Originally Posted by
Herkflyr
I agree. Pilots are always eternal "glass is half empty" pessimists. The opposition to VBs is like the pre-PBS knee-jerk opposition to PBS in any form. Now that we have it, there would be massive complaints if we got rid of it.
The real issue with pulling down with VBs is that the MEC...once again pandering to the "let's make everything a toxic battle with the company" crowd...looked like utter buffoons. For starters we actually had negotiated the concept of VBs with the company. Then we let the company get to the point of actually publishing a VB bid package in MCO...then we pulled out of the agreement? But hey, we looked "tough" didn't we?
Maybe VBs would have been a bad thing by universal consensus. Maybe we all would have ended up saying "what was all the fuss and angst about?" (my opinion, but I could be wrong). We should have either never entertained the idea in the first place, or let it run for a few months.
Maybe VB's would have been a good thing. Maybe not. But the company had a year to implement them and couldn't/didn't do it. We let them extend. They led everyone down the BOS 320 path. Then out of the blue, MCO 757. It was the same with the A220 launch....NYC/LAX, then out of the blue, SLC! No warning, no head's up to the pilots that bid these things, no talking to the MEC. How do pilots plan anything with this lack of communication? I respect your opinion, but based on the conversations I have with pilots I fly with, you might be in the minority with the opinion that the MEC looked like buffoons pulling the plug. Almost all I talk to are relieved that the MEC called it off. While your post is supposed to be about the VB's, it reads more of a "Curly-esk" distaste for the current MEC reps. That, for me anyway, took away from any seriousness in your discussion directly related to the VB's. I'm not slamming on you at all. Just pointing out my observation on your post and a couple of points that I thought were pertinent to the topic.