Here's some great info. I've stated this in the past WRT to assessments. More proof that TC needs to do research before he puts out his emails.

As we reported in Touch & Gos 12-01, there have been rumors and wild but unsupported speculation that the awarded damages will be very large, requiring an assessment of the ALPA membership. There is no basis for this assertion. Further, ALPA has never assessed its membership to pay for litigation, awards, verdicts or settlements, and no such assessment is being considered.

But to add to what we wrote in Touch & Gos 12-01, you should understand that under ALPA’s Constitution and By-Laws, an assessment of the membership can be adopted:

Only by a majority vote of the Board of Directors or the Executive Board and then

Only by a majority vote of the active members in good standing, i.e. ALPA’s line pilots


Don’t allow yourself to react to or be influenced by rumors, speculation, and misinformation that you may encounter on the line. ALPA will continue to use every resource at its disposal in defense of this case, and we will keep you updated with facts as the case goes forward.



So there you have it. Tim's claim that an award to TWA can be covered by a mandated assessment is flat out wrong.

I did some digging in icrew, & a flight was CXD on the 27th. Looks like 9856 was a segment to get the plane back to ATL.

Connecting thru AMS or CDG
 

Gentlemen,

Trying to decide whether to connect to FCO through AMS or CDG? Never been to either airport...ATL FCO looks tight for non revving. I am leaning towards AMS just because it is open up front...CDG, not so much? Planning on KLM out of AMS or AF out of CDG in order to get to FCO.

Anybody done this before? How long to allow in between connections? 2 hour?

Thanks guys!

Getting ready to do the same thing in October. From what I can tell, arriving in CDG, you have to exit the secure area where we park (2E), go through immigration, back through security and out to (2F) where the AF flights go out to Rome. Depending on the time of day, etc.. etc.., the lines can be long. I do think with 2 hours you should be okay however. Delta books connects with much less time than that.... LOL.

Thanks to all the fine men who put their names out to serve as Status Reps in Council 44. This year we have some excellent Candidates to pick from.

Pilots in C44 got a candidate's letter in their e-mail from David Nestor, which is worth a comment. We have some great people in office and some good people running too, but in this letter one Candidate takes a stand on the issues. Whether or not you agree, it is refreshing to see objective details about a Candidate's positions. Further, David Nestor has a lot of experience with the day to day work of representing pilots and helping folks find the right answers, which is a large part of the day in any Status Rep's job.

Read all of your Candidates' letters and vote.

My wife and I have nonrevved through both airports, and actually nonrev through AMS on a fairly regular basis as there are three direct flights from MSP and connecting in AMS is far less stressful than hassling with JFK or ATL! I would say Amsterdam is your better bet, it's more compact & better laid out than CDG, transfers are quite easy with the transfer desks, and I've found the KLM agents to be friendlier & more knowledgeable than AF agents. There's also a DL nonrev center in AMS in case you get stuck and need more paper ZED tickets, I don't believe there is anything of the sort in CDG.

One hour should be sufficient for connecting in AMS. I've done it in a half hour but that's really pushing it, as you have to go through customs unless you're transferring to a non-Schengen country, plus security a second time. The good news is that KLM doesn't really overbook, and you're often the only standby.

On KLM, ZEDs are really easy now that they're electronic, you buy them online with myidtravel.com, and then you simply check in at the kiosks at the transfer desks. It's quite slick, no extra step of listing. If you don't use the flight, you can refund it online (minus a $1.50 ticket fee, I think). Keep in mind that Alitalia may also be an option AMS-FCO, and they are use the cheaper ZED-L fares. In either case, though, taxes out of AMS will be the majority of the cost of the ZED ticket.

Let me know if you need anything else...enjoy Italy!

Agreed. I'm not ATL based, but I had a chance to read Dave Nestor's letter. He certainly addressed hot button issues that effect the entire pilot group. I encourage all ATL based pilots to read the campaign letters and vote. Most people don't realize the expense for those letters comes out of the candidate's own pocket.

Thanks for making that easy. I'll try a personal drop. Thanks again.

... Chad Smith's letter came out right behind Dave Nestor's. This letter also contains point by point discussion of the issues. He's a 13 year Captain, but a young, pretty junior, guy who has a long time left with Delta Air Lines. He takes a long term view of ALPA and Delta.

Both would have my vote if I was ATL based.