Openers today?
05-15-2026 | 12:39 PM
#1321
Line Holder
Joined: Feb 2024
Posts: 401
Likes: 76
05-15-2026 | 01:43 PM
#1322
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Nov 2020
Posts: 2,973
Likes: 239
From: Enoch Powell Enthusiast
There don't appear to be enough pilots to go around.
Knowing this, I don't see why the company would want to find a "solution" that involves throwing more money at the problem.
Get staffed up, drag out negotiations, then see where things go.
Those who want to fight the 22%+ inflation that has taken place over the past 6 years can just work as much extra as they care to, I guess.
05-15-2026 | 01:48 PM
#1323
Line Holder
Joined: Jul 2023
Posts: 941
Likes: 324
Main thing I took away from the white paper is no tweaking of GS, OOBWS, SS, QS, IA, AUTO-ACCEPT, ETC. is going to make a real difference.
There don't appear to be enough pilots to go around.
Knowing this, I don't see why the company would want to find a "solution" that involves throwing more money at the problem.
Get staffed up, drag out negotiations, then see where things go.
Those who want to fight the 22%+ inflation that has taken place over the past 6 years can just work as much extra as they care to, I guess.
There don't appear to be enough pilots to go around.
Knowing this, I don't see why the company would want to find a "solution" that involves throwing more money at the problem.
Get staffed up, drag out negotiations, then see where things go.
Those who want to fight the 22%+ inflation that has taken place over the past 6 years can just work as much extra as they care to, I guess.
We could have double our current staffing, and it would still take hours to work through the coverage ladder to get to a short call reserve.
05-15-2026 | 02:14 PM
#1324
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 2,335
Likes: 1,290
We are absolutely understaffed, at the white paper explains, however the coverage ladder will need to be adjusted no matter how well staffed we get. They can not cover close trips with reserves without going through in and out of base white slips first, and that is currently impossible to do in any timely fashion.
We could have double our current staffing, and it would still take hours to work through the coverage ladder to get to a short call reserve.
We could have double our current staffing, and it would still take hours to work through the coverage ladder to get to a short call reserve.
RG is mostly correct when he states that he doesn’t need our help to fix the operation. His true goal is lowering the cost of our contract, which will never happen. Fixing the operation is their prerogative.
05-15-2026 | 03:25 PM
#1325
Line Holder
Joined: Mar 2022
Posts: 643
Likes: 58
We are absolutely understaffed, at the white paper explains, however the coverage ladder will need to be adjusted no matter how well staffed we get. They can not cover close trips with reserves without going through in and out of base white slips first, and that is currently impossible to do in any timely fashion.
We could have double our current staffing, and it would still take hours to work through the coverage ladder to get to a short call reserve.
We could have double our current staffing, and it would still take hours to work through the coverage ladder to get to a short call reserve.
What would be a healthy total pilot staffing number? Not the minimum. Are we going to be seeing 18,500 pilots on the seniority list before we go back to hiring for attrition?
05-15-2026 | 03:31 PM
#1326
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Joined: Sep 2025
Posts: 1,123
Likes: 1,006
05-15-2026 | 03:34 PM
#1327
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 3,547
Likes: 1,081
It’s 100% possible under the current system. They simply need to pay an M7 pilot for it each time.
RG is mostly correct when he states that he doesn’t need our help to fix the operation. His true goal is lowering the cost of our contract, which will never happen. Fixing the operation is their prerogative.
RG is mostly correct when he states that he doesn’t need our help to fix the operation. His true goal is lowering the cost of our contract, which will never happen. Fixing the operation is their prerogative.
The coverage ladder needs to be addressed by the company. They could hire 10000 more pilots but the problem won't go away. They've got to get us to give up AA and that's going to cost them
I'm sorta glad we didn't get the quick deal and we get to go to the mats again.
BTW nice job of the 73 crew I commuted home on. Capt was an LCA he was slinging bags and even made a galley PA. Where do we find these people. SMDH
05-15-2026 | 04:26 PM
#1328
Line Holder
Joined: Oct 2021
Posts: 1,331
Likes: 386
10000 more pilots WOULD solve the GS/QS/IA short-notice coverage crisis. Because RES would be available. But it wouldn't solve 23M7, which I believe is what you're both saying.
Staffing is absolutely a problem, as the white paper shows. The company ALSO needs to offer a massive quid for the 23M7 issue.
05-15-2026 | 04:44 PM
#1329
Roll’n Thunder
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,189
Likes: 616
From: Pilot
I *think* that you're both saying the same thing.
10000 more pilots WOULD solve the GS/QS/IA short-notice coverage crisis. Because RES would be available. But it wouldn't solve 23M7, which I believe is what you're both saying.
Staffing is absolutely a problem, as the white paper shows. The company ALSO needs to offer a massive quid for the 23M7 issue.
10000 more pilots WOULD solve the GS/QS/IA short-notice coverage crisis. Because RES would be available. But it wouldn't solve 23M7, which I believe is what you're both saying.
Staffing is absolutely a problem, as the white paper shows. The company ALSO needs to offer a massive quid for the 23M7 issue.
As others have said no amount of staffing fully fixes the 23m7 cost to the company. Trip coverage will take a long time until (if) something is ever done to adjust auto accept.
05-15-2026 | 04:45 PM
#1330
Line Holder
Joined: Sep 2025
Posts: 1,123
Likes: 1,006
More staffing fixes our operational issues. When easy trips go out as QS and then IA with no takers, that means the pilots you have are maxed out. We’re canceling flights because pilots are burned out from picking up so much OT, on top of high ALVs and crappy bid packet trips. More staffing allows for lower ALVs, more credit in trips making them less prone to breaking down into uncovered legs, and just more pilots overall to pick up extra flying on their days off.
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