Who is Freedom Airlines?

[JHook]

There I was trying to get home from a trip and unfortunately, the tickets I had were for America West. Nothing against America West, but I have yet to fly on that airline and arrive within 30 minutes of my scheduled arrival. The 4 flights over the course of this trip kept that streak alive. The good news is that while flying America West, don't worry if your flight is late and you don't have much time to get to your connection, it will be late too.

Anyway, after ridiculous delays that was never explained to any of the passengers, we were finally boarded on a CRJ. The side of the airplane said it was operated by Freedom Airlines. The only crew member that looked like an adult was the Captain. The First Officer looked like he was in Jr. High and the male flight attendant was a little confused about the part where he was in a service industry. He was the biggest dweeb I have been around in a while but he was too busy playing grab @$$ with the other flight attendant that looked like she was dressed for a high school dance to be too rude.

When we finally started taxiing, I was just relieved that the flight crew even knew how to start the engines. The Flight Attendants were bumbling their way through the passenger briefing. I don't know, but I would expect an airline to hire people that could read higher than at the 6th grade level. After the ridiculous display of reading comprehension, the flight attendants were laughing and carrying on for a while while the PA was still on.

After the flight crew figured out how to take off, the lead flight attendant said they weren't going to serve everybody drinks but if you wanted one, you could press the flight attendant call button. Now I'm no rocket scientist, but that is not the way to serve drinks AND keep the flight peaceful. It was only a couple of seconds before the 30 minute onslaught of "ping ping pa ping ping ping ping" started. By the time they finally landed, I had a headache the size of Texas, but I was happy that they managed to at least land at the right airport being that every time they welcomed us aboard, they said, "welcome to America West Express flight 6969 service to...uh..."

So my point in all of this useless drivel is that where are these ridiculous airlines coming from? I am by no means a frequent traveler but I do make it out of the house every once in a while and I had never heard of Freedom Airlines and I hope I never find myself boarding another one of their airplanes.

 

[trainerjet]

I am by no means a frequent traveler but I do make it out of the house every once in a while and I had never heard of Freedom Airlines and I hope I never find myself boarding another one of their airplanes.

This post is either total flame bait, or you DON'T make it out of the house every once in a while. If you are even remotely involved in aviation, at least to the point of knowing about and posting on this board, and you don't know anything about Freedom, then you have been living under a HUGE rock.

That's why I vote for the former....total flame bait.

 

[C425Driver]

JHook,

In a nutshell Freedom Airlines is part of Mesa Airlines, who operates under many different paint jobs, including America West Express, USAirways Express, Friontier Connection (or whatever their name is), soon to be United Express again, as well as their own Mesa Airlines.

Hope that helps,
C425Driver

 

[stillaboo]

X-Ray glasses?

Nothing against America West, but:

The good news is that while flying America West, don't worry if your flight is late and you don't have much time to get to your connection, it will be late too.

The First Officer looked like he was in Jr. High . . .

When we finally started taxiing, I was just relieved that the flight crew even knew how to start the engines.

After the flight crew figured out how to take off . . .

Nothing against them, huh?

I know you didn't judge a flight crew's competence based on the age the FO looked, so where do I get some of them there X-ray glasses that let me observe the flight crew read their 'idiots guide to flying a CRJ' every time they pushed a button.

How old do most 'F' pilots look when they finish UPT and go fly the F's?Same age as the FO, perhaps?

-Boo!

Probably flame bait.

 

[Flying Illini]

Alot of people *look* young, don't hold that against them. There are kids in Iraq right now who aren't even 19 yet...so I believe age is fairly inconsequential when it relates to ability and skill.

btw~stillaboo, I love the avatar!

 

[FL717]

So my point in all of this useless drivel is that where are these ridiculous airlines coming from? I am by no means a frequent traveler but I do make it out of the house every once in a while and I had never heard of Freedom Airlines and I hope I never find myself boarding another one of their airplanes.

For someone trying to come on this forum and convince us all that you are asking a "question", you sure already have alot of "answers".

Why don't you grow a pair and just state the obvious from the beginning ... that you don't like Freedom, then tell us your little "story".

I think you pretty much summed up your own story quite well... "useless drivel".

 

[TurboS7]

Your still alive aren't you---DON'T COMPLAIN.

 

[transienttorque]

JHook,

In a nutshell Freedom Airlines is part of Mesa Airlines, who operates under many different paint jobs, including America West Express, USAirways Express, Friontier Connection (or whatever their name is), soon to be United Express again, as well as their own Mesa Airlines.

Hope that helps,
C425Driver

Actually Freedom Airlines is part of the Mesa Air Group, along with Mesa Airlines, Air Midwest and CCAir. Freedom was formed to whipsaw the Mesa pilots into a bad contract after attempts using CCAir failed. A list of pre-contract Freedom pilots is available for those interested, but I'm not bitter.

 

[JJay]

Just two words: "Go Greyhound"

 

[JHook]

Now this is funny...make a complaint against the airline industry and you get accused of all sorts of things regardless of how true the original accusations were. I thought I was at an aviation board not the homepage of the Democratic National Committee.

No, I had no idea who Freedom Airlines was before this weekend.

Yes, I guess I do have something against America West since they are paid to get me to a destination at least within the same hour they said they would.

Yes, I thought that was the most unprofessional flight crew I had ever seen.

No, I don't care about union issues or whether the pilot union objects to Freedom Airlines. After a little research I figured out why Freedom is such flame bait. Here I complain about their service, but that's not important. The fact that they are suppossedly undercutting another greedy union contract is apparently what's important. Had I known that before the flight, I would have seen that airline entirely differently and been shaking their hands and buying them dinner while we waited.

 

[FL717]

Now this is funny...make a complaint against the airline industry and you get accused of all sorts of things regardless of how true the original accusations were. I thought I was at an aviation board not the homepage of the Democratic National Committee.

Hey it was YOU who said your ramblings were "useless drivel". I agreed with you.

 

[trainerjet]

The fact that they are suppossedly undercutting another greedy union contract is apparently what's important.

Now, this is either total flamebait, or this guy has the title, hands down, of "Most Clueless Poster" in the history of this or any other aviation message board.

Calling Mesa's contract "another greedy union contract"?!?

YGBSM!!!!!!!!

 

[transienttorque]

No, I don't care about union issues or whether the pilot union objects to Freedom Airlines. After a little research I figured out why Freedom is such flame bait. Here I complain about their service, but that's not important. The fact that they are suppossedly undercutting another greedy union contract is apparently what's important. Had I known that before the flight, I would have seen that airline entirely differently and been shaking their hands and buying them dinner while we waited.

If you had continued your "research", you would have found the the Freedom pilots enabled management to push a sub-standard contract on to the entire Mesa pilot group. This so-called greedy contract is about more than money. The contract should have fixed some quality of life issues. I know you take quality of life for granted in the fairly protected world of the military, because my quality of life was better in the military.

Let's see what you think of "greedy" contracts when you're looking for an airline job after you get out.

 

[typhoonpilot]

Wow !!

JHook, first you complain about flying on a sub-standard aircraft with sub-standard service and inexperienced crew members and then you say you would have been shaking their hands if you knew about their situation.

What do you want ? If you want a professional crew with good service and a feeling of safety then you have to realize that the crew deserve a decent wage and decent working conditions.

Mainline management continue to outsource flying to the low bidder and the end result is what you experienced. It's up to you, the passenger, to say enough and vote with your wallet. Choose another airline that is flying big jets with experienced crews, real galleys, and real overhead bins to fly you to your destination.

Typhoonpilot

 

[low-key]

Mesa's last contract *in my opinion* helped put another nail in the coffin of regional airline contracts that suck and helped make it harder for everyone else to get anything better. I have deadheaded on Mesa a number of times and frankly am unimpressed by their cabin staff also. I am not saying that my airline is the best but I would like to see a little more professionalism so that people would take the regionals seriously. And some of us could make more than 20K a year hauling around 50 people for 5 legs a day in the northeast and elsewhere.

its all flamebait, all of it. every post, on every thread.

 

[boman]

Maybe it is coincidence that this thread appears here now but I too just had my first experience with an America West flight operated by Freedom two days ago after being booked on it by my company's travel department.

I found the RJ to be in great shape and the cabin crew was both courteous and professional. No complaints there. I will note that the forward lav would need some creative solutions for anyone over 6'1" and 240lbs to take care of business in there. I happen to be 6'3" and 270lbs. Enough said about that!

The point of interest about the flight happened in the last five minutes. An announcement from the flight deck brought to light the fact that the aircraft is long and the runway at Burbank is short. <(well, it sure is no JFK, but not short in real terms for a small jet, dry surface and all)> He was basically informing us not to be concerned with some aggressive braking. Well visions of Southwest several years ago came to mind as we appeared quite fast on short final, audible alarms ringing in the front office below 500' (configuration, flap speeds, or standard ops - I don't know as I haven't flown this type before). We landed long, almost at midfield and then felt no real deceleration for a period of time. I suspect the pilot was patiently "searching" for the brakes while trying to keep things smooth. He found the brakes which was made obvious by the unified gasp of the 50 pax and the sound of all the overhead bags shifting forward and followed by some extremely aggressive braking.

What does this mean. It was a poorly done approach and landing. If I had a dollar for all the times I pranged it in I may have a nice vacation home in the islands. It did seem that maybe some inexperience was in the cockpit, at least at the controls, but the only way to get experience is by doing.

Overall I would prefer not to book flights on this carrier as it appears to be bringing down the wages and for me bloated pilot earnings sound just fine. The forces of economics however made it the right choice for the buyers of the ticket and is beyond my control.

Fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the flight!

 

[mckpickle]

When you pay people like that then thats what you get. I just hope that All the PAX see this and will not fly the Freedom/Mesa system.

 

[DoinTime]

Now back to the original question:

So my point in all of this useless drivel is that where are these ridiculous airlines coming from? I am by no means a frequent traveler but I do make it out of the house every once in a while and I had never heard of Freedom Airlines and I hope I never find myself boarding another one of their airplanes.

I hear this or something similar a lot. I was talking to an older lady in the gate area not to long ago and she asked the same standard questions like:

why do they use such small planes?
why don't they have more flight a day to my destination?
why don't they serve food?
where has all the glamour in traveling gone?

Seeing where she was going with this I polity shifted the conversation and asked her if she got a good deal on her ticket. Her face took an upset expression and she proceeded to tell me they robbed her on her round trip DAY-PHX trip. A whopping $178 they charged her to fly 3/4 the way across the country and she was upset about having to pay that much.

So my point in all this useless drivel is that if passengers demand dirt cheap tickets, corporate executives are going to find a way to provide it. As the mounting downward pressure on wages rise more and more of the best and brightest prospective employees will find employment where their labor is valued. As the years pass the workforce that is maintaining and operating these aircraft will shift from the mainly hardworking, talented, experienced crews we have had in the past to the unmotivated, unsavory employees that typically make up the bottom 25% of the labor pool. This exact situation has happened in the construction industry over the past 30 years. While some of the best, most intelligent, hardest working, and highly skilled people used to be drawn to the construction industry for the relatively good salary, and honest work are now driven into other industries due to rampant subcontracting, low wages, no advancement, and poor working conditions.