Originally Posted by
flyprdu
I disagree. I'm going to introduce a word that most Alaska pilots have never seen before.
Incentives.
What sort of premiums could incentivize pilot retention? Airlines that can't compete on career progression will have to compensate elsewhere. Schedules with lots of time off. Fast vacation accruel. W2s 30% above the big 3 in comparable fleets.
Pilots are not monolithic. Some will choose a small company with great pay and QOL over widebody SJS. Think 90s Southwest.
Declaring that Alaska cannot compete is just an excuse to not even try for better.
My point of reference was a "plausible" contract. I can't envision these people going out on a limb or doing anything visionary. They're looking at (industry average -15%) as their baseline. If they really need to they might do +15%, but massive schedule flexibility, part-time options, or massive bonuses ala AA WO I think are way too far off their cognitive reservation. They'd shrink first.