Norm,

I really wasn't trying to start a "my airline is better than yours" thing. I'm sure our contract is better than yours on the whole, because of the reasons you mentioned.

I just hate to see guys accepting management's squeezing more out of us. We know what "shiny jet syndrome" is, maybe this is "I'm lucky that airline x keeps me around syndrome." But to be happy about having to fly 90 or 95 hours to make what you need to make because of a low hourly rate, IMHO, is bad. To be happy about getting xx hours while having 11 days off, IMHO, is bad. I'd rather be beat with a bat than work 19 or 20 days a month. That's all.

On your points about our TA. I'm still a no, but many things are better than they first appeared. I think the pay rates are lower than we should agree too. However, according to some charts the union has put out, (and I have no idea how accurate their data is WRG to the SWA pay), when you add in the dc contribution, we will surpass their compensation by 2015. Again, I need to study it more, but it may well be raising everyones bar, and it begins now, not 2 years after the ammendable date.

Point is , alot is better than it first seemed. Food for thought.

Do I expect your next contract to surpass whatever we sign, or our current CBA? no. Spirit obviously doesn't generate the revenue or have the economies of scale to cover that kind of cost at this point. Just keep improving every time and don't be happy working like crazy if it's just to line BB's pockets.