Considering politics in that region, it seems impossible to forecast what alliances with Korean or Chinese "partners" will stand the test of time. It seems premature to dismantle a hub like NRT. If we just enforced our contract, for a change, it seems that the company might have to downgauge as appropriate, AND continue the evolutionary path towards direct Asia flights, possibly with smaller, longer-range aircraft, i.e. some 737-900 E's and A321's instead of 757 intra-theater, less 747 feed and more A330's to NRT, a more A330-200's overflights, instead of 777's and 747's. Who knows what the company might do if left to work theough the various constraints? We don't, because we're already suggesting there is an easy button they can just push.

DPA, for a change, is actually right, even though they typically fumbled the execution, and their numbers on daily departures are off by a factor of 30.

So we have an apathetic group in the middle, overeager implementers and premature enablers on one side, and the grotesquely lobotomied DPA on the other.

What could possibly go wrong?

 

Bar I admit it, I'm dense. I've read that post time and again and no where can I see where it says section 1 paragraph __ was violated or where it says Section __ Paragraph __ was changed because of the Pinnacle Agreement.

That's how dense I am and why I try to avoid getting into these discussions. Youse guys are much smarter than I am. No sarcasm, just truth. I know my limitations and try to abide by them.

Denny

 

I'm not going to blame pilots for voting in a TA, when they were told they should vote for it by their union and the company.

If, the almighty "senior pilot" straw men said they don't need so many vacations why won't you allow me to sell them back and pick up flying? Whose job is it to throw cold water on that for the sake of the pilot group? Maybe the pilot group shouldn't be allowed to vote on things that improve productivity because maybe those kinds of things should never make it to a vote?

The one thing that should be remembered about may be hiring in 2012 if we voted in the TA, it came out after the TA was dropped in our laps. It was a sales job. And it worked. We had people who were in favor of the TA pointing to that as another reason to vote for it while those who were against the TA said "sales job." On that account, who turned out to be right? I'm guessing the people who said it was b.s. and we wouldn't hire.

 

1 D 11, and 1 D 12 are quoted therein and the changes are explained. Pinnacle changed the order of the Delta contract, putting their senior Captains first.

Further, we have maintained reciprocal agreements which give Delta pilots favored hiring opportunities as a job protection device (bilateral flow concept). Pinnacle did not honor this reciprocal agreement.

 

Right said Fred. Honestly, if I was trying to develop a dominant US-based airline network from scratch, I wouldn't start with a NRT hub. But since we have it, and since it is an organic alternative to fickle alliances, I would try to have the two pieces working together. If we hit a dead-end with KAL, or the Chinese, we emphasize the other.

This is assuming NRT remains viable, of course. Not a given...

 

BTW, I do kind of believe the often heard [from DALPA and I have the emails to show it] "well that's what senior pilots wanted" is nothing but a low grade straw man argument. And the best part is when they point to surveys you never see the results of.

I think the DPA should put it's money into surveys that are published.

 

Wasatch,

I appreciate your skepticism. I felt the same way at first glance. I have spoken face-to-face with reps from 3 different bases and I have confidence that they are aware of what is at stake. As reps they have info that I'm not privy to, and have made their best decision (to grant temp relief) on our behalf. To be honest that's all I have to go on, but for me that's enough. I respect each of these men personally and have no reason to believe I'm being sandbagged.

To top it off, if we don't find some sort of scope amendment by the fall that suits our purpose, things snap back to the way they were. I'm aware that some think that we're giving them a "free" summer, but I really don't think management is willing to foul the swimming pool over something this (relatively) small. Time will tell, but I trust that our reps are taking a calculated risk to allow us to win-win.

I share your concern, but am optimistic that we're looking at a potential improvement going forward.

 

Lee Moak is a "senior pilot."

 

Maybe you're on to something. "The most senior pilot [in this room] wanted that..."

 

I believe DPA plans to publish the results of all of their surveys, including the ones that have already taken place.