Embraer 170- looks good!

[MarkMyWords]

LightYears -

It is so nice to hear someone excited about the new airplanes that are coming. Best of luck to you with your endeavors with MidAtlantic and US.

 

[Light Years]

For anyone who hasnt seen it yet, great link with virtual tour and still photos

http://www.gecas.com/tour_embraer170.asp#

This plane looks great- aside from other issues (pay) the plane brings up, I dont think anyone can deny that this will be the perfect aircraft for a great many of our markets. It definatly beats the Canadiar 70 seater that Mesa will unfortunatly be flying as US.
I'm assuming US will not have ovens in the gallies (but hopefully coffeemakers), and I'm also hoping there will be a third jumpseat on that empty wall by 2R for the sake of commuters (if so, I wonder will regular mainline F/As be able to occupy it or just MidAtlantic-mainliners?)

As a furloughed F/A I'm excited to work this plane, especially with those who go to MidAtlantic. All of the F/as will be under four years seniority, and those who CHOOSE to come back will be the ones who truly care about our passengers, our brand, and our airline and want it to suceed. Any other furloughees on here, I'm wondering what your thoughts are and how many are interested in MAA... I'm thinking about 50% of eligible furloughees will accept the job.

 

[USA320Pilot]

Light Years:

I believe MAA and the EMB-170/175 will be the only true challenge to the low cost carrier competitor business model (although Delta's Song will be a better product than MetroJet, Delta Express, or Shuttle by United).

By September 2006, the US Airways Mainline fleet will consist of 279 A330, B767/757, A321/320/319, and B737-300/400 aircraft, plus MAA's 85 EMB-170/175s, for a total mainline type jet capacity of 364 aircraft. Then in 2007 through 2009 US Airways is scheduled to take delivery's of more A330s, A321s, and A320s.

MAA will consist of 23% of the total mainline type airframes by the fall of 2006, the division will have a competitive cost structure, and a break even load factor of about 50%, according to Bruce Ashby, senior vice president of corporate planning and express. By comparison, JetBlue chief executive officer David Neeleman said their new EMB-190 aircraft will have a break even load factor of 60%.

Best regards,

Chip

 

[USAirBoyA330]

Only MDA F/A's will be allowed to occupy a jumpseat since they will be the only ones trained on the aircraft.
Recall will be most interesting. With 1,400 F/A's due off Vol. Furlough in DEC those furloughed will be transferred to MDA. It's going to be a confusing mess but, hope it all works out.

 

[Cosmo]

----------------
On 8/6/2003 2:05:10 PM Chip Munn wrote:

Then in 2007 through 2009 US Airways is scheduled to take delivery's of more A330s, A321s, and A320s.
----------------​

Will these aircraft be additions to the Airbus/Boeing mainline fleet total of 279 aircraft, or will they be replacements (or perhaps a little of both)?

 

[LavMan]

Chip, MDA, not MAA planes will not be part of mainline fleet count, as all the union/us airways contract state.

 

[Light Years]

I would think those Airbuses will be replacements, especially the A330-200s (15) for the 12 or so 767s, and the the narrowdodies (3Osomething) for the 757 fleet (20something). This would eliminate two fleet types and one pilot type.
Any more news on that rumour of acquiring Airbuses from Swiss? Interestingly, its about the same amount of 320/330 aircraft we have on order and the above scenario could take place sooner. I'm sure it would be cost competitive to eliminate the two aging fleet types and offer a standard product for international and long-haul.

 

[airlineorphan]

----------------
On 8/6/2003 1232 PM Light Years wrote:

<snip>
As a furloughed F/A I'm excited to work this plane, especially with those who go to MidAtlantic. All of the F/as will be under four years seniority, and those who CHOOSE to come back will be the ones who truly care about our passengers, our brand, and our airline and want it to suceed. Any other furloughees on here, I'm wondering what your thoughts are and how many are interested in MAA... I'm thinking about 50% of eligible furloughees will accept the job.


----------------
​

Hi Lightyear,
I appreciate and share your enthusiasm for returning to work, however I encourage you to reconsider the way you have formulated this: "those who CHOOSE to come back will be the ones who truly care about our passengers, our brand, and our airline and want it to suceed."
The fact is that many of us who really do care about the passengers will simply not be able to afford the wages. The most recent wave of furloughees will come in at about $16/hr (on a 72 hr monthly guarantee) and the earlier waves of furloughees will come in at $12.something/hr and a little over $13/hr.
And given the prospect of yo-yo furlough/recall experience, I'm sure that quite a few high quality f/a's will pass on this opportunity.
Combine this with either moving to PIT with such uncertainty and low wages or commuting amidst a sea of senior commuters competing for dwindling available seats, and it's a pretty dodgy situation to jump into.
I, personally, will have a difficult choice to make. And I like to think that I was a heckuva good f/a who cared a great deal about our passengers just like many others who are going to have a difficult time choosing.
In solidarity,
Airlineorphan

 

[Light Years]

Airlineorphan-
I hear ya- all I was saying was this will weed out some of the real negative nancys we've all flown with and keep us seperate from the seniors (not that theyre all bad) Its definatly a big descision for all us, in my post I was referring more to the actual aircraft and product (I've bitched about the "express"ing of US to death on this board). Best of luck in whatever descision you make, the fact that you are even considering MDA, PIT, pay and all, shows a committed employee to me, and if your not an asset to US you will be to another company.
In solidarity,
Light Years

 

[PITbull]

They sure are sharp looking planes, but I am having a hard time getting excited over "substandard" wages and an existance for many to share apartments with multiple folks, and difficulty sustaining finances that were acquired from "mainline" wages. Even those estimated 50% light years referes to who accept the job initially, may not stay. Not because they don't like the work, but because they will find it difficult to sustain themselves. American Eagle contract is one of the worst in the Industry according to AFA.
We will have to organize and be prepared for 2009 negotiations. Which I suspect will be firece if the company is profiting.

The airline professions are great and exciting for sure, that's why many folks do it. However, with the prospects of non-livable wage, the turnover will be like a revolving door, just as it is in the wholly owns...42% turnover and that is a fact.

 

[wings396]

Yea they look great. From the unemployment line that is. All these RJ's symbolize to me is lost jobs and poverty wages. With these dandy 75 seaters flying all around the system, most of the stations will be Expressed in the near future. Face it, we will be working F-28's, F-100's and DC-9's for $13 an hour. I guess our knowledge and skills are not very important since we are working smaller A/C now.

 

[airlineorphan]

----------------
On 8/6/2003 7:30:12 PM Light Years wrote:

Airlineorphan-
I hear ya- all I was saying was this will weed out some of the real negative nancys we've all flown with and keep us seperate from the seniors (not that theyre all bad) Its definatly a big descision for all us, in my post I was referring more to the actual aircraft and product (I've bitched about the "express"ing of US to death on this board). Best of luck in whatever descision you make, the fact that you are even considering MDA, PIT, pay and all, shows a committed employee to me, and if your not an asset to US you will be to another company.
In solidarity,
Light Years



----------------​

Hey there Light Years,
Thanks for the comments. I have to say that this junior f/a loved flying with the senior mamas and poppas! I figured, as a wet-behind-the-ears newbie, I could learn a lot and it would do me well to respect my elders (even when they were younger than me!)
Diogenes has a point. Divide and conquer is mother's milk to management, and one only has to take a look and the way the TWA folks got shafted over at American to know how much damage it can do when we snipe at each other in front of management. Anyway, one of the things I have liked best about US Airways has been that there are such a range of age and experience in the workplace. Always cool to try to see the world through my coworkers' eyes!
As far as I can tell, every negative nancy I ever worked with cared far more about the passengers than the pocket vacuums and malevolent negligents in the Crystal Palace ever will.
Also, I think PITbull raises an important point. What happens if someone accepts the recall to MDA/MAA and cannot survive on the peanuts (sorry pretzels) they get paid? If they resign, do they end up resigning their mainline seniority as well? Do they lose everything by taking the plunge at Midatlantic if it doesn't work out there?
One thing is certain. Those of us who go to MDA are going to need to get our keisters organized. We'll have a union on paper, but unless we step up and take some responsibility, management won't even abide by the American Eagle mirror contract we will start with! And management will also be constantly using MDA as a whipsaw to pressure mainline employees to give up more concessions (to save jobs, of course, we must be competitive with, who? ourselves, of course! Sheesh!)
Keep the spirit, Light Years and give CCY heck!
In solidarity,
Airlineorphan
Committing Planned Acts of Organizing & Premeditated Solidarity!

 

[diogenes]

----------------
On 8/6/2003 7:30:12 PM Light Years wrote:

Airlineorphan-
I hear ya- all I was saying was this will weed out some of the real negative nancys we've all flown with and keep us seperate from the seniors (not that theyre all bad)
------------------------------------------------------------

Divide and conqueor - mgmt 101.

Still works great.

 

[PITbull]

Airlineorphan,

My take on this "division" of mainline is that we all voted on the contract for MDA and in the summer and winter concessions, American EAgle Contract is part of our CBA (Collective Bargaining AGreement). AFA MEC is on board with this thinking, but for some unknown political reason, AFA International is looking at it as separate, and perhaps to go under the USX MEC. WELL, when HELL freezes over. MDA is part of mainline and so are the employees. If they end up hiring off the street eventually, then those folks will have a straight shot opportunity to join "mainline" as well. MDA will probably be considered the "front door" to mainline at U.

What this all means is we are still all "one" body of fa/s, just working under different working and wage arrangements. (Somewhat similar to "Shuttle" and Metrojet). MDA is OUR people, whether existing folks or off the street eventually.

 

[USA320Pilot]

Lavman:

The company changed the MDA acronym to MAA. In addition, the EMB-170s will be in addition to the 279 fleet count.

Best regards,

Chip