One major lesson I have noticed in my 30 year career thus far is that once a pilot group gives up a concession it never comes back or snaps back to pre-concession status.

Two such issues in my opinion:

1. How our vacations are implemented. The value of a vacation day is poor. The way pilots use vacation is never beneficial to the pilot. A non pilot employee can easily turn 5 vacation days into 9 consecutive days off with the weekends before and after the work week. We don't seem to be able to maxmimize our vacation utilization or the value of it.

2. PBS. It's the concession that keeps on giving. The company determines the constraints, and the solutions, and determines manpower formula. We are merely spectators.

Perhaps other pilots would like to opine as to the other "give backs" that were never returned when times improved.......