Piedmonster

Don't hope. Working at PDT, when you do, it's bad for your health.

LostInPA

Warning: This post contains 100% speculation. Please do not believe anything posted below.

Regarding the PSA gets the 900's and gives PDT some of the CRJ-200's rumor, yeah, it's far-fetched. However, looking purely from a staffing perspective it's not a bad idea. If 36 new planes showed up on the PSA property quickly (which they'd have to, that's a ton of flying), getting people trained and online in a hurry would be difficult. If you give PDT say, 15 of the CRJ-200's, now you have spread out some of the staffing changes between the two companies fairly equally. PDT gains fewer aircraft, but introducing a new type is going to be interesting around here.

Since PDT is going to need a replacement for the older HA's pretty soon, backfill PDT with some of the 50-seat flying, recall our furloughs, and start getting people trained over to the jet. One could cross-train flight attendants on both types.

Pretty good fantasy tale, eh?

skyfreq21

As I said too, its rumor, but very intersesting and IMHO a pretty darn good business plan. And with talks of us closing EWN and CHO and opening CLT it makes even more sense.

Captjhan

I can appreciate the optimism, I really can. Working here pays the bills (Sort of) and it would suck to have to find another job if I hadn't done so already but the deal is done. There are no plans for Piedmont beyond the normal "Just keep providing excellent service to our cattle" blah blah blah. The fact is, we've lost 70% of our combined ALG PDT fleet and closed 7 domiciles and two maintenance bases in less than the ten years that I've spent here. The ONLY reason that we've survived this long is the fuel price spike which forced their hand and they renewed the leases for the -300's. The -100's that are going away in the next few years will bring PDT down to less than 30 craft and from there its a waiting game for the -300 leases to expire and a slow death. It's been a heck of a run kids but anyone looking for the silver bullet to solve their problems is just fooling themselves. Airways controls our future and they WILL NOT spend one dime on this old bird until they've run out of things to spend money on and that's that. It sucks I know, but at least we can see the train comming (or leaving) ahead of time which allows us to prepare. It could be worse, we could just show up and see chains on the doors.

skyfreq21

There's the negativity we all were waiting for.

meyers9163

PSA's 200's for PDT??? We can staff extra planes just as quickly as you could a CRJ200.... Also if a PSA plane went to PDT, it would also mean pilots per our contract.... But again it seems like your 200 rumors seem very unrealistic.

I could however see a PDT/PSA/AWAC merger.... Only if Mesa is indeed eliminated due to Chapter 7 and liquidation..... I think that might be more likely... And I'd be all for bringing those pilot groups together.... We would have one strong group of pilots IMHO if that were to happen.

Phuz

Airways would have to first purchase AWAC for that triple merger to happen. The capital might be there by the end of the year if Airways returns to profitability in Q2. You are correct about the strength of the pilot group in that scenario, which is probably all the more reason they wouldn't merge the groups.

We all have our ideas of how this will shake out. I think Airways really likes having fragmented regional labor groups - evidenced by the 8 different regionals flying for the country's smallest legacy airline.

skyfreq21

Thanks for bringing some positive back Phuz. Ultimately, I just want a situation where I get my job back.

dashtrash300

Saw on the Piedmont website today they are hiring Flight Attendants. Wonder if something is in the mix or if this is just people leaving. $18,000 a year on a hot Dash 8 can't be too appealing.

stoki

They make that much starting?

Thats more then some FOs..