Just because it’s been in effect for 15 years doesn’t make it right. It just goes to show you 90% of AS employees drive to work. The only time this overwhelming majority flies on Alaska is for leisure purposes and of course they are at the gate more than 30 prior. We’re talking commuters running to catch their flight home. It’s not like they purposefully show up 25 prior to depart.

In my commuting days I’ve run to the last Delta redeye home after a long day and sometimes getting there just 10-15 minutes prior, and they got me listed to jumpseat and I got on the plane, offline. I can’t imagine being a CA and watching someone get left behind on my plane because they got to the gate at 25 prior, for our own employees!

This represents beat down Stockholm syndrome, you shouldn’t be defending this. Yes NY closed and my app is in with other airlines. And the attitude of “don’t like it, go elsewhere” needs to be changed to “let’s see if we can fight to improve this.” Hence the ALPA recall thread. The days of OTZEagle kind of people are limited. There are lots of newer pilots and a sizable VX portion at some point these will become majority over the old guard.