Originally Posted by
DAL 88 Driver
Not sure I'm following your logic here. If you think +53% is so outrageous that AA "will be forced" to come off of it, then how do you come up with the idea that we should be aiming at a "realistic opener" of SWA +25-30%?
SWA's current 12 year Captain rate is $210. Our current 12 year 737 Captain rate is $168. SWA + 30% would yield a rate of $273. It would take a 63% increase to our current 737 Captain rate to bring it up to $273.
Last time I checked, 63 is greater (and some would say "less realistic") than 53. (And just to be clear, I totally agree that this would be an appropriate increase for us.)
Because there is no comparable benchmark for AA to use to justify their request. If UCAL and a joint WN/AT contract shows increases, they will be justified (to the NMB, who are the only ones that count) in asking for a percentage increase over what has been agreed upon by other airlines. IF....after the AT/WN and the UCAL gains meet a major gains, then the APA's request will be closer to a "releasable" point. Once a deal is made there, it will then fall on FDX to make some modest gains.
Finally it will be DAL's turn. Provided the others have signed deals that keep raising the bar, it will allow us to reach that beautiful point of "restoration" that so many are aiming for us to achieve (including me, BTW).
Follow my logic now?