Originally Posted by
OhSnapAF
Dude reserves at the majors get the same amount of time off as NJA pilots on the 76 day on the narrow body side lol. Literally just asked two different people at UAL and one at DAL. 12 days off on reserve. Is that commutable? No. Do I fully understand that you have no desire to commute to reserve? Hell ya I do! More power to ya, but you and several other furloughed airline pilots paint a picture of the airline industry in 2003, not in almost 2019. The industry is different now, and it will continue to get better from a pilot standpoint in the future. You don't have to paint some artificially worse case airline industry scenario, and bend and twist the NJA lifestyle to make it better than it is. You hate commuting, I get it, that alone for some people would make the same decision you did, and I fully understand and respect that. Some NJA pilots continue to live with their heads in the clouds, and for 15 years have been saying "good things are coming, just wait" and they keep waiting waiting waiting. If you are happy with the NJA now, and it doesn't get worse, I think you will stay happy there. The problem comes when you want and expect what they tell you, and it doesn't get delivered. I know several in my new hire class were given false expectations even back in the day, and that never came true. The false hopes crap needs to stop.
If you think NJA is different than any airline from a management standpoint you are blindly and severely mistaken. NJA was a dumpster fire financially which resulted in a massive 7 year furlough. Some of those financial issues have been fixed but NJA management has no vision for the future. You are a means to and end for NJA, nothing more. Middle management will take care of you but upper management only appeases you because the metal won't move without you. If you think NJASAP has your best interest in mind, you are also mistaken in that area. They are a good old boys club that pat themselves on the back whenever they get an inch from management, and cower to them every chance they get.
I could not agree with this post more, I got burned at the majors, ALPA has never saved a job in the 121 world and their guys make a lot more money to play golf with management and other BS than any other union outside the IAM and UAW. NJA won't ever have 3 billion in bag fees but thats also the problem for the majors, one drops them in a recession, they all gotta drop them and then wow, you only make $100 million instead of a billion, puzzle games! I think another consolation is actually coming next recession which looks like its around the corner! I wish all the majors good luck, I really do, my dad was Eastern and it sucked during the strike and him having to start over at another airline, plus I got a bunch of 27 year old Lt's who work for me in the reserves who have been hired at DAL and UAL with no PIC time at all, they make more than me and I make them buy me lunch and beers every time I see them! One is a Mad Dog Capt at 12 months at DAL, 28 year old DAL Captain. Fly the line safe guys, I think we've killed this one!