Originally Posted by acl65pilot

Jan 1, 2012 Rate:
181.20

SWA Rate is 206. Even with the 3% bump it is 212

So 181.20/212.00 equals .85 percent of their rate. So to get to their rate off of our PWA 2012 rate is about 17% tops, and that takes in to account their newest agreement for the 3%. It is a far cry from "restoration."

You and I agree. I have said repeatedly,LUV rates should not be a goal but a guide. I do not think we should chase them. You are correct in stating that their rates used to be way below ours, and I am sure that after the CH11 dip, we and the other Legacies will once again be above their rates by a good margin. It will take time.

I can also tell you that their rates are not my min "today" Added with fixing 1,12,23,25 and a bunch of other issues, I think that as Sailing said, we can add one billion to the cost of our PWA. The next billion will be dependent on many factors, and one of them is the profitability of our company (we do work for a for profit company that does not have a monopoly on its services) and the second one is where overall pilot compensation is when we open Section Three. Those are just the realities.

Unity may take us farther, but unless the NMB sees the demands as somewhere near rational, they will not release you. Reality is that DAL is huge and accounts for a huge chunk of the domestic air travel, and is the number one service provider on all continents out of North America except South America where we are number two. The NMB would never release a group this size unless they figured it would lead to a agreement.

Look no further than APA to see what happens when a NMB Member does not see a chance of movement. It stinks but those are the realities under the NMB. That is why if we can get sizable gains on day one, with huge improvements in many of the hot button issues, and be back at the table in three to four years, it makes sense to do so. Why? Because if fixes the work rules, will provide a percentage increase to your W2 immediately, increases retirement today, which nothing but cash and compounding today and not tomorrow can help, and allows us to put in to position a pay rate for our fellow pilots to top.

If APA, CAL get new rates, and USAPA wins their grievance, the variables change, and we will adjust accordingly for our opener and thereafter. The guys at ALPA are not a bunch of stooges. Take the time to call them, listen to them. You will come away with a better understanding of a lot of the issues. You may disagree with some, but that is OK. A debate on a few issues is necessary. You will also realize that the solutions are complex and the path to the goal is not as clearly marked as some would like to believe.