ReluctantEskimo

Amazon does this with their marketplace vendors. Bring you in, give you a good deal. Then they get entrenched into AZ, and the rates start going up.

When losing AZ flying hurts more than the renewal concessions they offer, that's when you're upside down in that relationship. AS/HA cannot allow ourselves to get so invested in this flying that we can't walk away from it.

ImperialxRat

Im sure there are many things we can come up with if we brain storm, but after my 15seconds of thinking about it the few that come to mind would be Incentive Leaves, voluntary leaves with bennies, reduced flying lines (40 or 50 hour, full bennies), increased reserve staffing in all bases to whatever% (higher than whatever lean model they like to staff), etc. Normal furlough mitigation stuff that usually takes place before a furlough, but isnt written in the contract.

PineappleXpres

Always flabbergasts me how senior that stuff goes. And yes….we call that surfer leave…

AKCattleCarrier

The Amazon flying is as good as gone....or in AS C Suite speak "were intrigued". This reminds me of the "final fleet decisions haven't been made" mantra in the 7 years following the VA merger. The decision to go back to single fleet was never in doubt. They were just trying to mitigate training costs hopefully preventing an exodus to the 73 and making the 320 a junior pass through. Happened anyway.

If you are at HA I would seriously reconsider basing your plans on that flying staying around. Its not in AS's DNA to pay you to travel to work, to fly on min margins, and subject themselves to Amazons whims and whipsaws.

I will quote BM at flight path years ago during our pilot break out session when asked about Amazon contract flying for our current cargo fleet, "we just couldn't make the numbers work with Amazon"

PineappleXpres

You’re probably right, but you never know.

DrSmacFum

Out of left field, but I'm bored:

Does anyone see alaska/hawaiin/jetblue being a thing in the next 5-10 years? Or is it Alaska/hawaiian and then "organic growth" from here for your group?

PineappleXpres

are you a west coaster?

DrSmacFum

I am, and thats why im praying for that outcome

PNWFlyer

SWA was compensated during the fist MAX grounding. As Alaska is being compensated now. It was SWAPA that tried to sue for lost overtime. That went nowhere.

https://apnews.com/article/boeing-co...297fb14eee7ff0

TwOtter

Be a lot cooler if they did....

I'd like to see them want to attempt to be taken seriously in a conversation with the Delta, United and American. They would need presence on both coasts. They need to be open to having a narrow body fleet consisting of both Airbus and Boeing. A future event similar to the MAX door/grounding or PW engine with a single type seemly looks like it would leave you exposed. Alaska with a service map that covers Sydney to Amsterdam.

Build your presence in Mid-America organiclly.

I won't be holding my breath.