None of this is setting up for a "sharing of the pain". Once the manning is "right", the BLG's will go up -- all except for the obvious one - 27S. At that point, all "sharing" will cease. Per ALPA policy, all concern for the hostages will cease at that point as well, because the top 90%+ will feel the thumbscrews loosen.

Yeah, a small percentage are sharing through the loss of a seat that they held "out of seniority" as well (I'm one of those), but it's a drop in the bucket. I expect the MEC will get pretty quiet after this excess is final. The only battle left will be furlough prevention, and try as I might, I don't see our leverage. We will have lost on 4.a.2.b, FDA LOA, retirement incentives, 777 pay, etc. The final HKG slots will be filled by offering guys at the bottom a choice between HKG and MCD (McDonalds) as their domicile of choice.

Game, set, match.

All I can say is that I hope memories don't get short between now and Oct 2010. Just remember -- they've done whatever they darn well pleased throughout this whole goatrope.

PIPE