I'd love to be paid more, who wouldn't?

Not always, no.

Yes, in fact I'm working both days.

Nope.


I wouldn't say "backstabbed," but I'll be the first to admit that AS has always looked at two things when it comes to people or systems; what it costs to do it "the right way" and "what did we budget for?" and invariably ends up somewhere in the middle, sometimes regretting not having paying the extra to get it done right the first time.

But I'd also say that while it's frustrating, because believe me, pilots are not the only ones who feel the budget constraints chafe, it's hard to not look at a history where we haven't had to go through the bankruptcy courts to achieve a low cost structure, or look at huge growth in the past 5, 10, 15, 20 years and imagine what we'd look like without it.

It's a balancing act, and it's not an exact science; you try to offer decent pay and benefits while allowing enough of a profit margin to re-invest in the business and grow, while also providing a return to shareholders. That last piece has gotten perhaps a bit more of an emphasis over the past 5-6 years than normal, but that was to drive up share prices to keep us expensive enough to ward off a takeover.

Having been around as long as I have, I remember the dark times of losses, wondering if we'd be bought out and dismembered, and unlike pilots who can just get taken on and are legally guaranteed a somewhat "fair" integration if acquired by a competitor, not all of your co-workers enjoy the same protections.

Again, I'm not here to argue; I value every one of my co-workers and simply want to provide an alternative perspective, that's all.

Just remember that it's easy to choose to rock that boat if you're among the only ones aboard with a life vest on.