Your view is that the pilots should be able to have 100% of the cost savings from an early out program shifted into the early out program, in other words $1 of benefit for pilots for every $1 saved by the company.

Because of constructive engagement, we will get that and more. I bet the company is willing to put up more than the cost savings into the early out plan. In fact, it's almost a given that this will cost the company more than it will save.

The fundamental problem you have is overestimating the cost savings and therefore trying to over-leverage those savings into some broad based expansive program. You want to get $50 million in benefits for $10 million in cost savings. The company is more than willing to give the $10 million and probably a significant percentage beyond that. The problem is that they have a limit on how high they will go. They will go above some proven demonstrable savings level, but they will not match your unproven, invented targets. The primary savings to the company is quickly reducing the 747 staffing overages. Letting 7ER or A330 or 73N or A320 crews retire does nothing for them, it only increases costs and provides them with no benefits. Any plan must have some degree of targeting applied or it is just all gravy for pilots and the company gets even more costs applied. Sounds good to you and me, but this is a consensual negotiation and the company can walk away at any time with no harm no foul. The question is do you push as hard as you can and take what you can get, or do you put on some stupid show of being a hard liner and get nothing?

You think you need to crack heads to get to 100% tradeoff and in fact we are probably already beyond 100%. You are not going to get 300% or 500% no matter how many heads you crack. The company simply has the option to do nothing and absorb the $10 million and then move on. So Googles has it right, take what you can get and then move on to the next deal.

Word is we had 3 diverts that were a part of the decision to accelerate the retirement of the 747. Curious if there are details and why they were such high profile.

First of all, you were the one offering up a concession, not me.

Moving on, you want a billion dollar improvement in our contract. Is that a yearly increase in value of a billion effective on the amendable date, date of signing, or throughout the duration of the contract?

What would the duration of the contract be?

It's easy to say what it is that you want, the tougher part is getting it.

So how would you get Delta to sign that deal? What leverage would you use besides your offer to trade months of flexing up the ALV for increased pay?

Parking the 747's has zero impact on the 717 training pipeline.

Is there a point you agree with pay banding? If for example we get a 2 tier pay banding of NB, WB with no freezes beyond what they are now would you agree to that?

What about a 3 year freeze? What raise percentage would it take?

Personally I am open to banding with no increase or maybe a 1 year increase in freezes depending on raises. I am in agreement that PS should be off the table.

Do you believe that after parking 25% of the 744 fleet, that the 744 will be staffing-limited and the airline couldn't take some of those pilots off the line and displace them into an A330 to staff that growing category?

Would staffing the A330 with displacing 744 pilots create stagnation for those who would want an AE to those training slots?

ATL Airport Traffic
 

Guys,

Does traffic back up approaching the airport from the south? How is it coming in on I-75 or I-85?

Thanks Scoop

Nothing like it does from the north side. I drive in on 85 from Alabama and the only slow down is right around Newnan and then when 85 meets 285. Going south is the same story. Slowdown is relative too. from 80 to 50.

I'm back living in LGC, the traffic hardly ever backs up on I-85 NB. Easy 50 minute drive from my driveway. Now tomorrow will be a different story, with all the traffic headed NB from the last big beach weekend in the Panhandle.

Light years better coming from the south. Be aware however that GA has a very aggressive tax collection system set up on the interstates. Both state and local jurisdictions send collectors out to feed at the highway trough.