Although AS is a 90 year old airline, as late as 2013, it only had about 1400 pilots. In essence, a legacy airline in name, but really, only a small, punching above its weight, "regional" airline in nature, who historically, has shrewdly used the "Alaska Discount" secret sauce to keep its pilots in check.

In all the difficult periods AS has been through, the one trump card they've always had, is a good supply of PNW, and West Coast pilots with a strong desire to work for "That Great PNW Airline" - Alaska Airlines.

I believe this has allowed them to push the boundaries (in their favor) of the management/pilot relationship, because for the longest while, no matter how bad it got in the eyes of their pilots, AS knew that the great majority would always stay.

The unprecedented attrition these days however, brought about by the push of a deteriorating QOL for their pilots, as well as the pull of unprecedented employment opportunities elsewhere, has resulted in a paradigm shift, and it seems as if AS is having a hard time coming to grips with this.

Whether they are truly sincere in the current resumption of negotiations with the union, or, it turns out that it was simply a smokescreen to get them through the summer flying (or up to the point when we're in a recession), will tell us how much of a mindshift they've undergone when it comes to dealing with their pilots.

It is obvious what the correct thing to do in this current environment is.... I just hope that they don't cut off their nose, to spite their face.