Originally Posted by Snaplock (Post 3210758)

Oh yes. Here are some of the things captains have said to me during or right before the pandemic.


"Look at how cool this Tesla is. I can start it with this app." Tesla was $100K.

"Look at this amazing land and house I just got." It was almost $2M.

"I'm thinking about joining this special club. It's $60K to join."

"You should really get one of these e-bikes. I've got two and we love them." Turns out they were $6-$7K each. I could clearly see his LandRover and Porche along with his ginormous house in the background of the picture.

"Look at this boat I'm thinking of buying. I've got another one but this is a wakeboarding boat, so it would be nice to have this one too." Asking price was $60K for the boat.

"Man, I screwed up. I just closed on this house in Tennessee. But look at it! It's got over 40 acres and look at this grass strip!"

"My wife is mad at me again. I've put $1.2M into my business but I know I'll make it back."

"My next door neighbor is Bruce Willis."

"My house in Park City was as expensive as my house in San Diego."

"I've done well in the stock market."

"If I go out on disability I'll make more than I am now."

"Look at this new house that I'm building."


I could go on, and yes these are actual, 100% true things that captains have said to me. I award the deadzoners no sympathy.

Originally Posted by boog123 (Post 3210763)

some Captains aren’t deadzoners, have spouses with good jobs, inheritance, worked side gigs. Blah blah blah. What they don’t have is pity for guys making 200k per year with 16% DC and making Capt in 1-3 years.

Originally Posted by iaflyer (Post 3210523)

I think that profits for 2021 will be elusive and not much if we eke out a profit. So 2022 might be profitable, but I bet we'd spend a lot of 2022 getting to a contract. I think a soft money approach would be more successful and not generate the headlines that the Company and the gov't might find tough on a PR front (after taking all the stimulus money).

Look at Southwest - my buddy over there made $400k last year, not working too much either. Their reroute rules are outstanding - he made 32.9 TFP (28.8 hrs pay) for a three day trip, because they got rerouted and extended a day - and his last day was just a DH so he just deadheaded home on day 2. Also, like someone else said, "Improved reroute rules" doesn't anger flight attendants or make headlines. Something like 1.5x pay for each day your rotation changes - no carveouts for mechanical or whatever. Trip changes - 1.5x per day of change.

Second - medical costs. Other airlines have a zero cost medical plan option. I wish we could get some more money to lower the cost of DPMP. That's something that most people would utilize at some point here. I hate being lumped in with all the other employees who can realistically go to work with ailments that we cannot. I'd bet we spent significantly more in medical in order to keep out medical certificate. For the younger pilots, this may seem not very useful, but wait until you have a kid - you'll be spending some $$ at the doctors office.

Originally Posted by boog123 (Post 3210763)

some Captains aren’t deadzoners, have spouses with good jobs, inheritance, worked side gigs. Blah blah blah. What they don’t have is pity for guys making 200k per year with 16% DC and making Capt in 1-3 years.

Originally Posted by Snaplock (Post 3210758)

Oh yes. Here are some of the things captains have said to me during or right before the pandemic.

Originally Posted by iaflyer (Post 3210827)

Yep.. know your audience... I had a Captain complaining to me in 2009 (I was on second year pay at the time) - about the cost of the brake job on his Ferrari. :rolleyes: I know everyone has toys.. but the brake job was about the cost OF MY CAR...

Originally Posted by boog123 (Post 3210763)

What they don’t have is pity for guys making 200k per year with 16% DC and making Capt in 1-3 years.

Originally Posted by m3113n1a1 (Post 3210843)

Sounds like jealousy honestly. Maybe clouding your judgment?

Originally Posted by Big E 757 (Post 3210728)

As a minority, in terms of representing the dead zoners, calling our colleagues, whose vote counts as much as yours, millennials, or telling them to go to their safe space, doesn’t help your cause. Are you trolling, and getting a kick out of their reaction? Or do you really hope to improve your retirement prospects? Cause if you truly want better retirement, you’re going about it all wrong.

Originally Posted by JamesBond (Post 3210851)

I am under zero illusions that there will be anything done for the DZers.