Originally Posted by Sink r8

Go back to Bill's original post:

"...It's not a dangling carrot. We have old planes, and they need to be replaced eventually. We can call their bluff and take higher pay and better scope, and they will still have to replace the planes anyway..."

He's not saying the company is sincere, I think he's saying we shouldn't "purchase" growth airplanes. I think you're talking past him. We all understand that the timing of the RFP being published is probably not a coincidence, and I would hope we're smart enough not to let any optimism cloud our behavior at the negotiating table. That doesn't mean the company won't need new airplanes.

The bottom line is that rumor of new airplanes are entertaining, and serve to fuel individual speculation about the future. This shouldn't have anything to do with the pragmatic work that goes into crafting good contract language, and starting to close some of the loopholes.