No, Kirby is an old dog and doesn't know he new tricks. While you are experiencing some "good will" and no outwardly viewed adversarial relationship with labor, make no mistake, they aren't your friends.

We can package up some super cool bravo awards, and give each other high fives and wear some purple barney style uniforms, but none of that has anything to do with their long term goals of lowering the cost of a pilot, and therefore lowering your career expectations. To think otherwise is foolish and naieve.

Smizek didn't know airlines, or labor. He cherry-picked what he was told, and faked it. He relied upon what was previously built. So, you would be wrong on the economics side. Now, Smizek was a prick, and he was on the same page with the CAL micromanagers who had their thumb on labor. Smizek didn't know numbers regarding PRASM's and RASM's. He just used what Lapointe had set up.

Sure, Oscar and his team have tried hard NOT to rock the labor boat. He brought in people to do the dirty work, and one of them is Kirby. I think we in pilot land can agree Kirby's playbook won't change. Same Kirby that AA had is the one we got.

If Kirby is such a great dude, then how come we ain't got our contract?

Be careful not to mistake these shiney new jets with the legendary miracle lure. Pilots are attracted to shiney new jets. it's a syndrome. There is a prescription. Here is step one. A dose of honesty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUk9FBsRaUI