RW has unfortunately been made to be the biggest liar and I honestly believe that it isn’t intentional on his part at all. The poor guy is fed misinformation from his subordinates and when he hears something good he tries to let everyone know the good news. He emails everyone last year in March and this year in July about how we are supposed to be getting more lines in the near future. His emails are almost exactly the same. Last year this email was completely wrong because the pilot group shrank instead of growing. This year’s email has proved to be incorrect for the month of November as the number of lines had to be less than the prediction due to attrition, just like last year.
Everyone should read the RW emails. They are very informative about the type of information that sycophantical subordinates are feeding to our managers. When they announced the money, RW sends an email about how people don’t have to go to the ULCCs anymore…everyone I flew with was talking about their CJO at DAL, SWA, or UAL. I have never met anyone who told me about leaving for a ULLC…management was being fed a line about how we were losing people to the ULLCs. RW gets a great projection about growth, realizing that will increase QOL for our pilots, he runs to tell everyone about the good news. The “yes men” are putting rose tinted glasses on our decision makers and they are making poor decisions with bad data.
Reducing the flow will cause people to go to other airlines faster. Giving the direct entry captains a recent “significant checking event” will open doors for them with other airlines. Making the lines terrible for everyone, even the most senior, will cause people to leave. I can guarantee that management is being fed misinformation right now as we enter the airline seasonal recruiting low. AAG management will will have to show a tremendous amount of willpower soon or the good people of XYZ America will be forced to either drive to ORD, or catch a ride on the one UAL 73 that flys to their airport in 2024.