tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post3680893070361622245..comments2024-03-24T05:42:24.847-05:00Comments on Taking Wing: The Sky Is Falling ( ! / ? )Sam Weigelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06332414897030323612noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post-41544012570469973962008-01-25T23:51:00.000-06:002008-01-25T23:51:00.000-06:00Ever consider the possibility that a merger might ...Ever consider the possibility that a merger might only involve the management of the two companies? Pilots/planes would then continue to operate separately but be managed from one office. Save the cost of two full management operations and avoid the cost/animosity of trying to merge two seniority lists. <BR/><BR/>CEO brilliance - mutually exclusive terms? Seems that way at times.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post-54728535786446521712008-01-17T11:40:00.000-06:002008-01-17T11:40:00.000-06:00Till then, I'm just going to enjoy the flying and ...<I>Till then, I'm just going to enjoy the flying and try to not listen to the gloomy rumor mill too much.</I><BR/><BR/>This is the best part of your post. The reality is that the majority of the US-based airline business is under stress, and the majority of the problems are structural, as opposed to with one company. And no amount of whining, divine intervention, CEO brilliance or bleating from the unions are are going to fix things, unless the structural issues are fixed. And each party has so many legacy issues and constraints that the best you get is some patching or some power grabbing, not fixing.<BR/><BR/>And so the best thing to do is recognize that weird stuff is going to happen, take personal charge of your career and do not expect the CEO or the union head to take care of you, and vote with your feet as you go to a better place.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post-42123047313079077982008-01-15T10:10:00.000-06:002008-01-15T10:10:00.000-06:00I've been watching the merger rumor mill pretty cl...I've been watching the merger rumor mill pretty closely, simply because I'm a couple of weeks away from applying at NewCo and another Red Tail affiliate that flies Saabs. <BR/><BR/>The big question for me of course is: If the merger happens and I'm near the bottom of the seniority list how long can I expect to still have a job?<BR/><BR/>My personal answer is that I'm not going to worry about it. There's never a good time to get into airline work, just times that are relatively less bad.<BR/><BR/>If I get hired, fly for six months then get furloughed because Red Tail parked their DC-9s and those crews flowed back to NewCo, well, so be it. I can always go back to instructing or, shudder, get a real job.<BR/><BR/>On the other hand, I could have a fine second career with NewCo and retire quite happily as a regional captain in 23 years.<BR/><BR/>Any advice for folks who are thinking of coming into your shop?<BR/><BR/>WillWillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17239871779843577695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post-66903115675011194872008-01-15T02:10:00.000-06:002008-01-15T02:10:00.000-06:00Enjoyed your post. Such things always create some ...Enjoyed your post. Such things always create some sorrow, but weren't you just saying a few posts ago that there's actually a huge demand for pilots right now? With this in mind, I would take the merger rumors with a grain of salt. Doesn't RedCo have too few pilots already? I would be more worried if the route networks of the two companies had more commonality.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10991135.post-26472589695791737912008-01-14T16:52:00.000-06:002008-01-14T16:52:00.000-06:00Well put. Now that you have the ERJ-190 type, and...Well put. Now that you have the ERJ-190 type, and if things go south there's always BlueCo.Ryan O'Harrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05662902100182810430noreply@blogger.com