Why are you surprised????

[Tanner]

Yes, a lot of truth. (hence, my other big beef with SWA since someone wanted to know). Every person from ATA that I know of that interviewed has been turned down.

If you got hired by UPS, then get off this board and get a life or something! Geez.....This board is for all us losers trying to get a job....If I get hired back into the airline industry and I'm posting opinions on how people should prepare for a screwing at XYZ airline, someone....please shoot me!

 

[SkiFishFly]

Yes, a lot of truth. (hence, my other big beef with SWA since someone wanted to know). Every person from ATA that I know of that interviewed has been turned down.

A guy in my 737 type class was former ATA who was interviewed and hired.

 

[Widow's Son]

A person in my new hire class was ATA and I have flown with several since.

 

[elcapitan]

I know SWA pilots as well. And I can say they have no idea what goes on behind the scenes. The Chiefs have no idea. Maybe the VP of ops, but he isn't talking either. Its one of the traditions of the airline. So to say that SWA pilots think so as well....is again unsubstantiated and based on assumption with absolutely no evidence from anywhere.

ATA went bankrupt. C8 was a casualty because of that. Plain and simple.

Answer me one question. Where would C8 be today if ATA took the Airtran deal.

I actually see if there is to lay any blame its on C8's management. They are ultimately are the ones responsible for their own demise. Maybe without choice. They are the ones who set up the framework for their future that didn't work out.

Do yourself a favor and stop being pissed at the things we have no control of. Learn from them and move on like you have done. Your in the pool of a good airline that will be more likely to give you what we all deserve for our hard work, stability.

YOU ARE ABSOULUTELY WRONG THAT IT WAS Chicage Express MANAGEMENTS FAULT.

Chicago Express CARRIED 100,000 PASSENGERS A MONTH IN AND OUT OF MIDWAY WITH 17 SAABS-IT WAS A HIGHLY EFFECIENT COMMUTER.

Chicago Express MADE MONEY FOR ATA - BETWEEN 1-2 MILLION A MONTH WHICH WAS THROWING MONEY DOWN A BLACK HOLE

Chicago Express MANGEMENT WANTED TO EXPAND THE AIRLINE BY ADDING CRJ's AND DOING CODESHARES-EVERY ATTEMPT WAS THWARTED BY ATA MANAGEMENT.

NEAR THE END WHEN ATA WAS GASPING FOR AIR-THEY BID ON THE CONTINENTAL EXPRESS FLYING BUT IT WAS TOO LATE-CONTINENTAL TOLD THEM THAT THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN THE LOW BIDDER BY A LONG SHOT

IN SEPTEMBER OF 2004 - ATA TOLD Chicago Express MANAGEMENT THEY COULD DO WHATEVER THEY WANTED, THEY (ATA) WERE TO BUSY WITH THEIR OWN PROBLEMS. Chicago ExpressMANGEMENT SECURED AN ORDER FOR 13 CRJ's WITH NO MONEY DOWN. ATA THEN PROCEEDED TO NIX THAT ORDER.

IN OCTOBER OF 2004 - ATA TOLD Chicago Express MANGEMENT "CAN YOU GET THOSE CRJ's AGAIN". C8 MANAGEMENT WENT AND SECURED THE ORDER FOR THE CRJ's AGAIN!. AT THE LAST SECOND ATA CHANGED THEIR MIND AGAIN AND NIXED THE ORDER.

IN DECEMBER OF 2004 Chicago Express MANAGEMENT HAD WORKED OUT A CODESHARE WITH AIRTRAN - IF THEY WON THE DEAL.

REMEMBER THE BIG WERE GOING TO MOVE BACK TO IND PLAN. (ATA's IDEA) SO WE CUT OUR FLIGHTS BACK IN CHICAGO (REMEMBER THE 100,000 PEOPLE) AND STARTED FLYING INTRASTATE IND. WE WENT FROM FLYING AN AVERAGE OF 25 PEOPLE A FLIGHT TO 10. THE ATA (IND) CUSTOMER SERVICE COULD NOT HANDLE THE EIGHT SAABS ON THE GROUND - WE WERE LATE EVERY FLIGHT. THEN NWA COMES IN WITH CRJ's (YES - REMEMBER THOSE MARKETING PLANS) MATCHED ATA ON EVERY FLIGHT OUT OF IND (REMEMBER THOSE $29.00 FARES) AND DESTROYS ATA IN THEIR HOME TURF.

THEN THEY DECIDE TO MOVE BACK TO MDW (NOW I AM CONFUSED - CAN YOU THINK WHAT THE PASSENGERS WERE THINKING?). (OH, AND BY THE WAY CHICAGO IS THE #2 PASSENGER MARKET IN THE US AND WHAT IS IND?)

AT THAT POINT SWA (WINS THE DEAL!) AND LOANS ATA DIPP FINANCING. ATA ABRUPTLY DECIDES TO SHUTDOWN Chicago Express (MIND YOU THERE WAS NO WARNING). YOU CAN SURMISE THE REASON.

IF ATA HAD LET CHICAGO EXPRESS EXPAND THEY COULD HAVE HELPED WITH GETTING THEM OUT OF BANKRUPTCY. THERE WAS ALSO A PLAN TO PURCHASE CRJ-700's in SEPTEMBER OF 2002, WHICH WAS NEVER IMPLEMENTED AND COULD HAVE HELPED ATA SIGNIFICANTLY DURING THIS BANKRUPTCY.

ONE OF THE FUNNIEST IDEA's THAT CAME OUT OF THIS MESS WAS WHEN ATA WAS LOSING MONEY THE BIG ORDER OF THE DAY WAS TO UNSCREW LIGHT BULBS AND SAVE ELECTRICITY. THE REAL REASON IS THAT (ATA) JUST BLEW IT BY NOT DOING WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO MAKE THE COMPANY COST EFFICIENT SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. THEY JUST WAITED TO LONG AND WASTED TO MUCH MONEY. YOU DON"T GO INTO BANKRUPTCY WITH 20 MILLION IN THE BANK! THAT IS LIQUIDATION! THEY ARE EXTREMELY LUCKY TO BE EVEN FLYING TODAY!


SO-HOW WAS THIS CHICAGO EXPRESS'S MANGEMENT FAULT?

AGAIN - (AS JACK NICHOLSON WOULD SAY) YOU WANT THE TRUTH? YOU CAN"T HANDLE THE TRUTH?

ANY QUESTIONS?

 

[Ty Webb]

ANY QUESTIONS?

Yeah. . . . wasn't Chicago Express a PFT outfit?

 

[scabseeker]

Yeah. . . . wasn't Chicago Express a PFT outfit?

Classic!

Wecome back ty.

 

[TAZ MAN]

Thanks for the input TAZ. You can stay in la la land all you want in regards to the SWA thing. How can you blame a management that did not have a choice? That's like blaming the gun manufacturers for someone's murder (ie. makes no sense whatsoever). I am not trying to be rude here, but have you been smoking crack tonight? Ok, I am done with this. Let's just agree to disagree. You think what you think and I will think what I think, K? Good nite. Let's let this horse lie.

Let this die if you want. I still think there is something to discuss.

At one time Express decided to hook up with ATA. Thats where I find fault in your management. They gave control away. Thats ultimately where their demise came from.

You were making money because of ATA. Feeding ATA. Without ATA your loads would have been much, much lower. You would need to be in management to see what difference the load factors would have been with ATA cutting back service. Likely a losing cause.

So Airtran agreed to a code share. Does that mean that C8 was automatically a success? I don't know of any successful low cost airline having a code-share with a regional. I honestly don't think it can work. If it did, why doesn't Airtran have a partner in Atlanta? Why doesn't someone start one up and make 1 to 2 million a month? It sounds like a done deal. Its because it doesn't fit the model. Otherwise you would see the LC's have feeders.

I'm sorry your ATA friends are not getting hired at SWA. But I am told that almost every SWA class has ATA pilots in there. I don't blame SWA for being just as selective with the ATA pilots as anyone else. SWA didn't put ATA in bankruptcy. They didn't furlough their pilots. Why should they change their standards to hire some that just are not a fit?

No, I'm not smokin crack. But I can see why you got turned down by SWA. You really are not a fit. You would have been just as miserable over there as you are now. But thats OK. You are now where you really want to be. You said you hate PAX's. At SWA they are very customer orientated. You would have struggled with that.

So you want to let this horse die? Then let it die. But I feel sorry for your strong dislike of people.

 

[capt. megadeth]

Yeah. . . . wasn't Chicago Express a PFT outfit?

It was a long time ago, but not for the last 5 or so years.

TAZ,
The best thing that ever happened to me was being turned down by SWA. If I got hired there I would be on 3rd year pay, about 800 pilots below me and it would be really hard to leave that even for cargo. I am sure you can understand. Hence, it was truly a blessing in disguise (yeah yeah yeah, I know some of you are saying it was a blessing for SWA too.....whatever). There are some people that love dealing with people and some that don't. I don't like dealing with and kissing peoples a$$es. I am not fake, I call it as I see it and I don't go around being "politically correct". I know some people don't like that but I would rather some not like me than be fake like, unfortunately, a lot of people in this world. So anyways, you are right, I am not a good fit for SWA and they certainly saw that in the interview.....thank God.

 

[Dennis Miller]

I call it as I see it and I don't go around being "politically correct".

Did you, or have you ever, applied for or interviewed for the SWA Type Rating Scholarship for women? And are you, or have you ever, been part of the Women in Aviation group? If you answer yes to either I would find you far from "Politically Incorrect". You would be using “Political Correctness” to further yourself, therefore sustaining the very structure you claim to deride.

 

[miles otoole]

Did you, or have you ever, applied for or interviewed for the SWA Type Rating Scholarship for women? And are you, or have you ever, been part of the Women in Aviation group? If you answer yes to either I would find you far from "Politically Incorrect". You would be using “Political Correctness” to further yourself, therefore sustaining the very structure you claim to deride.

Hey, you're not supposed to have known that. I am sure they had the same, "I don't kiss people's A$$es" during the interview. "Now entering the spin zone." Good luck with telling some crusty 'ol CA at UPS that you are not there to kiss his A$$ when some will expect it. hehehe