Because HT thoight she could run the airline super hot by bumping every category against the TLV limit and cover the rest using premium. You can tell she's frustrated that our take rate isn't as high as she projected based on her complaints about no one picking up on weekends.

Then there is the fact that the m7 whales are bidding day turns, dropping their entire schedule and filling up without turning a wrench. This likely wasn't accounted for and is likely 5-10% of some categories.

Then of course there is the constant ****ing on our legs because we aren't breaking our backs trying to help them get their MIB

 

Based on hearing her speak this week, I’d imagine this is correct. She said “I have enough pilots to staff this air line. I don’t have enough pilots to staff this air line with the absence rate and the take rate on slips. Therefore we are hiring 200 a month at least until the end of the year.” She sounded like we’d murdered her dog or something.

Even the high up VPs at Velvet talked about how concerning completion factor was so I’d imagine that HT and RG are in the hot seat right now. Oh well, if they want relief I’ve heard ALPA is taking calls…..

In the meantime I can wait. 23 mil a month for 23m7 is a rather ironic number match.

 

She said they’re gonna (gasp) send flights back to RJs. That threat rings about as hollow as RG cancelling airplane orders if people keep calling in sick.

 

Seniority list actually shrunk by approximately 125 pilots in 2025....so they weren't even able to meet their goal of "hire for attrition"

 

All the above are true, and excellent point you made Breezy, people need to read that, then read it again.

This air line has been grossly and intentionally under staffed since late 2018. It worked until it didn't. The nexus of the PB rug pull, the pre-posted rest, being chronically under staffed and the jacking of the TLV have made this cancellation storm. The only way out for them is to hire more bodies. That's the only solution. We told them multiple times over the past 7 years that we need more pilots. They, however, think they are the smartest people in the room. We told them eventually, the chickens come home to roost. And that is where we are at for 2026.

Their natural management reaction is to toss the blame on us. Well we are much smarter than that. Their actions have all had consequences, and those consequences are an eroding of the "brand". It rests with one person, surprised they still have a job.

 

Other things I thought about and wanted to point out. She has made the claim that we are staffed pretty much the same as 2019 with less flying. She is either intentionally misrepresenting the numbers or is incompetent. 2019 has been a benchmark of running too hot. Summer was widely seen as one of the worst in our history AND a huge drive behind QOL items requested in C19.

Now, for the numbers part. Network and non FOP management have said that shoulder months of the pre-covid era are completely gone, at least domestically. This historically was a perfect opportunity to drop every ALV to 72 to drive down TLV lookback. Now, in Oct-Nov and Jan-March, ALVs were pushing 80 in some categories.

What also isn't mentioned was the company came to us during COVID and begged for us to lower the TLV window. It was critical to the airline's survival because they had to jack up ALV artificially to keep us in the window.. Bully to ALPA for agreeing to lower it, much to the chagrin of the minority crowd on social media saying it was a concession. They KNEW the company was going to return to running hot and used that as a way to drive up staffing requirements. HT and her band of merry men either are willfully ignorant of this change while still trying to run it at 2019 levels or intentionally misrepresenting our situation to their bosses and us.

 

I often wonder after hearing HT speak, do we even work at the same air line?!?!?

 

Empty threat. Especially with flow rate issue and gate space issues at almost every airport. And now FAA taking action at ORD. Who is this person?

 

Even worse, both facts are true.

HT, RG and most of FOPs are grossly incompetent, incredibly arrogant and intentionally lying to their bosses.

Prior to COVID I feel like leadership was arrogant, but competent or incompetent but willing to acknowledge missteps on occasion. This current leadership is incompetent and arrogant, a complete fools’ errand trying to work with them.

 

My wife grandfather, rest in peace, said to us many times… “you pay now or you pay later”.

They decided to pay later to save some coins. Now they are paying wayyyyyy more.