Originally Posted by
Toddnel
Im just wondering why you would allow a pay rate cap and FO's doing the training when the majority of the arguments on here from the UAL side scream for the need to create the most Captain seats possible. If the school house was entirely Captains and is now mostly FO's, that is a whole lot of positions you willingly give up.
It seems to me that the pay rate cap and no commuting benefits keeps it from being such a sweetheart deal that others might want to come in.
I think you've got some apples mixed in with the oranges. I don't care if my PI is a Captain or an F/O, only that he's sharp and can install things in my thick cranium.
The "screaming" about creating more Captains that you refer to stems from the fact that for the last three years you guys were minting new Captains at a frantic pace. I remember a thousand or so posts concerning the number of Captain seats WRT the eventual ISL list, or grab.
Most of those new Captains were flying out of SFO, LAX, ORD and DEN, traditional LUAL domiciles. All the while, we were applying suction to the rearward most teat (unable to bid on those positions) and supplying the capital for the new airframes. A subtle distinction I know, but a distinction none the less.
Can you imagine if the tables were reversed and the company bombarded EWR and IAH with a boatload of new airframes that you guys were unable to fly? I don't think we were out of line, but then again I'm a bit of a malcontent.
Same old argument, different day.
As far as commuting, I can't comment other than that we have a ton of USAF types from COS working at TK. So for many of them its probably not too much of a commute. Seems to me that most have been locals.
I have been through 7 complete schools while at UAL and I have been very pleased with the quality of the PI's and Standards Captains. I certainly hope that doesn't change as a result of our merger. I know that they used to have a pretty sweet gig. I know nothing of the new arrangement.