Not to split hairs but we got the 2016 contract (first at the airline) at the beginning of that cycle right before everyone else. They all proceeded to leapfrog us immediately but we were the highest paid for a few minutes lol. More money than most pilots here had ever seen! The BMWs and Audis that suddenly appeared in the Avenger parking lot were impressive.

Then we screwed around with PBS for a few years and Andrew's shenanegins and the culinary union attorney. Everyone except Tom realized that people who are on the gravy train have little motivation to let that train stop. The other airlines started the next cycle around 2018-2019 which was interrupted by covid. Then Delta was the first to sign their 2019 contract in 2023 and the rest of us basically me too'd it. So really it was one long cycle punctuated by covid.

But if you guys don't do something you're going to miss the next one too. Delta's early opener is this summer. They'll probably negotiate for 2 years barring another black swan and take they'll their hats off and march and thrash and act mad and then keep most of what they have with some work rule improvements.

The real question at this point is do you lay up early and put some points on the board but be locked in for another 5-10 years or wait until Delta goes and then go for the slam dunk? Either way you're going to have to get this union problem settled and be ready when the opportunity hits.