⌐ AV8OR WANNABE

Fatboy, I'm glad you asked. I thought they were talking about COLA - as in Cost Of Living Adjustment and couldn't understand why this was a bad thing in this economy...

757Driver

Don't get me started on that.

I had no idea that roughly thousands of people could suffer from this malady at the same time but talk to some of my cohorts and you'll see that its an epidemic at CAL.

scrapdog

We should believe you because you non-rev a lot? GMAFB. Do you even work at CAL? I non-rev a lot myself on AA, DAL, and UAL and there have been empty flights as well...but obviously I have no idea on the bigger pix because I don't work for the respective companies.

For my Feb and Mar flying so far on the 737 (at CAL) our flights have had from about 10 seats open max to oversold with 2 j/s's in the cockpit. Far from bookings being down. Any more expert analysis?

Eric Stratton

your load factor may be high but have you cut capacity to keep it high?

EWRflyr

Continental Airlines Feb. traffic falls 13.2 pct
Tuesday March 3, 11:40 am ET
Continental Airlines traffic falls in February faster than the airline could eliminate seats


HOUSTON (AP) -- Continental Airlines Inc. said traffic in February fell more than 13 percent, even faster than the airline could cut capacity.

The Houston-based airline said Monday that miles flown by paying passengers dropped 13.2 percent to 5.88 billion miles from 6.77 billion a year earlier. Excluding regional operations, revenue passenger miles on Continental's flagship brand fell to 5.24 billion miles from 6.03 billion a year ago.


Capacity decreased 8.9 percent to 8.11 billion available seat miles, and excluding regional subsidiaries Continental's capacity dropped even more, by 9.4 percent, to 7.19 billion available seat miles.

Load factor, or occupancy, slid to 72.5 percent from 76 percent in February 2008. Excluding regional service, Continental's occupancy dipped to 72.9 percent from 76 percent a year ago. Occupancy rose 0.1 percent on Pacific routes but fell everywhere else.


Airlines reduced capacity in the second half of last year, first to deal with high fuel costs, then a downturn in travel caused by the recession. Aggressive fare sales suggest that the carriers are worried demand will remain weak into the peak summer season.


Continental estimated that its passenger revenue per available seat mile, a closely watched measure of financial performance, fell between 9.5 percent and 10.5 percent on Continental alone, and between 11.5 percent and 12.5 percent including flying by regional subsidiaries.


Continental said on-time performance improved to 77.7 percent from 70.2 percent a year ago, and fewer flights were canceled, just 0.5 percent compared with 1.4 percent a year ago.


Shares of Continental shed $1.26, or 13.1 percent, to $8.34 in late-morning trading.

flybynuts

According to CCS, the COLA is un-deleted and back on the pilot bulletin list? Anybody know what is going on or take your best guess?

LifeNtheFstLne

It's for 6 pilots. Yeah, I know

jaybe90

This just posted...

Continental Airlines sees weak business travel
Tuesday March 10, 12:41 pm ET
By David Koenig, AP Airlines Writer Continental Airlines says business travel is falling off, plans more capacity cuts

DALLAS (AP) -- Continental Airlines Inc. says business travel seems to be falling off faster than leisure travel as companies cut travel budgets, and the carrier is cutting 2009 capacity more sharply.
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Shares of Continental rose $1.28, or 19.88 percent, to $7.52 in midday trading, lifted by a rally in the broader stock market and news that Delta will cut international capacity this fall.
Continental said Tuesday that it expects to reduce 2009 capacity between 4 and 5 percent, compared with an earlier plan for a reduction of 3.5 to 4.5 percent.
Last week, Houston-based Continental reported that traffic in February fell more than 13 percent.
On Tuesday, Continental President Jeffery Smisek said at an investor conference in New York that traffic across the Atlantic in particular has weakened and the company is cutting capacity on those routes by 6 to 7 percent -- more than the 4.7 percent shrinkage in February.
Smisek also said that the type of last-minute bookings favored by business travelers are slowing. Those tickets are usually higher priced. He said leisure bookings were holding up better.
Airline stocks rallied Tuesday, boosted by a rebound in the broader market and by news that Delta, the world's largest airline operator, will cut international capacity by another 10 percent in September after the peak summer travel season.
UBS analyst Kevin Crissey had said Monday that additional capacity cuts could boost the shares of airlines, which haven't had much to celebrate lately -- some airline stocks had fallen by more than half this year.

Not a huge additional cut. But when you are hoping for recalls any additional cut stinks!

flybynuts

Anbody hear about the possible 300 captains wanting to leave due to the A-fund and the lump sum going away?

LifeNtheFstLne

No, but that would make sense with the shortfall. Why anyone in that position would've stuck around after the ERW's were offered is beyond me. Like the 170 brief said, now we've got a divided group of the haves and have nots (A-Plan recipients versus us poor bastards at the bottom working on a B-scale). Either way, this will be a wild ride!