I don't think there would be strong opposition to separate plans if done the right way and given choices. Obviousely NC plan needs to go to self controlled and cash over cap. The A plan going forward would have to have built in cap increases like the Big B plan option by linking it to something like the B plan cap.

Something I rarely see mentioned is something I think could work with respect to the A plan - Increase the age to something like 62 for full pension benefits. I think a super majority of our pilots already work to at least this age. I know there are some who go earlier, but everyone I seem to fly with goes to at least 62. By increasing the retirement age for the full retirement, the cost to improve the A plan would go way, way down. You can play around with annuity calculators and see that increasing the age would open up major money for lots of contract improvements. The NC never showed the math on the billions in retirement improvements and I'm certain it would have been fuzzy math if they did. I know there would be a few earlier reitrees who would be giving something up, but again, I think the number is very small compared to the reward. Just something I think is worthy of being explored.