Originally Posted by
FlyJSH
If enough of AA pilots get bumped and are forced to use the commuter clause, AMR would (hopefully) realize it is cheaper to let a bunch of regional guys ride, than to use more reserves or cancel flights.
It's not just 'a bunch of regional guys'. Some regional guys have unlimited domestic on AA (a large national presence and an extensive ORD operation - for UAL Express - is usually is the key, as AA has DFW locked up), but most large carriers (Air Tran, Jet Blue, etc) are limited domestic only, just like the 'regional guys'. AA has played a game where they do 'just enough' to placate the few airlines their pilots need for commuting, giving unlimited on all flights to the legacy carriers (and a couple randoms - Aloha had unlimited on all flights), unlimited domestic to a few regionals they needed, and giving the cold shoulder to everyone else.
There may come a time when AA's 'holier than thou' attitude and APA's lack of negotiating capital devoted to this issue will have repercussions. SWAPA and SWA strong-armed AA on this issue, and it worked (they're also the largest domestic airline in the US). The golden rule is meant to set an example, with the expectation that your example might one day be followed. How long do you set the example and let others benefit from your charity? The 'originator' of the golden rule (religion) has been engaged in charity for centuries.
APA took concessions after 9/11 and didn't get unlimited jumpseats for all off-line pilots (this is where most other legacy airlines got it, but they took larger concessions than APA pilots did too). Well, now APA is working on a new contract. If the new contract doesn't make any gains for off-line jumpseaters, then perhaps its time to re-evaluate. It won't be easy, though. To get real movement on this issue, you really need to get the support of the pilot groups that already have unlimited domestic and unlimited on all flights. That's asking primarily ALPA mainline pilots to give something up for primarily ALPA regional pilots (and non-ALPA pilots, should union affiliation be an issue?) and pretty much declaring a jumpseat war on APA pilots for a stance that APA doesn't support, but just doesn't fight hard enough for. Should off-line pilots be the judge of APA's own negotiating priorities? What if Delta and United pilots decide to limit jumpseat access to AA pilots to one seat per aircraft, and DL and UA management asks them to apply this policy to all airlines, not just AA - ie, this could back-fire. A very delicate situation indeed.
APA should be given every opportunity to solve this themselves.