AVCANADA

I have not seen a proposed structure - will it be a contract and fee for departure or are they planning to have it all one big happy family - usually when there is a talk of a "feeder" it is only being created to cut costs and pilot salaries are a big part of that - I think this is a step closer for westjet to become a "real" airline - they have been riding the crest for a long time and were able to enter the market when the national carriers were crippled largely due to government interference - their timing was right - their model was right (although like most "experienced" travelers hate to fly them) and they opened up, well lets say they bested grey hound but I'm rambling -- they want to attack those points where it is not profitable to run a 73 well the down side of this is there will be several of these places losing jet service, so as mentioned above "a real airline" meaning that until they are tested with a little financial hardship they have not earned that status in my eyes.

For pilots -- I doubt if there will be a flow through agreement and I suspect this is they way of introducing a "B" scale, salaries have already been established for the Q-400 why would wj pay more - but hey -- i've been wrong before

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In a nutshell, Air Canada emerged from privatization debt free and asset rich as the government zeroed their debt and basically gave them all the airplanes, buildings and other infrastructure. Air Canada quickly blew it all trying to kill all of the competition by offering seats below cost, increasing frequency and infiltrating other established markets. The result? "Scorched Earth". They decimated the industry. Some of the airlines they put out of business left some communities without coverage as they receded into bankruptcy.

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L Charlie
Many years ago you told me what a great airplane the 72 was to fly

westjet to become a "real" airline -". Now i'm looking at you like you have two heads.
kind regards

Any CEO who approves of paying a guy 200k to fly a plane with 70 seats got his MBA on the back of a crackerjack box

Don't worry Gino, many of us agree with you. A plane's a plane. The bigger it is, the easier it is fly. Smaller planes doing more flights on smaller runways. Same same kids, don't let the take-off weight confuse you.