Would You Go to Midwest Airlines? MidEx

[XLR8]

Just curious what other peoples opinions were on MidEx. Odds are if you are getting hired there you are probably a captain at a regional somewhere, or in corporate.

Would you leave a senior position at a regional or a stable position flying corporate to go to MidEx?

 

[Bobby Orr 4]

yes...

 

[DisrespectedJ32]

.....

 

[banned username 2]

Just curious what other peoples opinions were on MidEx. Odds are if you are getting hired there you are probably a captain at a regional somewhere, or in corporate.

Would you leave a senior position at a regional or a stable position flying corporate to go to MidEx?

For what it's worth...

We have a guy working for us who bypassed recall a couple times and finally had to resign his seniority at MidEX (they wouldn't let him bypass any longer)... If he was to return today, he would have nearly 5 years seniority there... He said working there was "fun", but he certainly wasn't going to risk going back...

 

[SeaLord]

Also might not hurt if you stop calling their wholly owned subsidiary the wrong name. It's Skyway.

 

[eprops]

no....................they have not made a dime in 5 years. Why leave a "stable" job for that?

 

[eprops]

Gaylord,

Connect is what it is (actually it's a dba x's2). If Midwest would realize that the pax have no idea what Skyway is but do know what connect is they would be better off from a marketing perspective.

 

[SeaLord]

Peeprops, thanks for pointing out the obvious. Skyway is just the business name, and you won't find it on any ticket, or even the website. Nice to know you've got a sense of humor.

 

[FurloughedAgain]

It's funny how this industry works.

In 1998 you wouldn't believe how many people berated me for my decision to go to AirTran. If I had returned after the furlough, look how senior i'd be there today.

In 2000/2001 look how many people took a leap of faith on a little airline called "Jetblue" that was starting from scratch.

How about the folks who went to work for Morris Air (and who today are very senior at Southwest?)

How about the people who took a chance on a man named Fred Smith and his old Falcons flying air-freight. (FedEx)

The fact is YOU DONT KNOW what the future will bring. You're going to have to make the right decision FOR YOU... and hope for the best.

Go with your gut and good luck!

 

[73-Driver]

XLR8,


FurloughedAgain about summed it up perfectly. The only thing I would say is don't jump unless you allready have at the very least a thousand hours PIC.

Good Luck!

 

[XLR8]

Got 1000+ PIC (of the turbine type), going there would mean commuting, less money (for a year), insecurity, etc. Tough decision but better than lots of other things!

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

What market does MidEx dominate? How are they going to grow and/or compete against others? How do their cost and revenue (and trends in these items) compare to others?

If I was corporate right now I wouldn't leave until fuel prices top out. Until ticket prices go up, and the likely decrease in passengers occurs, the race to the bottom will continue.

 

[Chuck Yogourt]

no....................they have not made a dime in 5 years. Why leave a "stable" job for that?

Is that why they have recieved 25 b717's?

 

[Ty Webb]

Is that why they have recieved 25 b717's?

Uh, Chuckles, you're probably too young to remember this, but ask your Dad . . . about a company called "TWA" that had a bunch of 717's . . . . those are now in the AirTran fleet. There was also an airline called "Hawaiian" that received a bunch of 717's, too. Some of those are in our fleet now as a result of their bankruptcy.

Taking delivery of some airplanes is not the same as financial success.

 

[crashpad]

Why else are Midex pilots salivating over the Airtran merger rumor?

 

[magneticmd80]

Uh, Crashpad;

As a current Midex pilot, I have not talked to one pilot that is in any way hoping for a merger with Airtran. Believe me, the rumor certainly is circulating, but I have yet to hear of anyone wanting it! Nice try.

 

[Ty Webb]

Beats the street . . . which unless they change their whole business plan, looks pretty likely.

I haven't heard too many AirTran guys that want anything to do with Midex, either. The usual response I hear is "What do they have we would want?".

Basically, it's just some savings in duplicate operations- gates, tugs, CSA's, rez, etc. and a handful of 717's. . . . in other words, worth more in parts than in whole.

 

[Yank McCobb]

As a current Midex pilot, I have not talked to one pilot that is in any way hoping for a merger with Airtran.

I doubt there will be any "merger". It will be Airtran coming in and picking out what they might want from the remnants.

 

[73-Driver]

I doubt there will be any "merger". It will be Airtran coming in and picking out what they might want from the remnants.

That's right, you guys can come and pick up the remnants just like you were suppose to do with ATA airlines in MDW.

 

[magneticmd80]

I may be wrong, but it sure seems that Airtran has some pilots on this board that cannot accept anyone that doesn't fly for them. The responses to my post sure seemed that they are very self conscious. I didn't say Airtran is not a good airline, I simply said that I haven't heard anyone that is in favor of an airline merger right now. Lighten up Airtranians.

 

[Ty Webb]

That's right, you guys can come and pick up the remnants just like you were suppose to do with ATA airlines in MDW.

I have a feeling that before it's over, the ATA guys will certainly have wished that our management had picked up the remnants instead of SWA . . . . I'd be willing to bet that since SWA made the big play for ATA assets, we have hired more ATA guys than SWA has, even though SWA was supposedly the "savior" and we were the "vultures".

Any real ATA guys care to comment on the hiring situation for ATA guys at FL and LUV?

 

[Chuck Yogourt]

I may be wrong, but it sure seems that Airtran has some pilots on this board that cannot accept anyone that doesn't fly for them. The responses to my post sure seemed that they are very self conscious. I didn't say Airtran is not a good airline, I simply said that I haven't heard anyone that is in favor of an airline merger right now. Lighten up Airtranians.

You are very right on this one. Ty (I am bitter because I was turned down by Midwest ) Webb is the most critical. The clown sounds like a 15 year old. Glad we turned him down. Most of the Air Tran guys I have dealt with in person are class acts. As for wanting to work for them, NO THANKS.

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

I have a feeling that before it's over, the ATA guys will certainly have wished that our management had picked up the remnants instead of SWA . . . . I'd be willing to bet that since SWA made the big play for ATA assets, we have hired more ATA guys than SWA has, even though SWA was supposedly the "savior" and we were the "vultures".

Any real ATA guys care to comment on the hiring situation for ATA guys at FL and LUV?

Explain how Airtran's offer would be helping ATA more than the SWA/ATA codeshare right now. I think SWA's deal gave ATA more cash.

Airtran would be taking over the gates a couple at a time instead of sucking them up as quickly as SWA did. Didn't Airtran want more than 6 gates??? Did Airtran even propose a codeshare??

Are you trying to tell me fewer ATA folks would be on the street right now? How bout when Airtran had taken all their gates? The pain would have been spread out but would have been the same or worse than SWA's deal. Neither deal is very "good" for ATA. But ATA is on life support and only time will tell how they recover.

 

[73-Driver]

I have a feeling that before it's over, the ATA guys will certainly have wished that our management had picked up the remnants instead of SWA . . . . I'd be willing to bet that since SWA made the big play for ATA assets, we have hired more ATA guys than SWA has, even though SWA was supposedly the "savior" and we were the "vultures".

Any real ATA guys care to comment on the hiring situation for ATA guys at FL and LUV?

I don't know how much more real it can get for me TY. I was furloughed from ATA in April and still wouldn't wish for a merger with Airtran. It was a bad deal!

 

[pilotmyf]

Gaylord,

Connect is what it is (actually it's a dba x's2). If Midwest would realize that the pax have no idea what Skyway is but do know what connect is they would be better off from a marketing perspective.

How many regionals are actually marketed as their business name besides eagle??-

 

[pilotmyf]

That's right, you guys can come and pick up the remnants just like you were suppose to do with ATA airlines in MDW.

OUCH!!!

 

[Ty Webb]

Explain how Airtran's offer would be helping ATA more than the SWA/ATA codeshare right now. I think SWA's deal gave ATA more cash.

Without re-hashing the whole deal (do a search, it's all been discussed before) I think it's pretty apparent that SWA didn't necessarily want ATA, they just wanted to block AirTran from ramping up in MDW in such a huge way. In the long term, I think ATA will cease to exist, or will simply be a charter operator.

I see a lot of ATA guys getting interviewed and hired at AirTran. I hear from friends at SWA that they are not hiring many, hence my post.

 

[Ty Webb]

You are very right on this one. Ty (I am bitter because I was turned down by Midwest ) Webb is the most critical. The clown sounds like a 15 year old. Glad we turned him down. Most of the Air Tran guys I have dealt with in person are class acts. As for wanting to work for them, NO THANKS.

Actually, Chuckles, out of my group of seven, no one got an offer, and I I believe they stopped hiring altogether after I interviewed, so who knows? Don't worry, though, soon you'll be able to start listing the airlines who will have recently turned you down.

I love hearing the Midex guys beating on their chest and proclaiming how they wouldn't want to work for AirTran . . . . let's see, more pay, better work rules, better equipment, better retirement contribution, and we are negotiating our next contract (which will have more pay, benefits and improve some QOL issues).

I would love to have a list of you guys who "don't want to work for AirTran". That way, we can keep you honest later.

 

[Chuck Yogourt]

Actually, Chuckles, out of my group of seven, no one got an offer, and I I believe they stopped hiring altogether after I interviewed, so who knows? Don't worry, though, soon you'll be able to start listing the airlines who will have recently turned you down.

I love hearing the Midex guys beating on their chest and proclaiming how they wouldn't want to work for AirTran . . . . let's see, more pay, better work rules, better equipment, better retirement contribution, and we are negotiating our next contract (which will have more pay, benefits and improve some QOL issues).

I would love to have a list of you guys who "don't want to work for AirTran". That way, we can keep you honest later.

I love to listen to you experts who don't work at my company tell me how bad my contract is and how good ours is and bla bla bla. Why do all you non ALPA people try to gloat about your little in house deals? Guess what gay boy, a lot of your contract was based on OURS. Your rates about like ours. Your company is making money, good for you, but your company is in big time debt. That's right. You can make all the money you want but you still have to pay the bank back. Midwest is not going anywhere. We are 21 years old, and just about where we want to be. You need to get over the fact that your company is still a place where a lot of pilots, including myself, do not want to work for. Remember who your company once was named. I do. NO THANKS.

 

[Ty Webb]

This is too good to pass up.

Chuckie, you're not a Midex Capt. That's pretty obvious. So who are you? My guess is that you are a Midex employee's kid. You are not doing anyone any favors at Midex on this website, that is for sure. Give it a rest.

A real Midex Capt would know that our contract goes back to 2001. Midex pay scales were the ones that were recently revised, not ours, and their contract is available for anyone to read. We are negotiating our next pay scales, which will be going up. As for Midex's, that seems unlikely.

A real Midex Capt. would (hopefully) be able to at least read a balance sheet . . . . which would tell you that AirTran and Midex have almost the exact same asset/liability ratio. Further, a real Midex Capt would know that AirTran is putting up buildings (our new MX hangar, and the new training center) while Midex has had to sell their corporate HQ to raise money. A real Midex Capt. would know that AirTran has $367 million in cash . . . .enough to pay off all of our debt, if we weren't holding a "war chest".

And, before I sign off, Chuckles, a real Midex Capt wouldn't be stupid enough to say:

Remember who your company once was named

because he would know that his company used to be named for a toilet paper manufacturer named "Kimberly Clark".

Back to school, fool.