Bombardier Stev

With so many airlines having flow throughs to American and United, who else can handle a bunch more airplanes?

Envoy, PSA, Air Wisconsin, Expressjet will all have a hard time flying their own planes because they will be losing pilots at a fast rate from flow through or just regular hiring by the majors.

Trans States, Compass, and Gojet can't expand like that. Anyone there who is qualified to be a captain is a captain.

Skywest has 900 plus guys who could be captains but who choose not to be right now.

Nobody else is going to take these planes.

You don't need to take a payout to get them. Everyone else is going to be getting raises of 10% per year for the next 5 years.

Skywest has no competition for new flying of any large amount.

ncsean

DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS GUY!

He is a company shill. A Rat. Just look at his post history.

1) "Growth" is a nebulous promise with absolutely no details or promises. We have growth now and have to work 95 hours a month.

2)Flying 7/9 is not a raise. You are being paid the current rate for the plane. Which is low. And guess what, you get a couple deadheads on an all 900 trip and you just got a "Pay Cut"

Once again look at people's histroy and don't listen to company stooges.

Bombardier Stev

Limiting Factor has become Captains.

Recently we have had a change in the limiting factor for an airline to grow. It was just getting any pilot in the door to go to the bottom of the seniority list.

There had been thousands of FOs who from 2007 to 2014 had been sitting in the right seat with little movement up. Each had the 1000 part 121 time to become a captain.

When people started going to the majors and leaving the regionals these pilots who had been sitting started to move up. As long as the new guys came in at the bottom the airlines could expand. But now these guys are all captains. At almost every airline, if you qualify as a captain you can be a captain.

Suppose Trans States or Gojet was to get the contract. Who would they get to fly the planes? They would have to hire both Captains and FOs to fly them. Does amcnd believe that Gojet could find 600 captains and 600 FOs willing to work for less pay?

What about Republic? They might have some guys ready to upgrade. But wait, holy pay scale Batman, their current contract pay is already $3 per hour more than what Skywest is telling the pilots is all they can give them.

You can do much better.

bocran

Take it however you'd like.

daOldMan

What an ignorant post.

You are saying that SkyWest is better than Envoy, PSA, Air Wisconsin, Expressjet because too many of their pilots are going to majors!!! The goal of a regional airline pilot should be to get out of the regionals. You are saying that SkyWest pilots are not going to the majors, and that makes SkyWest better. Ha. I would rather for fly Delta, United, or AA than SkyWest. Wouldn't you?

Also, if you have 900 pilots that could upgrade but won't, then you have serious problems at your airline. If someone would rather be an FO because their QOL as a captain would be that bad, then you have a pretty bad situation. I'm guessing senior "lifer" captains that refuse to leave small bases that the current FOs want to be in. Stagnation is a bad thing.

Regional airlines should not want growth of new airplanes. New airplanes should be put at the majors. Additional regional airplanes do nothing but hurt pilots.

All flying for mainline should be done by a mainline pilot on a mainline plane getting mainline pay.

word302

Your reading comprehension is terrible. He didn't say we were "better" than anyone. He said we were the only airline that could handle significant growth. 900 FOs bypassing upgrade at a 4300 pilot airline doesn't say anything except some people value QOL over pay. I'm one of them.

N1234

True. But your rationale - which may make perfect sense for your situation - also sums up the essence of the current proposal.

It was created by senior folks for senior folks. If you are a senior captain the only thing you care about is more cash because you already have good quality of life. And guess what, there is a serious bump for long time folks on the 401(k).

Maybe the promised growth will improve slightly for you when you sit on the cusp. But the current proposal totally ignores the QoL struggles of the majority of the pilot group.

I am pretty sure the growth will come regardless. If anything we may ditch some 200 EAS / at risk routes to free up crews for new 900 trips - assuming they are more profitable....

amcnd

To each there own.. i have always been polite, never mocked, harassed anyone.. im not management. But im happy here. (Haven't always been) But I know reality and whats fair.. enough calling me names.. This was the same threatening things during the last alpa drive.. im over it.. but whatever it only discredits you..

Bombardier Stev

I did not say anything similar to your interpretation, and my statements were not even on the same topic as you are upset about.

What I said is that Skywest pilots do not need to take the proposed pay cuts (after inflation anyway) in a time when regional pilot salaries should be skyrocketing.

Skywest is telling their pilots that if you take this deal they will grow by 100 to 120 airplanes. Skywest has about 900 pilots who have at least the 1000 121 time where they could hold captain. Many don't want to commute so they are happy waiting a while. What I am saying is to reject the deal and they will do much better.

Nowhere did I say that Skywest pilots are better than the pilots at the carriers with the flows, but those airlines have the added burden of manning their planes when they have guys leaving to go to the majors and guys leaving through the flow.

tcco94

People need to hop off this dude.

We all vote for what best interests us. Already flown with Capts who are voting yes. To each their own. We all selfish when it comes to a contract, voting based on what best interests us. Just give it up.

Anytime someone says something against the grain here they get absolutely drilled. It's a effing joke.