Originally Posted by
9mikemike
The view from the top is now a long, slow, very sporadic trip back to where we once were...at least 2 years of significant overcapacity. They do not see the vaccine as a game changer. The entire premise of the EIL was to preserve capacity for a recovery in 2021. That target is steadily moving to the spring of 2024. I don’t think anyone in the bottom 1/3rd should get comfortable. And those of us with only the pension should not get comfortable either. Alaska Airlines does not care for the pilots, mechs, csa’s, f/a’s etc....Anyone that works in a union. The possibility that we right-size back to 2014 is not out of the question. EIL’s will all be recalled if that happens. The EIL program is causing a lot of heartburn with the top of the executive ranks right now.
Too bad they did a half assed version of SWA program and left 12% on the table. SWA pilots got up to a 5 year option. We only got 2 years and in my base I was over 500 seniority numbers away from holding even 6 months.
The program would have been a lot more effective if management didn't choose a weak version of a program meant to keep an airline viable but ready to quickly seize market share. If you pick a weak version you don't get either option.
The jr pilots will get to pay the price for it.