I spent years in the north.I know the government used to subsidise to fly out so the northern airlines charged a lot.The government quit with the subsidies but the fairs never went down for years until some competition started coming up.I remember 1400 dollars YZF-YEG return. That was back when fuel is half of what it is today and pilots were making a lot less.They should use something a little more economical.The cost to maintain the old 200s is astronomical.there is very little gravel that isnt served with a Dash 8 or ATR anymore.Maybe 600s or 700s are the way to go.

Someone posted that 12 pilots were going to be turfed, if true, then there will be alot of bumping going on ?? Can anyone from 7F update this number ??

Kosiw wrote:Someone posted that 12 pilots were going to be turfed, if true, then there will be alot of bumping going on ?? Can anyone from 7F update this number ??

6 Pilots
13 Flight Attendants

Why is there a bid form for YEG f/os on their website? Is this a formality for moving people around?
I hope the laid off pilots are back to work soon.

Most of this thread has been repeated before elsewhere, repeatedly.

With respect to the frequent suggestion that we (7F/5T) replace our gas guzzling -200s with brand new -600/700/whatever ones, it would be tough to make that work based on less than 2000 hours a year of utilization. We are Northern airlines, hence our Northern operations and that market is considerably smaller than yours (Westjet). Westjet probably has a utilization in excess of 3000 hrs a year...maybe as high at 3500 hours a year. That is quite a difference when your trying to pay off a 50-60 million dollar airplane.

Quite frankly, I don't think given the current competive pressures we're facing up here that the economics of this dilema are going to improve. Some people hide behind the "we require gravel capabilites" excuse rather than face the cold (pun not intended) truth of airframe annual utilization and aquisition costs. Yes, of course there is the fuel savings. Probably about 3 million a year. So over 20 years we would save almost what we paid for the aircraft in todays fuel prices.

Now all we have to do is convince our creditors/board of directors to allow us to finance the purchase of ONE airplane worth 60 million that CAN'T do everything we need it to do based on fuel savings over 20 years to replace an aircraft that was PAID for in 2005 and CAN do everything we need it to do. Oh and amortize that ORPHAN aircraft over 2000 hours a year, at best.

The only real upside I see to us aquiring new aircraft now is the value of our dollar VS the USD.

The newer (not NGs mind you) 737s will arrive at some point but the VP of finance and VP of commercial operations have some pencil sharpening to do before that occurs and AC and Westjet aren't helping but as we all know, that's business.

Cheers,

ETTW

FICU wrote: BTW... a Captain, I'm guessing 4-5 year, of your fine airline posted his pay stub on the forum for all to see awhile back and it showed the rate at $146/hour. That's a big drop from $172 like you posted. Is $172 the year 25 pay rate?

$172 is for year 12.....top of the pay scale for 2010. http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/airl ... stjet.html

I do recall WJ pilot neg going off track a year or two ago where the company was trying to cut the profit sharing ect... to the pilots and lighting speed they all voted it down... WJ came back with a much better proposal in fear of getting its first union organized... Remember what walmart did in quebec when they tried to orgainize lets see what happens when the raises aren't comming every year.. Karma is a bitch... so all the Wj'er out there that think the Walmart pricing in the north is a good thing... think again its just a race to the bottom..