Originally Posted by sixpack

Bezos is not going to buy ATSG or ATLAS. He made it very clear when looking where to put the new HQs that the decision came down to being able to hire the best talent in the country. ACMI pilots are the bottom of the barrel in the pilot industry. 95% of them are not hirable at the majors for all sorts of reasons. Amazon will continue to contract out flying as along as they can. If they start their own airline they will buy a certificate and hire their own pilots from the top tier of the industry, not a bunch of guys with DUIs on their records or teamsters that will cause more trouble than it is worth.

Originally Posted by Whistlin' Dan

Don't forget Pan Am, Continental, and TWA. Even Flying Tigers was a career destination for some. Then it wasn't, then it sorta-was. Then it really-was again, but that came too late for those who had been on the fence about it before.

UPS was indeed, a "crap job." Mainly because it's flt ops were conducted much as Amazon's are today...as an operating unit that exits largely on paper. One cannot say they treated their employees badly because they really didn't have any employees. Their contractors may have, but they didn't. "Meh. Let 'em take up their problems with their respective companies. Not OUR problem."

FedEx in the early days under Fred Smith was not unlike DHL when Larry Hillblom still had a hand in running it. And FedEx's flt ops after Fred Smith dies are almost certain to become a lot more like DHL's are now. But that's a subject for another thread...

Amazon, as long as Jeff Bezos is alive and on the property, is not going to change it's business model. It's effectively firewalled itself from civic responsibility, labor discord, and from most labor laws in general. Amazon is not going to become the salvation of pilots who missed the brass ring of a job at a legacy carrier, or of those who actually prefer the relative serenity of flying at off-peak hours away from passengers and the hustle and bustle of airline terminals. Nor will Amazon bring salvation for warehouse workers, truck drivers, delivery drivers, or those who manage them. It's simply not in their corporate DNA to be that kind of company. And many American voters lack the will, the savvy, and/or the political influence to require it, and others like it, to be "that kind of company."

To carry forward your water analogy, "Pilots in the ACMI world are focused on the waves, when they should really be reading the swells"

Thanks for the reminder. And the warning...

Originally Posted by midnightshuttle

Nice post

Agreed that those here at ATI have missed the boat for the most part. Simple truth is that we will as a pilot group undercut anyone’s contract for the possibility of more business. We did it on the last one and will do it again. I don't vote like that but 75% do here, just a sad fact. Atlas wont fly for our wages neither will anyone else so eventually we will envelop most of the amazon ramp. If purp/brown wanna give up the business we’re ready.

Already getting our 76-300’s back into ETOPS and 77 is coming...

I think by fedex saying F U the industry is playing into amazon hands

Originally Posted by midnightshuttle

Nice post

Agreed that those here at ATI have missed the boat for the most part. Simple truth is that we will as a pilot group undercut anyone’s contract for the possibility of more business. We did it on the last one and will do it again. I don't vote like that but 75% do here, just a sad fact. Atlas wont fly for our wages neither will anyone else so eventually we will envelop most of the amazon ramp. If purp/brown wanna give up the business we’re ready.

Already getting our 76-300’s back into ETOPS and 77 is coming...

I think by fedex saying F U the industry is playing into amazon hands