Whats funny about that, is that if you go to the JetBlue message board and read about their recruiting and attrition issues, it might as well be a carbon copy of the statements made here.

I really wish I could have sympathy for their “business model” woes, but just like the rest of corporate America, the productivity and management salaries graphs since about 1980 in this country have increased exponentially while wages across the board have remained relatively flat by comparison, and even though I’m a solid believer in capitalism, “trickle down” theory is like a two valve hose connector on the side of your house. One hose carries water to the institutional investor and one carries it to the workforce. Hard working folks in this country in all sectors (pilots included) have been told for 40 years some version of “aren’t you lucky we let you work here”…. “you need to be thankful you at least have a job”…. and now, unfortunately for them, while they’ve replaced gas station attendants and check out clerks with card swipes, and continue to march toward putting truckers out of work with self driving 18 wheelers,…. the traveling public can’t “self-fly” themselves in a jet, and robotic automation hasn’t kicked us out of the cockpit… yet. And when you point those disparities, their answer is, “sure, your pay hasn’t risen the same as management, but, but look at all the cool crap you can by from Dollar General, because we outsourced all our manufacturing…. if you don’t like it, either become a senior manager or learn how code.”

BM came to Alaska in 08 when jobs were scarce and workers were plentiful. Those are the conditions where his star rose. Unfortunately, for him the landscape has changed quite a bit since 08, but his playbook hasn’t. The wishbone offense made Bear Bryant the winningest coach in college football…. right up until it didn’t.