Originally Posted by
CRJCapitan
I'm not really sure what you expected. The pay rates in the new Delta contract are astronomically high, historically speaking. Much of that was possible in the first place because of the fact Bastian went on national tv and said Delta pilots couldn't strike. No other airline has had such a misstep from management that they could then use as leverage. I'd say it's unrealistic to expect anyone to really do much better than those rates at this point in time.
Also, AA currently has the greatest percentage of NB aircraft in its fleet among the big three. Thus, it is reasonable, and actually a wise decision, to place a greater focus on NB rates and overrides for international flying done by narrow bodies. This ensures the best financial outcome for pilots at American. It is not APA's responsibility to spend negotiating capital on something that would be of greater benefit to Delta pilots than American pilots. I'm also willing to bet that if it weren't for the snap-up clause, you wouldn't even care and would probably even be happy about it.
American's AIP effectively matches Delta rates and improves quality of life. It doesn't seem to be close to a perfect agreement but, given the value of the AIP exceeds the Delta contract by almost $1 billion, I don't think there is a whole lot more one could ask for.
The $1 billion statement isn’t accurate. It’s costed out less than that and you know it. You also know APA agreed to a 3 percent raise at the amendable date just so people like you could say the AIP is worth more than Delta’s. That’s not bargaining to raise the bar. That’s bargaining to undermine another group’s next negotiation so you can feel good. APA doesn’t do anything. They did negotiate away profit sharing to the point that American actually had to give some back because they realized APA put itself so far under industry standard that performance was being affected.