Got no idea what is up, but one of our 737's was used as a testbed for wireless internet technology block to block. During recurrent there was mention made of seeing a few extra antennae.

I imagine we might be looking at a next gen IFE / Internet / Comm / Flight Bag concept.

A tablet would be a lot cheaper and more upgradeable than the Panasonic system.

 

No Sink, you didn't understand...

DALPA's argument was we are getting this deal now, as opposed to negotiating for say another year or two. They more-or-less admitted the "pay raises" (more correctly partial restoration) were not very large, but then justified them with the TVM argument.

If interest rates are say 2% per year, then negotiating for an additional 12 months costs you 2%. But if you then got a "raise" greater then 2% you come out ahead. If I still haven't explained it well enough I suggest you Google "time value of money" and hopefully someone else will do a better job than I. (My (admittedly meager) excuse is my finance degree is over 30 years old.)

Yes, we got a 4% increase last July 1, but historically speaking any increases after the amendable date are paid to the pilots as "retro pay". So the new contract got you six months of a 4% increase.

Interest rates are literally at record lows, which means the TVM is also at record lows. The incentive to negotiate a fast (but mediocre) contract wasn't there if money is cheap as it is now. Perhaps you're happy with our contract and the pay raises - I was stunned at how poorly DALPA negotiators did, and what the pilot group settled for.

Generally speaking it's better to negotiate when the economy is healthy. Clearly the US and world economies are struggling, yet Delta is making record profits. As the economy picks up steam Delta will make even more money yet we've locked ourselves out of that, indeed partially negotiated that away in the form of reduced profit sharing.

Again, If you're content, I'm happy for you. Of the First Officers I fly with a substantial percentage have been narrowbody First Officers for well over 10 years. I think it's fair to say in many cases money is "tight" at their households. When the transmission craps out on their 10 year-old car with 150K on the odometer it's big deal. They white slip above the ALV not because they want to, but because they have to. Similarly they take advantage of the pay/no credit for vacation because they "have to" to make ends meet.

 

New antennae you say?

 

If they are checked out on a Lear 60 send them my way. I'd take the relief. My wife isn't thrilled about me working 7 straight! Not a DAL pilot..... Just a wannabe!

 

Southwest Effect muted in carrier's first year in Atlanta | www.ajc.com


Is Southwest Airlines losing the luv? - Los Angeles Times

 

All of you discussing babies, reminds me of the payraise I got when they were out of diapers/ pull ups. Looking forward to grand babies now.

 

I hear this logic about picking up WS flying a lot, but l still want to know how me not picking up a WS so someone else can get a GS is going to help me pay my bills?

Disclaimer: I am a reserve guy, so WS does not come in to play for me. I am junior in a small category so GS don't make it down to me either. I see the the GS system help the same handful of people month after month, and not really get spread around much.

 

According to that picture, they are being flown by our codeshare partner, Korean.

 

I flew a 75 not too long ago that had some new, odd looking antennae installed. I don't remember the exact comment in the log book, but it was something like "new WIFI system installed and inoperative." The antennae were installed on the sides of the jet instead of underneath, so I suppose it could receive from above and below. I haven't seen another one since, but then I hardly ever fly these days so that's not really a surprise.

 

I don't believe the UAL or CAL pilots got full retro for the three years they spent negotiating their contract. I don't believe the AA or US pilots will get full retro for the many years they've spent negotiating. You may be assuming too much if you think that somehow we would have completed section 6 any faster than the other guys and received full retro for years of flat wages, when others have not.

The TVM means different things for different folks. If you leave $100k in the company's pockets while you negotiate, then get maybe half of that back in the form of a signing bonus, like the UCAL pilots did, then you're already starting in the hole at the DOS in just cash, we haven't even started to add in lost earnings on the cash left in the company's pockets.