Originally Posted by
SayAlt
So what?
10 years ago it was foolish to believe that.
10 years ago Congress had not mandated the ATP rule. 10 years ago airline retirements forced by demographics weren't looming as they are now (even with the age 65 increase).
10 years ago no one was giving signing bonuses and pay rate increases.
10 years ago there was no talk of "flow" and upgrades weren't happening in less than 2 years.
Like you said, things change.
Today, it isn't foolish to believe a new hire will be at a major within a decade.
Don't be bitter at today's 121 new hires because they will do in 5-7 years what you have yet to accomplish in 10+. That only makes you small and selfish and feeds into the "us vs. them" mentality that divides pilots and harms pilot unity.
Bottom line: just because it hasn't happened for you yet doesn't mean circumstances won't change (hint: they have) and today's new hires will necessarily experience what you've experienced. And don't be jealous if they don't have to endure what you've endured.
People like you you are clueless and don't get the point.
BTW:
Congress could change the laws to who knows what (again)
Retirement Age could increase (again)
Another terrorist attack could happen (again)
Oil prices could go to $200 a barrel and kill this industry (again)
This industry could completely change around and outsource everything offshore like everything else in this country. (who knows)
Another crew of inexperienced immature pilots could crash another plane again (Pinnacle) and change things up all over again. The more I see how some of these quick upgrade inexperienced young pilots are acting lately, the more of an inevitablity this is.
And
Yes there was quick upgrades at the time at some places
Yes some places were hiring street Captains back then
Yes Eagle and Continental Express did have flow in the past
Yes things look promising now, but they have looked promising in the past as well. Ask anyone who has been doing this for a long time though. Something ALWAYS comes along to change the game. Something big is going to change in the future, we just don't know what it is yet. You seriously think the airlines are just going to let the whole system implode due to staffing in the next 10 years, just completely abolish the regionals and hire everyone to work at the big 3? They will do something and change it all around on us again. We just don't know what exactly that is yet.
Nobody is bitter about the new people moving quicker than we did. I hope they do. We are warning people not to count your chickens before they are hatched and think you are automatically a Major Airline shoo-in with a golden ticket. It's not reality. Especially in this highly volatile ever changing career. Having a backup way in is definitely good to have. Over 500 Eagle pilots have used it in the last couple years instead of being still stuck here waiting for those interview calls that never happen for many people. Many of these guys interviewed at United, SWA and others many years ago, and were turned down for whatever reason, but they are at AA now. Thanks to the flow that people like to call useless.