That's familiar to anyone who was stationed at a military base just before some General was scheduled to visit. Even he knows it's just a staged performance, but failure to honor the customary rules would show a bad attitude. :rolleyes:

Good stuff, but isn't it A+14 and D-10?

Details....🙃, thanks for the edititoral note. Can't go back and fix now.

Figured I could chime in on this thread. Summer of 2014 hire, got stuck as one of the last guys to go to PHX. Due to military and family commitments I stayed on the east coast and commuted for the last couple years.

Commuting at aa is atrocious. Doesn't matter if you book the jumpseat a week out, if the aircraft is weight restricted the jump seater gets kicked off and passengers get a higher priority in the cabin.

I sat on the sidelines commuting across country to the worst reserve schedule possible at a 10 year old dead airline as my classmates upgraded on the e190, were able to transfer bases etc. My peers at delta and united can hold lines, upgrade to group II captain or hold 76-400 trips, hold any base in the system and make a 20-30% more than I do.

I miss the old America West contract, the POS that was voted in is a disgrace. (5:15 avg day, what a concept) I was unable to vote because I was still a probie, but the sad part is PHX voted it in by at least 90%.

At first I figured it would all work out in the long run and pulled my apps because I'll retire in the top couple hundred at AA. I finally realized why buddies told usair and American to "pound sand" when offered interviews at AA. They understood delta, United, swa had their poop in a group as a company and union. They were the smart ones.

Finally couldn't take it anymore and dropped long term military leave. All my mil bros that had the chance have done the same. One definitely isn't coming back and a couple others are on the fence.

This is my story and fortunately for a new guy/gal getting hired now they won't be able to get stuck like the other PHX refugees and I did. I discourage friends from going to AA when asking for advice unless they live in south Florida. Even then driving to Mco with wn or Fll with b6 might be better.

@drinksonme said it all about the corporate culture at aa. Using company money to fund their own agendas, pit management vs labor and drive up the stock price. Parker's goal is simple, it's Doug Parker. He has no sense of urgency in running a quality operation. Like others have said, he's just a money guy. For the most part it seems like delta and swa have mutually beneficial relationships with their management and have a quality product. What a concept. I don't believe we're going to see a new contract come to fruition in 2019, it wouldn't behoove management in anyway.

I'm going to put my apps in when I come off orders. At least see what else is out there. Is it better to be top 1% at terrible company or top 30% at a decent one.

Top 1%
 

Your situation sucks. There were a few of us in my class that would have loved to have PHX. Blame USAPA for not allowing the new hires to switch bases.

The culture here at AA is terrible. But I've long since stopped caring about it. If you think management at Delta or SW will take care of you anymore than AA will, I don't know what to tell you. They don't care just like AA management doesn't care. Fortunately in this job, if you show up to work on time and pass training/checkrides, you can avoid management.

Quite frankly, I think you'd be an idiot to leave at this point. Top 1% at AA will literally hold any equipment and schedule you want. So yes, top 1% at AA is better than 20-30% anywhere else.

Just like my waning days in the Air Force, once I stopped caring about the things I had no control over (i.e. Management), life became 10X better and I realized this job isn't that bad. My opinion only...

I was June 2014. Living on the west coast I wanted PHX but my class was all PHL. Most of the time it was a 2 leg commute. It sucked. Things are exponentially better now that I'm in PHX. We've got some real work to do on our next contract. I see fewer slash trips than I did last year. They make for ball buster trips though. But look at PHX 757. Reserve is senior because you have to fly 6 three day trips a month to create a line.

The reason, and the ONLY reason PHX pilots voted 90% was to rid us of usapa. We all knew some of the things we would be loosing contractual wise, but that gives you an idea of how vile and toxic we all felt about keeping usapa around even just one more day. Consider yourself lucky, you came on board in 14 and was only stranded on the island a couple of years. Most of us we're trapped for a decade, and guys like me we're on reserve that long. But I live in Arizona, no commuting and got to spend a lot of extra time with my kids as they grew during those long years. You make the best of it. And if you're going to end up in the top 1%, I'd stongly advise thinking long and hard about what you're considering. We're not going to be stuck on this crap contract forever. A couple more years and this group is going to be unified to fight hard to capture what DAL and UA has. It's gonna happen, and if you stick around I think you're gonna be glad you did.

Wow this sounds like I could have written it! Don't look back 10 years from now and be like me Woulda Shoulda Coulda especially since there's plenty of companies hiring with industry leading compensation like Delta United and FedEx! Even SW you'll easily make more money than AA easy!
The whole 1% seniority doesn't mean $hit when it's only the last 12 months of your 34 year career at AA. Ask me how I know. Me 4 yr furlough, 6 yr deferral avoiding AA like the plague. Coulda applied at SW in 2004 Woulda been a Capt now for 8 or 9 years, Shoulda listened to SW guys begging me to apply. Coulda applied at UPS because of a newfound connection 5 yrs ago, woulda taken the job but they didn't start hiring till2 years later after I came back to AA. Shoulda left my app in at FedEx a year ago. Came back after 13 years to NB FO reserve paying $5 bucks an hour less than when I was furloughed in '04! I love hearing from the 18 yr guy that its so awesome at AA. haha:confused:

I hate to state the obvious, but the environment you lived through is TOTALLY different than the current and future environment. I honestly wonder why you came back, as unhappy as you are (and I don't men that in any critical way, btw).

Personally, I got stuck at a Regional for WAY WAY longer than I anticipated. It's water under the bridge though. I'm looking ahead. Can't take back what's already happened.

That's true^ at least there will finally be retirements. Like I said before coulda been a Captain at SW for 8 yrs if I had went for it but at AA was on narrow body RESERVE after 13 YEARS! think about it. tough to watch young guys in your guard unit hired 7-10 years after you making more money at SW and bidding 777 at United.