July 18

If Pinnacle Airlines goes kaput, defunct & gone! Can that help you/us?

This is speculation, but from many good sources. It sure seems that the days of Pinnacle Airlines are numbered and the airline will soon cease to exist! Here is what may happen shortly:

1) PA will start to wind down operations and end in 2013.
2) The Delta 717′s will replace many PA routes with 1 for 2
3) Some CRJ 100/200 pilots will go to Delta mainline to fly the 717′s
4) The PA CRJ-700/900′s will go to other Delta regional partners
5) Other regional partners will take over the cities to remain 50 seat routes

Now I care about a few things IF, again, IF, all of this from the “rumor mill” comes to pass. First, many of the PA FA’s are top notch and I hope they can be moved to Delta mainline. Next, what will it mean for us as in the end, it is all about “me/us” right?

Here is some more food for thought. I hammer the idea of loading up on regional connections when you find low level seats to where you want to go. I even suggest adding MORE legs if you can to improve your chance to pick the PERFECT flights under the mighty schedule change rule.

So I hope you are still hanging with me here. This could be one of the greatest opportunities EVER for a massive impact from a TON of CJR’s going away and a reduction of frequency of flights to many cities. I mean, if you can no longer fly what you have booked, Delta must help you get from point A-B (unlike the A-Z-Q-D-X-B you booked to find low level seats)!

Personally I have no doubt, and I will eat my words if I am wrong, that PA is done. Management has got big bonus deals and are done. They want to keep all 50 seats jets and dump the big ones. They want everything 100% opposite what Delta wants. Their days are numbered!

So will you take advantage of the coming change? I will be watching closely to see what I can do for my spring trip to Sweden next year! – Rene