I hope you are correct. Unfortunately AA classes are completely full, and always will be. Everyone comes to AA thinking things will improve in the future. The joke is on all of us however. AA really does not even have to negotiate a contract that evem meets jetblue or spitit rates, and of course they certainly will never have to offer QOL contract enhancements that would bring us closer to airlines like spirit, jetlblue, or Alaska. The classes are full and will be in the future too.

When the 'scientifically accurate' polling comes back to APA and tells them the pilots want a quick deal, they will then revert to negotiating sub-jetblue payrates , with some concessions like continuous duty overnights and others, sprinkled with some per diem increases. Then the pilots will send a bunch of soundoffs saying they don't want to be paid less than every other airline in the United States and don't want concessions, then APA will conduct more scientifically accurate telephone polling and run an Ad in the Dallas Morning News saying AA pilots have had enough. Then I imagine, we will finally file for mediation sometime in 2024, and reach an agreement shortly thereafter in the Spring 2024 timeframe. The agreement will, one-year later, only match Delta rates, and offer little to nothing in terms of QOL enhancements. Retro will likely increase to about 1/2 of what Delta received.

Then, life will go on at AA. The ORD chair will win another BOD election, AA recruiters will talk about all the upcoming retirements and increased pay, even though it will still trail every other airline in total compensation and benefits. Upgrades and time to widebody will continue to occur faster at United and Delta, evem with AA's retirements. The cycle will repeat every 5 years.

ultimately, until we file for mediation and/or AA pilot new-hire classes start with empty seats, AA negotiators will continue to play dumb and slow-roll the pilots. They will offer nothing of real value, and certainly nothing that equates to industry-standard.