If that is true then why aren't contract carriers flying Boeings & Airbuses to keep the labor costs under control?
US Airways Now Looking to Upgrade Piedmont
- Thread starter WSurf
- Start date
If that is true then why aren't contract carriers flying Boeings & Airbuses to keep the labor costs under control?
You raise a good point, but please note there are two seperate labor groups (America West and USAirways) flying USAirways marketed planes. Also note that each group is attempting seperate negotiations with management.
With the current fleet of DH8-200 set to completely cycle out by the end of 2011, Piedmont is looking to preferrably replace them with the DH8-400's. With ALPA in the mix and representing the PI pilot group as well as US EAST AND WEST, it will be interesting in seeing how ALPA works with Ultimately Airways in scope relief. Plan B if a scope relief agreement fails will be to go with a new fleet of ATR72 which would hold 64 customers.
SegmentKing
Veteran
Elevation and ALCARLOS...
I guess that's what I get for attempting to think outside the box, I'll go crawl back in.
I'm perfectly aware what has happened in the last few years and going on now. Unfortunately it's going to be these stupid, out-of-the-box ideas that actually will do something at this company. This industry, and company, is nothing buttle an constant battle of egos on who can win what a certain day. Take the egos out and things may get somewhere.
I would say if you don't want to have all internal companies handle the flying, then contract it out by hub/base/focus city. Great record and performance - you get to help fix PHL. Can't get a plane out with in an hour of schedule time...enjoying flying around Kansas.
The network as it is now is pretty good...just need to figure out how to get it all flowing well. Yes labor relations suck...fix it. You vote for your union people, so make sure you are putting people in there you believe in. The Express operation is one that needs to be rationalized. What American has taking place right now isn't too bad and I don't think Eagle has may issues operating.
I guess that's what I get for attempting to think outside the box, I'll go crawl back in.
I'm perfectly aware what has happened in the last few years and going on now. Unfortunately it's going to be these stupid, out-of-the-box ideas that actually will do something at this company. This industry, and company, is nothing buttle an constant battle of egos on who can win what a certain day. Take the egos out and things may get somewhere. I would say if you don't want to have all internal companies handle the flying, then contract it out by hub/base/focus city. Great record and performance - you get to help fix PHL. Can't get a plane out with in an hour of schedule time...enjoying flying around Kansas.
The network as it is now is pretty good...just need to figure out how to get it all flowing well. Yes labor relations suck...fix it. You vote for your union people, so make sure you are putting people in there you believe in. The Express operation is one that needs to be rationalized. What American has taking place right now isn't too bad and I don't think Eagle has may issues operating.
That was the point I was going to bring up. American is arguably one of the better managed of the big six and thier wholly owned American Eagle is one of the largest and labor costs are completely in-line with no 'contract competition'. You can't count American Connection as that is just former TWE flying limited to STL and unable to compete with Eagle.
For such a regionalized airline and for one that supposedly invented the idea of Express carriers, US Airways Express is the worst. A motley collection of carriers flying every which what fleet type and now even our planes outsourced to them. United Express is also dire, but the twisted web of crap that is US Airways Express is the poster boy for terrible outsourced cheap regional service. US is 'over-expressed' with too much, RJs where they shouldn't be, Express carriers flying large aircraft they shouldn't be, and too many carriers providing a wildly inconsistent and incompetent product.
Embraers should be at mainline. PDT and PSA should be merged into a single wholly owned flying thier existing CRJs and a bucketload of Q400s with a quality product. Horizon Air would be a wonderful model to emulate. They need to take a long look at both Horizon and American Eagle. If US should know anything, you would think it should be running a regional operation.
For such a regionalized airline and for one that supposedly invented the idea of Express carriers, US Airways Express is the worst. A motley collection of carriers flying every which what fleet type and now even our planes outsourced to them. United Express is also dire, but the twisted web of crap that is US Airways Express is the poster boy for terrible outsourced cheap regional service. US is 'over-expressed' with too much, RJs where they shouldn't be, Express carriers flying large aircraft they shouldn't be, and too many carriers providing a wildly inconsistent and incompetent product.
Embraers should be at mainline. PDT and PSA should be merged into a single wholly owned flying thier existing CRJs and a bucketload of Q400s with a quality product. Horizon Air would be a wonderful model to emulate. They need to take a long look at both Horizon and American Eagle. If US should know anything, you would think it should be running a regional operation.
US Airways Express will soon issue a
request for proposal for fleet renewal
for Piedmont Airlines, one of its two
wholly owned subsidiaries. Robert
Martens, new president of US Airways
Express, says the RFP will go to
Bombardier and ATR for a mix of new
50- and 70- seat turboprop aircraft
to replace its aging Dash 8 fleet.
For ATR, the mix would i n c l u d e
ATR42-500 and ATR72-500 aircraft;
f o r Bombardier, the mix would
include new Q300s and Q400s, he says.
“We’re still doing our internal work to
determine the total number of airplanes
we want and the mix,†Martens
explains. “Both Bombardier and ATR
know an RFP is coming and both have
indicated an interest in competing for
that business.†Piedmont, with one of
the oldest Dash 8 fleets, currently operates
44 Dash 8-100/-200s and 11 Dash
8-300s.
http://www.raa.org/client_files/Regional_H...s_May_18_07.pdf
request for proposal for fleet renewal
for Piedmont Airlines, one of its two
wholly owned subsidiaries. Robert
Martens, new president of US Airways
Express, says the RFP will go to
Bombardier and ATR for a mix of new
50- and 70- seat turboprop aircraft
to replace its aging Dash 8 fleet.
For ATR, the mix would i n c l u d e
ATR42-500 and ATR72-500 aircraft;
f o r Bombardier, the mix would
include new Q300s and Q400s, he says.
“We’re still doing our internal work to
determine the total number of airplanes
we want and the mix,†Martens
explains. “Both Bombardier and ATR
know an RFP is coming and both have
indicated an interest in competing for
that business.†Piedmont, with one of
the oldest Dash 8 fleets, currently operates
44 Dash 8-100/-200s and 11 Dash
8-300s.
http://www.raa.org/client_files/Regional_H...s_May_18_07.pdf
PineyBob,
I like the idea, but I question just how many FC seats would be sold on these short routes given that most of them will be in the 200-300 mile range. As for the RJs and most definitely the E170/175, I think US needs to have a small FC cabin to remain competitive, as other carriers are all installing FC seats on their larger RJs.
Here is an article that somewhat sums up what you've been saying:
New Jets Smooth Bumps on Regional Routes
A320 Driver
Veteran
I have a stupid question. Why would you want a mixed fleet at Piedmont? Can't they find one aircraft that will fill the mission and buy/operate it. A mixed fleet would add a lot of extra operating costs, wouldn't it?
A320 Driver B)
A320 Driver B)
Elevation
Veteran
- Oct 21, 2002
- 869
- 32
Elevation and ALCARLOS...
I guess that's what I get for attempting to think outside the box, I'll go crawl back in.
I would say if you don't want to have all internal companies handle the flying, then contract it out by hub/base/focus city. Great record and performance - you get to help fix PHL. Can't get a plane out with in an hour of schedule time...enjoying flying around Kansas.
The network as it is now is pretty good...just need to figure out how to get it all flowing well. Yes labor relations suck...fix it. You vote for your union people, so make sure you are putting people in there you believe in. The Express operation is one that needs to be rationalized. What American has taking place right now isn't too bad and I don't think Eagle has may issues operating.
Hey I agree with you but the "out of the box thinking" the numbers still have to add up at the end of the quarter. These ideas have all been tried and almost all have failed.
I think when they say "mixed", they mean 50 & 70 seat aircraft from the same manufacturer. If it is the same type of aircraft, from the same manufacturer, they would have the same basic costs. There would be "some" additional costs, but if they "mix" the fleet properly, and deploy them properly there wouldn't be "a lot" of extra costs. Parts would be pretty much interchangable,and the pilots would be able to fly either a/c with no additional training costs associated. One additional cost would be an extra flight attendant on the larger aircraft. Another cost would be pay differential on the different size aircraft, but that would probably be minimal.
Of course, they "should" just get the larger aircraft, preferrably the Dash8 Q400 and just bite the bullet on the extra cost (aircraft cost & xtra flt. att.). I think that it would pay off in the end. People love the plane and if they provide reliable, quiet service the planes would be full, offsetting the cost. Of course, that would take some "outside the box", proactive thinking on managements' part. Good luck on that front!
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