United Continental...merger
 

Recent articles are putting forth he merger again...Houston is even worried about losing CAL's HQ.

Now, I understand ALPA changed their merger policy to reflect Date of hire. U see...the UAL boys want it both ways.

thoughts?

PTH, In recent memory when did United managment EVER consider the pilots, or any other staff?. IMHO they have shafted them whenever possible.

Is that a bad thing?

I am asuming you mean the seniority list would now merge on date of joining and, for instance, a captain who achieved an early command compared with one of the merging companies could end up back in the RHS?

fleigle: yes

basil: no/ yes

studi

you are right of course. the reason this doesn't happen is selfishness.

oh well

atb

Merging lists is never easy nor really fair to all. Good examples even in germany are the merger of GWI into the KTV (eye to eye? more be happy you get in even if you do not want it), or the merger between AB and its subsidiaries which are now in the works for more than 3 years and still not solved.

Back in the days of regulation mergers were done with consideration of the "career expectations" for the two employee groups. Northwest and Republic employees, to pick an example, had different "career expectations". In this day and age the idea leads to arguments about who is bringing more to the merger.

This is aggravated by many airlines having had hiring cycles that were out of sync, so even very similar airlines can get very messy when looking at straight date of hire integrations. America West and USAirways for example, where America West had Captains with later dates of hire than furloughed USAirways pilots.

All of which set the stage for greed to come front and center.

Astounding how nobody thought of it before....

career expectations?

career expecations is the biggest scam foisted on the public since ''one hour martinizing''.

Not just the USA
. . . .
OK in a fast promotion time. If things are slow then it's 'redress training' based on DoJ (before the anti seniority Gods of the Sky mention it - subject to suitability)
. . . .
It's never easy.

Most people who have flown as captain will be disappointed to go back in the RHS but remember, you have been/are a captain - straight back, wear three bars with pride (unlike a colleague who used to skulk through the terminal in a scruffy fleece ) I've been in worse situations. The interesting bit about going back from captain to FO is that it confirms all the FO stuff about some captains being OK and others being a PITA (but nevertheless competent airmen) :ok:

OK, once again this week I'll bite.
WTF is ''one hour martinizing''

Basil
 

"One Hour Martinizing" is an alleged dry cleaning process. Big sign on the outside of the establishment, but try getting your clothes back the next day, let alone an hour later.http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...lies/pukey.gif

I think all of the current US Air East pilots could have bid captain in years past, most did. Seems like US Air and FedEx have some deal where once you've been a captain you still wear four stripes as an FO (or FE at FedEx) but don't wear a captain's hat or wings. Sounds a little confusing to me.

At AC in the 90's we sometimes, actually most times had three four-stripers on the YVR/KIX run. The left seater had the lid with scrambled eggs and the others not. For most it was a case of "Je ne give a **** pas."

One hour martinizing...this line was borrowed from KRAMER in a Seinfeld TV show episode...watch them all and when this one comes up, you will have a double laugh.

airbubba. ur correct about usair east...funny thing is after 911 and the shutdown of DCA for three weeks, things got hairy and many captains were demoted, other pilots furloughed.

of course America West hadn't yet hired some pilots during that time, yet those they hired LATER made captain.

So, the terrorists won again.

The reason a former captain could keep his four stripes was monetary. The company wouldn't pay for a new coat jacket with three stripes.



PS...the seinfeld episode is called: "The Suicide"...very funny

United/Continental (armchair CEO version)
 

AP source: Continental and United to combine - Yahoo! News

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100502/ap_on_bi_ge/us_united_continental

C2j

This should be exciting. The problem with being number one is that there is only one way to go as everyone wants to dethrone you . The benefit of being number one is enormous. I hope it`s a success.

It appears that Continental has chosen to join the race to the bottom in customer service. To now they have distinguished themselves by remaining "a cut above," but that will soon be lost.

The "legacy" carriers have nothing more to offer today than a look at history...

Sadly, a leaky ship has taken on a load of bricks.

And dammit I enjoy flying on Continental.

This is far from a done deal. But it was very predictable that this attempt was going to be made.

After Continental Airlines left the Skyteam alliance for Star (because of the Delta/NWA merger) there was only one way to go. The next step will be for American Airlines to try and get US Aiways merged into them (although the synergies are tougher in that case). This would leave three large groupings in the US and Europe, all tied together in the worldwide alliances anchored by the respective mega carriers. These three worldwide alliances will control upwards of 70% of all traffic. That will only leave room for a potential fourth grouping which would tie together the low-cost carriers. This is still a few years away, but is inevitable. Only some non-aligned niche carriers will be left fighting for any crumbs.

Will the wooly pully file an objection? :}