forgot to bid

February 10, 2010

British Airways’ all business class subsidiary OpenSkies will start service between Paris-Orly Airport and Washington-Dulles Airport in May.

Washington will be the second U.S. city served by Open Skies since it began service between Paris and Newark-Liberty Airport last summer.

The airline will use a Boeing 757 aircraft with 72 business class flat-bed seats for the service. The Paris-Washington flight will operate five times per week, and British Air says it will increase the frequency in the coming months.

acl65pilot

Not sure that will happen. There appear to be a few clauses in the new language that will allow business to remain as usual. It will kill the little flight schools but allow places like ERAU, UND and Auburn to still churn out pilots and get them to the regionals without an ATP. See below brief:

http://www.faa.gov/regulations_polic...0-02643_PI.pdf

acl65pilot

FtB;
The issue is we want the slots in NYC and want the access to Lain America.

I am sure we could acquire Spirit, then we have the slots in NYC, DCA and Latin America. It would probably cheaper than all of the other options we have right now.

I guess we could give the DOT what they want then buy Spirit, but then they would probably want us to give up all of those slots too.

The message they are sending is clear. Delta you are too big, and we want SWA and Jet Blue to kick your six. If they want to give them slots, that is fine, but do it the correct way, not like this. It is dirty. That is why I do not see our boys playing ball. It seems like a calculated risk on the DOT's part. They are assuming that this deal is too important for DAL or LCC to walk away from. Ego, we will take it in the teeth. They are opportunists too. Time to call someone's bluff.

TOGA LK

SWA kicks tail. Profitable, and no regional jets. Hmmm.... Sometimes old school wins.

acl65pilot

Old School SWA is rationalizing their business plan on the go.

I agree that Regional jets are a fad past their prime. Large Regional jets are the future. With Slot issues like this, you need more seats with less frequency. The "Majors" are adjusting, but need to do it a lot quicker than they are.

Time to make most domestic flying mainline type flying. Large Gauge is the way to go.

ratsnrip

[quote=acl65pilot;761469]Not sure that will happen. There appear to be a few clauses in the new language that will allow business to remain as usual. It will kill the little flight schools but allow places like ERAU, UND and Auburn to still churn out pilots and get them to the regionals without an ATP.

I had nearly forgotten about this. Don't really understand what it was about, not wanting to start a flame war regarding universities... but

Had the momma ask me how bad this was going to be for her son, an Auburn grad from their aviation program. Supposedly he got a certified letter from the FAA saying some part of the program at Auburn in '08 was no longer valid. She thinks he will have to retake that part or he was offered the opportunity to "test out of it" with some kind of FAA test.

I had no idea what to tell her, I suggested he ask Auburn for a refund and then changed the subject. The only other information I have is that he is trying to get on with a regional as a pilot. Anybody here know what this Auburn thing is about?

Bucking Bar

The show painted with a very broad brush. Some regionals are a lot better than others. ASA, IMHO had an outstanding training department. Their record has been outstanding too. The only losses of life the airline has ever sustained was the result of massive mechanical failures which rendered the airplane incapable of remaining airborne. Even then, by all accounts the crew performed admirably.

Also, the mainline operations are not the model of perfection which would make much of a contrast with the regional world. Southwest's corner cutting is legendary and it sounds like American in about to get a lot of press they do not want.

Hey, everyone can't be Delta ( I keed, I keed, but it is pretty good here compared to other places I've flown )

Superpilot92

BINGO!! We cant be the nations #1 carrier with the best product when we have the most regional jets in the industry. MGMT needs to come forward with a plan to replace our regional jet domestic feed with a mainline jet of choice. They need to realize that people hate regional jets and with the recent scrutiny of of the regional providers now would be the perfect time to adjust the business plan.

Superpilot92

same goes for ExpressJet

acl65pilot

I agree for the most part Bar;

ASA, OH, SKW, Mesaba, Pinnacle, Piedmont, etc are established regionals with very good training programs. Heck I would even submit that Freedom, and Mesa have good training as I know a few of their APD's. Training is very important, but what IMHO is more important is the quality of the candidate coming to the interview.
We have a major problem in this industry,that no one wants to see. Majors have cut pay and bennies to the point that a smart kid will look at and say, "Heck for 150K a year in 20 years I can go be a dentist, a Anesthesiologist Tech, a Doctor, Lawyer, business man, government servant etc." Why would anyone in their right mind sign up for 15K a year for three to five years, then 50-70K a year for another five, then 30K at a major to get to senior FO when they are 40 making 100K and if they are lucky by the time they are 45-50 make 140K + ?
With all of the pitfalls and risks in this industry bight ppl are bright enough to avoid it. Add to it the banks do not want to lend money to students that want to join aviation. They are a bad debt risk.

The problem really is top down and bottom up. Give a bigger bone to shoot for you may be able to snooker some qualified pilots in to the pipe line. Up regional pay, everywhere and you will not see crazy stupid cross country commutes, horrible crash pads etc. Give pilots decent money so that they have a little expendable cash.

Problem is we are making a market wage in an industry that is not truly open to competition, and not regulated to the point that profits can be made across the board. The LGA slot swap is a great example. Airlines are trying to find new ways to make money. Not necessarily to pay pilot better, but to quit losing their shirts. If we can start to make money the QOL of the employees better come back as well.

The government is as much or more to blame than the airlines. Airline managers are ruthless and will pay exactly what gets ppl to arrive at the doorstep, but the government needs to either open it up completely( no slots etc) or regulate the entrants and everything else so that what they deem a national asset can perform as such. Not a half working broken system that by the grace of god does not kill more people that it does.

IMO without a major change the next generation will not be of the caliber of pilot that I want driving my family around. We have about four years to turn the ship.

Rant over!