Originally Posted by
slowplay
Carl, that's not correct. I specifically stated that LUV and FedEx will be in the contract comparison. I have stated my belief that FDX and UPS are highly profitable companies in a rational duopoly. They are a different industry (overnight package express) whose pilots do the same job we do. LUV is in the same industry with a different business model. They should and will be included as a comparable.
Slow,
How about using Air France and KLM, since they are our closest JV partners? We do the same thing they do, flying a lot of the same overlapping routes. We don't have as many widebodies, but it's a start.
I disagee about not using SWA. They are buying Airtran, a hub and spoke carrier, and they will get the SWA wages too. They may ditch some of the Airtran practices, like redeyes, but overall they will be increasing SWA's costs via the merger, and that brings them up to our level. They aren't a LCC anymore.
Yes, my TACA remark was TIC, because many in ALPA would rather compare us to TACA and say how much better we have compared to them, so they don't have to fight as hard and try to RESTORE as much as they can for us. Same with using UAL, LCC, and AMR. None of them have a productive plan like we do. We had a fast SOC, $2 billion in perceived synergies per year, and true Worldwide Ops with a large domestic presence. We pilots are also a bargain, and the extra savings we give them is being used to fund other projects and workforces. It's time for our bargaining unit to fight for what we deserve, and promote us like we deserve every penny we are asking for. I fly the MD88 and I work hard, but when I hear these rumors or read your posts, I feel like Dalpa treats me like an Air Wisconsin F-27 FO back in the late 80s. Someday it will get better.......right? I want to be treated like a pilot working for the best airline in the world, and being paid like it too. Work on it.