Although not a professional airline pilot, my “knowledge” of airlines in general and Alaska in particular comes from my friendship with one of the captains. This friendship is also the reason I take certain things so personally when a normal, reasonable person would not give it a second thought.
Viewing this as a passenger and customer, I find a little competition to be healthy. If the media is to be believed, Alaska is using this latest threat to spiff up its own service, schedule and fare structure. Did anyone look at the PI link with the pictures? The 9th one shows the interior of a VA plane. The mood lighting is very appealing; makes me wonder why I still have such a strong, sentimental affinity to the MD-80. And I really don’t care to eat Asian noodles, but that’s just me.
Can anyone confirm that the
informational flyer is indeed being handed out to passengers? What feedback was received? I wonder about the efficacy of these types of brochures. Being an advocate of non-confrontational methods, I am a little disturbed by the implied threat of a strike. However, I understand the reasons behind it. I have said many times before on this board that if there is ever a strike, this lawyer is going down to the picket line with food and drink and moral support for my friends. [I might even be persuaded to fly my little C-172 and drop stink bombs on the roof of Alaska headquarters!
]
A final thought – is it possible to negotiate collaboratively given a “common enemy” in the form of Virgin America? The way I see it, management and the pilot group cannot do without the other and both sides know that. By trying to knock down the other side, you are only hurting yourself in the long term.
To the mods, I apologize if this post is out of place or in some way inappropriate. Please delete as you see fit. Better yet, give me an infraction.
