Delta has been and will continue paying for jets with cash. Go read their 10K’s…

APA’s structure, governance and bylaws are what hampers its ability to secure ILCs. Period, dot, end of sentence. It has nothing to do with AA pilots running it, or former US, or former AW, or whoever. You could have an army of the smartest pilots in charge of fixing it but they will fall flat on their faces - and they have over the years I’ve been here - simply due to the almost autonomous and absolute power the BOD has over everybody else in the union, including the NOs. At the end of the day, we live and die by the BOD’s actions. The ONLY time APA has made gains is when the membership itself has revolted or acted on its own against its leadership. (Braniff Christmas, Sept to Remember, etc.)
When a union only makes gains when its membership revolts, you’ve got a deeply flawed union.
There is indeed one way to fix APA. Schitt can it and replace it with ALPA.
Until that happens, we will trail the industry. It’s really that simple. The ILCs happening everywhere today except APA is proof.
AA pilots have been ham strung by APA for DECADES. It’s like being in a bad marriage with no way out. If you want to fault AA pilots, fault them for not going back to ALPA a lot sooner. Unfortunately, AA pilots have been “institutionalized” by APA’s actions over the decades and part of that has become ingrained in their DNA. That’ll take a while to purge, but it is possible - through a fresh start with ALPA.

I’ll end my rant with one more example of the BOD’s antics and why this union is so broken. Last spring, the ALPA exploratory committee actually RECOMMENDED to the BOD that, in their view, the next step in exploring an ALPA merger needed to proceed, based on their extensive research. In other words, the very committee that the BOD appointed to explore a merger with ALPA recommended we take the next step. And the BOD shot down ITS OWN COMMITTEE’S RECOMMENDATIONS immediately as the panic set in that their days might be numbered. Now, what does that tell you as to the question if APA can be fixed?

No, I'm not going to do your assigned homework. I think DAL does a better job but still has to replace AC.

If you think paying cash for AC is a plan, you're dead and don't even know it.

Ask the NWA old guys about old NWA and the Checchi. Should be a good primer for all cash fleet.

Are they going to run out of annual cash before they run out of annual planes needing to be replaced? Typically in this industry, debt has been a necessary evil.

AA pilots cant drop to zero anymore since TTS is on full fledged lockdown!
AA pilots who sell back sick time for 200K are idiots. Get paid 66% vs 116%, just plain idiots
IMAX only works for a small percentage of pilots. All can do but most decline trying because of what it involves. 500 IMAX pilots out of 15K pilots. Big Fing deal.
We suck

12 month FAA flight time total, average around mid 650's for 25 years.
IMAX, almost the same time along with a 40% W2 increase.

Sure, guys like you throw out the "what it involves" line.

Pardon my ignorance, new hire here. Could you please explain this post?

There’s an imax compass guide. Read that.

okay buddy. I guess it’s just hard for you to fathom that your airline’s management and your union lag the industry. Enjoy contract 2.0 or 3.0 or 3.5 or whatever it is.

I don’t get why people are so upset about the 2.0. I’m okay with living on coattails. Its
like college. I’d rather cheat of the smart kid then spend valuable drinking time studying lol