Every airline in the history of airlines has sucked bad at some point... it is our turn to suck... when Southwest started, it was a bunch of people who couldn’t get hired at TWA or Eastern... The pilots of southwest were a bit of a laughingstock, much like we are now... 6 or 7 years ago, most pilots would’ve sold their first born just to get an interview there... 30 years ago, if you had a choice between Eastern and Delta and you chose Delta, you were a moron... look how that would’ve turned out... no one knows what’s going to happen... In 5 years, Delta might be asking in their interview, “well what if Frontier comes calling?” (Highly unlikely, I know but then again I don’t know)... pilots have to make decisions that are best for themselves and their families... if you think going to Delta or United is best for you, then you should put forth the effort... if you are fortunate enough to get hired, I will be the first to congratulate you and wish you well...
You go to Delta because there’s better compensation... how long do you think an airline management is going to pay out north of $500M a year in profit sharing? I wouldn’t expect that to last forever, especially because the airlines are cyclical and history shows Delta will eventually not make a profit at some point... but if you look at Delta for what it is now, you have to look at Frontier for what it is now... every single person on property, in 10 years, will be in the top 20% of the seniority list... that’ll never happen at Delta or any legacy... what’s the most important, individual thing to a pilot? Where he or she sits on the list...
I don’t think we’ll have a contract anytime soon... I am pessimistic when it comes to airlines but I’m also realistic... we work for greedy people and they want to keep their money... we are an inconvenience to them... but I agree to be here and they pay me what the agreed upon rate is... I just don’t take it personally anymore because it’s a job... but it’s a job I believe will get way better in the next few years... you have the right to better yourself and make a decision for the betterment of your career, and like I said, if you leave for greener pastures, I’ll be the first to congratulate you...
It is our turn to suck... power through the suck, and you might actually have a good career if you choose to stay