Here's a thought as I ponder my upcoming "squishable" experience this Friday; flying to RIC on an ERJ-145 (well Aft for "flightseeing" Left side single seat, so I need not "be nice" to anyone)!!!
Should the various Regional airlines that fly as "partners" with all the majors except Southwest, fly under their own corporate identities?
Without touching the hot button of flight safety, the regionals just seem to me to be simply more "slipshod" than their major "partners". What with "on time" at Flight Status, becoming a CX fifteen minutes before scheduled departure ("no crew") or the terrible PR debacle for which United "took the fall", I would think it's time for the majors to tell the regionals "you can livery your aircraft and uniform your staff any way you like, so long as it is not in our colors".
Now I realize I could be called a "United apologist" around here, but hey my first flight during '57 was on them, they had the corporate travel teleprinter at the MILW (even if more of my flights over my eleven years there were on NWA than not), and I know my way around ORD Terminal 1, and not too many other places out there.
But think of how United took the brunt for the May '17 incident that actually occurred on Republic Airlines. Republic were the ones who chose to displace already boarded passengers when they should have called for an air taxi to get their Flight Crew down to SDF. That they picked a belligerent one rather than a "yes sir" is how it went down; expect displacing ("bumping") any passenger to be that. That they called Department of Aviation goons - not even sworn peace officers - before the "real cops" got there, was simply "Keystone Kops" - and for which "big Brother" airline took the PR fallout - and apparently made a pecuniary settlement with the affected passenger.
In short, the Regionals should fly under their own flags. Naturally, joint ticketing and code sharing should not be disturbed. The major "partners" will still dictate the requirements for insurance and "operated by..." will still be on a passenger's ticket.
We have many around here who are stakeholders in the air transport industry. Beyond putting some $5K a year into United's till, I'm not. I gladly defer with discussion to those "closer to the core" than am I.
Should the various Regional airlines that fly as "partners" with all the majors except Southwest, fly under their own corporate identities?
Without touching the hot button of flight safety, the regionals just seem to me to be simply more "slipshod" than their major "partners". What with "on time" at Flight Status, becoming a CX fifteen minutes before scheduled departure ("no crew") or the terrible PR debacle for which United "took the fall", I would think it's time for the majors to tell the regionals "you can livery your aircraft and uniform your staff any way you like, so long as it is not in our colors".
Now I realize I could be called a "United apologist" around here, but hey my first flight during '57 was on them, they had the corporate travel teleprinter at the MILW (even if more of my flights over my eleven years there were on NWA than not), and I know my way around ORD Terminal 1, and not too many other places out there.
But think of how United took the brunt for the May '17 incident that actually occurred on Republic Airlines. Republic were the ones who chose to displace already boarded passengers when they should have called for an air taxi to get their Flight Crew down to SDF. That they picked a belligerent one rather than a "yes sir" is how it went down; expect displacing ("bumping") any passenger to be that. That they called Department of Aviation goons - not even sworn peace officers - before the "real cops" got there, was simply "Keystone Kops" - and for which "big Brother" airline took the PR fallout - and apparently made a pecuniary settlement with the affected passenger.
In short, the Regionals should fly under their own flags. Naturally, joint ticketing and code sharing should not be disturbed. The major "partners" will still dictate the requirements for insurance and "operated by..." will still be on a passenger's ticket.
We have many around here who are stakeholders in the air transport industry. Beyond putting some $5K a year into United's till, I'm not. I gladly defer with discussion to those "closer to the core" than am I.