Proof of a shortage.....look no further then the most recent CBAs at DAL, UAL, USAir MOU, AA bankruptcy contract. I think everyone agrees that a legacy carrier will not be released to strike so then why would the airlines give in when they had some of the best contracts ever? 1) mergers. 2) they need to recruit. After a decade of making it a crappy job and pilots telling little kids who enter the cockpit "do good in school kid otherwise you might have to do this some day" and "I wouldn't tell my kid to this" and " how am suppose to afford my boat,airplane, 3 house, 4 ex wives, and 12 bastard children on this joke wage" management finally got what they wanted. An industry that nobody wants to spend the time, money, and effort to do this for 10 days home ,after you factor in crappy unproductive non commutable trips. Well they now need people back in the game and at the end of the day there is only one motivator

MONEY!

As long as you believe you will end making 300k flying 10 days month laying over in Hong Kong with happy ending (or whatever the ladies like to do on there layovers) the young kid looking skyward at 18 trying to figure out what do with life will definitely come back to this job, even if they have to fly to a crap whole town like TYLER TEXAS (my home) at $20/hr to get to Hong Kong.


This is how you know they need you right now. They offering money, benefits (16% DC plans) better work rules, and of course higher hourly wages. Argue all you want but supply and demand drive the wage market. We are in demand. Enjoy the next 15 years. After that enjoy the ride back down.