True. If you deny the jumpseat to the pilots of a carrier, you have no business asking them for a ride. However, some issues are bigger than your personal convenience. And, where do you draw the line? If you allow the Skybus "pilots" access, you're helping them cut your own throat.

The "captain's authority" you keep spouting off, has absolutely nothing to do with who is allowed in the jumpseat other than to permit or deny people who the company has already allowed this privilege. If the privilege is gone, it is gone. Your "captain's authority" won't do you any good then. You have forgotten the big picture - the company or the investors own the airplane. Your job is to be a professional and get the passengers safely from point a to point b.

Sorry, Kids, but you are completely wrong. Access to the jumpseat is a privilege negotiated in my Union contract. Therefore, it belongs to ME in MY jet. Our pilots sacrificed something contractually got acquire that access. The only thing the reciprocal list effects is what offline pilots I can offer the privilege to AT MY SOLE DISCRETION.

You're not a pilot are you?

and that right there is what is wrong with your attitude.

and yes I'm a captain at United and was probably flying planes before you were born but you can call me a kid if it makes you feel better. The point I am trying to get across to you is that if the company decides to deny all offline jumpseating then it is your fellow pilots who commute to work who are going to suffer when they start losing their offline jumpseating benefits on other carriers.

:mad::mad::mad:

White Owl,
Do you really think that denying js to startup pilots will affect whether or not they 1) bring their T/Cs up to industry standard 2) enhance their desire to get into ALPA 3) have any real affect other than make you feel like "da man"? Seriously, it WILL have an immediate effect on your peers trying to js on a starup.

Yeah, you can and do have they authority to deny, but what will it accomplish? Perhaps if you had the time during cruise, you could educate/persuade your "guest" on how good you have it, what the rigs are like and in the end he/she might say, I've had enough of Skybus.

Your ulitmate goal is to see either Skybus fail or have their T/Cs close to what industry standards are today. Can't fault you there. But I seriously belive you are doing MORE damage by denying js than allowing it. Plus as I said earlier, you are immediately hurting your own company's commuters. So if you really are set on denying the js to these guys, why not name the company you work for so the Skybus guys can go ahead and start their own campaign of denying the js to your company.

Look, the Delta pilots when they finally got the js and it was offered industry wide had every reason to deny the js to AirTran. Most did not, if any did. Take a look at where AirTran's pay is, compared to Delta's and also ask how many Delta guys use the AirTran js.

So feel that four stripe power running through your veins, but remember, it does no one any good other than your ego. You are not helping the industry or any ALPA drive at Skybus.

Here's one, how about denying the js for pilots continuing to fly past 60. Are they not hurting your career progression? Are they not "taking money out of your pocket"?

MIIVJ,

There is speculation that Skybus has a brand new A319 parked
at CMH because they refused the monthly lessee costs?
Is this reflective of their current environment, cost conscience
in lieu of the posted quarterly loss? All payment costs should
be known well in advance, the lessor will not just show up and
say, oh by the way, the cost is now %25 higher for this aircraft.
In light of the negative publicity garnered by the recent mechanicals
that caused numerous flights to be cancelled over Christmas, is
there a cash crisis at Skybus??

This is an interesting passage from USA Today:

While a previous post of mine showed my "back of the envelope" calcs as:


The $0.05/mile calc assumed essentialy full loads! By comparison Southwest RASM is around $0.09 while their CASM is in the $0.065 range. I seriously doubt that the Columbus lads can get their CASM lower than that, irregardless of the amount of smoke and mirrors they use.

With these kind of yields, they are essentialy screwed!:rolleyes:

:D Two Kids excellent point of view I agree with you 100 %.

On another note "White Owl" writes the same way as some green face clown from APC forum better known as velocitard.

Sleeping Fr. Dog,

We purchased 6 A/C but only wanted 4 (aircanada). They made a deal with us that we would take all 6 and sell the other 2. Those are the ones on the ramp. The are OLD and they do not make parts for that engine type any more. The other 2 of the 4 will go into service by Feb 08.

Rumor is that they were sold before we purchased them and backed out after our purchase....we kept the down payment and now have new buyers.

Anyone know how I can get my hands on a USA 3000 IBT contract...the new one?

Are they still in business?

MIIVJ, I tried to PM you about the contract but your PMs are turned off.

Yes we are still in business, staying small and doing rather well that way.

Not sure that I know him. I do know that we have a few here.

IBT Vote soon to Change Skybus Airlines...make it or break it!!
 

Just received the word.

Skybus Airlines has been notified that the IBT (International Brotherhood of Teamsters) will be representing the Pilots in a vote to become unionized!!!!! Our CEO has been notified!!!!

Skybus CEO resigns to resume book-writing career
 

Skybus CEO resigns to resume book-writing career
Skybus CEO Bill Diffenderffer resigned today, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The paper says he "is stepping aside to return to writing books, a career he left in 2005 when he joined Skybus." Diffenderffer had been at Skybus' helm through the carrier's start-up process and since its first flight on May 22, according to The Associated Press. Speaking in a statement, the chairman of Skybus' board of directors -- C. Robert Kidder -- noted Diffenderffer's work in "creating of Skybus' unique business model, raising the capital that funded the startup, and the planning leading to Skybus' first flights in May 2007 and its first year of operation," the Dispatch writes.

But with the airline now off the ground, Diffenderffer "feels that now is the time for others in the organization to take the lead in moving Skybus forward," Kidder goes on to say in his statement. AP notes Skybus "has endured some bumps since it began flying on May 22," including a Christmastime schedule disruption and a shakeup of routes and destinations. Skybus says the latter is in response to soaring fuel costs. Diffenderffer will be replaced by current Skybus CFO Mike Hodge. Prior to joining Skybus in March 2007, the Dispatch says Hodge "had been a managing director and airline-industry analyst at Tiger Management, a hedge fund that helped provide startup funding for Skybus."

Skybus press conference tomorrow at Portsmouth?
 

It looks like tomorrow there will be a press conference or at least a press release held at Portsmouth Pease International Tradeport (PSM). Not sure about the content though. Maybe new routes will be announced?

Probably will be annunced a new base at Portsmouth...

Not sure, I think they may just announce a co-financing of the terminal expansion.

You were right:

http://www.theairdb.com/news/2008-04-01-skybus.html