Originally Posted by dalad

You might want to check Thompson and Monarch as well. What does Virgin Atlantic charge?

Originally Posted by forgot to bid

I don't know, they didn't come up. Stby...

Originally Posted by sailingfun

You might check on the pay at Virgin. Branson talks a good game but pays his people peanuts.

A study of average salaries by the Civil Aviation Authority put the top earners at British Airways (£107,600), followed by Virgin Atlantic (£89,500), Monarch (£80,100),Thomson Airways (£78,300), Thomas Cook Airlines (£75,200), Easyjet (£74,100), Jet2.com (£69,900) and bmi (£58,300).

Read more: Virgin strike: Sir Richard Branson sends letters to pilots | Mail Online

That means the top earner at Virgin made less then 150,000 as a 747 Captain in 2011.

Originally Posted by Check Essential

If you believe so strongly in the wisdom and benevolence of management and place so much trust in them, then why do you support ALPA?
Is a union even necessary?

We "force" Mr. Anderson to do a lot of things that are "unprofitable". Maybe we should just get rid of that pesky contract.

Originally Posted by Purple Drank

Very true.

I've noticed that tsquare is opposed to any measure or initiative desired by the pilot group that would cost Delta more money. He's taken it upon himself to tamp down our costs.

Originally Posted by Mesabah

Pay rates used to be based on stacking the deck for retirement, now however, you want to earn more money at the start of your career. So LBP helps younger pilots more so than older ones.

Originally Posted by forgot to bid

you want to overnight in a place in the midst of their civil war?

you know The 617 is an exclusive club of thinkers and if you keep picking destinations in the midst of a civil war we are not going to invite you in.

Originally Posted by TheManager

I'll take an exception to this. My fellow pilots and I want some things that will cost the company $.

* Industry leading duty period average increased from our current 5:15 to 5:42(SWA). Eliminate the back side of the clock carve outs.

* Increasing vacation pay from 3:15 to the industry leading 6 (FDX). Sh!t, I'd even settle for 5 but don't tell them that.

* increasing training pay that is currently 3:45 to the industry leading 4:23 to 4:30 range (SWA & others).

* Oh, and the most important, obtaining a medical plan that is some what affordable. Reference Southwest Airlines PPO plan that comes in way below our plans.

Shiz, your response didn't seem to track with what PD and Check were writing. No one says we should demand they start "unprofitable operations" like that ridiculous 777 service from ATL to MCO.

What they are saying is that we need to negotiate and obtain benefits that will cost the company money. By nature, they will be less profitable. We will have to break some eggs to make this omelette.

They (Pd and check) are taking exception to those who believe that by merely asking and bargaining for such items as listed above, they will cost the company money, and thus they take it upon themselves to try and "tamp down our costs."

In order to have a truly industry leading contract that even gets close to getting our '96 wages back (adjusted for inflation) instead of C2k restoration, it is not going to be one of those "zero cost contracts" that management parrots to Wall Street. It's going to have an impact on their profitability.

Is that wrong?

Originally Posted by tsquare

I have no idea of this 617 that you speak. And the entire country is not burning, but my heart goes out to the people of Ukraine....

Originally Posted by tsquare

I'll take Pete Rose over Barry Bonds all day and twice on Sunday.