Originally Posted by ZapBrannigan

The objective of EXTO, VSP and, to a lesser extent ETO (excepting those who took it to protect themselves or family members from infection) was to reduce headcount - essentially to match supply with demand.

The company has already decided, in the month of February for example, how much flying they intend to do. Now they'll take the number of crews they have and attempt to build contractually compliant trips and lines.

Long before Covid and the Max, February was the month you expected to see a green bar. This February that effect will be amplified, easily making the case for the company that even after EXTO, VSP, and some monthly ETO we remain overstaffed. The green bar is the measure of our inefficiency.

EXTO is a sunk cost. Something the company has already agreed to - extracontractually unfortunately - to address the manning problem. ETO is still variable.

My thought was that if enough of us took ETO to shrink the green bar, we could have proven to the company that these voluntary programs work, and there would be less of a need to furlough in order to match capacity and demand. Yes, there is still a cost. But since the program is again extracontractual and company sponsored, they're telegraphing their willingness to allow us to solve the problem voluntarily.

The green bar is the problem. Line guarantee was meant to protect us against inefficient schedules, not as an underemployment program.

In the end, it's irrelevant. Only 157 people took it in the month of February. Less than 2% of active pilots. (The 1221 represent about 13.5%) At the end of the day "Keep Dean" has to be more than a slogan on a bag tag or a lanyard. We have to be willing to do something. If it's not a concession, then it's a voluntary program. If we do nothing, we do a disservice to our own pilots and what little culture remains will fall.


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