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That is a huge concern. It points out that ALPA hasn't done the best job educating the pilot group of all the facts. I think if people knew all the facts then the cause would sell itself. The problem is that we can't easily just discuss all the bad things BJ has done (for example) because it exposes the accuser, the victim, and legally puts people in jeopardy. However, we can take lessons learned from other airlines (American's pay vs. rules, Spirit's buyer's remorse) and attack from that viewpoint.

We can also control the language and concepts. For example, financial analysts love to frame things into categories. Have you noticed that BJ is considered a LCC and so they group us with SWA or similar. There is no mention of stratification towards the legacy 3, albeit we compete with them. No one ever challenges these classifications. In a sense, it's the same thing done in politics by the anti-gun lobby ("assault weapons" - a completely fake, made up, arbitrary nomenclature used to create a literary nemesis).

In the end, LCC is a designation of no legal definition. It's a marketing term and is often used to limit our own expectations. I've heard so many people say "an airline of this size", which is total B.S. Last time I checked, our ticket prices can be as low as Spirit but as high as Delta/United/American.

This article by Motley Fool demands lots of criticism on their framing of concepts. (LCC, increased pay compensated for by more productive work rules, etc.)

JetBlue Airways Closes in on a Pilot Contract

I hope we all decide not to allow wall street, the board, Robin & friends, the company apologists, and the media to define our thoughts by framing them in preconceived notions (e.g. we're just a LCC).

This communique is for entertainment purposes only. It does not implicitly or explicitly acknowledge employment with any air carrier nor is any relationship implied. This communique does not represent the opinions or policies of ALPA or JB ALPA and does not represent the collective pilot group, ALPA, nor does it imply collective bargaining, advocacy, or workforce actions intended to disrupt operations.