint, it is rather significant on these 100 degree days.

Regarding the jets, it's all Frontier's decision. Yet management at Lakes is actively salivating, they most certainly have a horse in this race and are trying their hardest. It would certainly be a come-from-behind win, but we can dream, can't we? IMHO, if Lakes loses this battle, they've ultimately lost the war. Certainly not tomorrow, and perhaps not next year, but eventually the end will come. There is no future operating 19 seaters, butting heads with the fortress carrier on the only routes that could possibly be profitable - and that is the future as spelled out by the UA agreement.

 

[skylane58]

I talked to a station manager yesterday, he said that the grey hound bus thing is a go. THey are supposed to hear next week when the start date is. I don't think that is such a great idea though. Just imagine how the PAX will feel when they find out they have a three hour bus ride instaed of a 40 minute flight.

Anyway, Its good to hear that GLA is starting to be a better place. Hopefully everthing works out for you guys in the near future(by everything I mean the contract and frontier jets).

 

[flythere]

You are joking about the bus thing right?? How could they do that??