DPA is dead. Let's get over it and move on.

Already?
 

Already complaining? Isn't that a little premature? I think there are probably over 10,000 pilots that would like to be in your shoes right now. Unbelievable.

Ah, I see what you did there, give me a little rope to see if I hang myself.:D

First, why RA would be interviewed by Quest is probably the most disappointing element of this whole discussion.

The CRAF saves the gubbmint money. For profit companies get paid to make their resources available. Resources the gubbmint doesn't have to acquire and maintain. Quid pro quo. Same goes for military charters. Is the issue you have that the government pays for services and those services happen to be airlines? Fwiw, essential air service has been a shrinking program.

During the era of bankruptcies, some airlines did take loans from the government. I honestly don't remember which ones took them, and do believe all of them have already been paid back...I could be wrong. However, those weren't subsidies any more than taking on a mortgage to buy a house is a subsidy.

The ME airlines get giant cash injections, don't have to pay them back and show small profits. Their books aren't open like publicly traded US companies are. There is a quantum level difference between their and our business plans. To what level they get subsidies, I don't know the true number.

It is also my belief that they have far more significant political clout and government insider-ness than our CEOs have. They are buyers of our debt (they own us). One of Bush2's most influential (unofficial) advisors was Bandar Bin Sultan a member of the house of Saud. Although we are not talking about Saudi airlines here. My point is our potential speculations likely only scratch the surface of reality as far as ME political clout goes.

Anyway, RAs comment doesn't link the ME carriers and terrorism. It's being spun that way. His comment linked the region. It reminds me of the firings and controversies surrounding the use of the "N" word which means miserly.

Apology given. Unnecessary to me, but given anyway. The ME carriers are subsidized when they say they aren't and they have the nerve to pretend to be appalled.

CRAF may indeed be a "subsidy" for the US airlines. However, since the vast majority of CRAF flights over the last decade have been to shuttle US troops to the Middle East in order to (in part) defend Qatar and the UAE, it seems discourteous of the ME carriers to complain. :-)

T

The issue is that that you are comparing pennies to hundred dollar bills. The subsidies to state owned carriers are on a simply massive scale. The few pennies tossed US airlines via charter and CRAF work are more then offset by the below market financing the U.S. government provides those middle east airlines to purchase Boeings. Financing US airlines are not allowed to access.

He wasn't complaing. Don't be a douche.

Too late.............

Huh? I'm not complaining, I'm pretty dang thankful and happy where I am. I was asking for a PWA reference, and pilotwife hooked me up with what I needed.

Nice day.

Victim card? Puuleeze....I didn't bring the update up, your guys did. I'm not attacking the DPA. I'm saying the DPA promised to be transparent and open and not do business the same way ALPA does. a fact I could probably dispute anyway as the DPA got ALL of ALPAs tax returns and reports because they ARE public. The DPA said all finances would be online and available to all members and detail eery penny spent. They aren't and haven't been since December 2013. They want me to hold ALPA to a higher standard that they have defined but they aren't going to do the same? The 990 isn't relevant here as I have adequately described to you why it's misdirection. What's relevant is that Tim is hoping pilots don't think. That big red debt line didn't get on the chart by mistake.

The fact that they aren't in power isn't the issue. They are a legal nonprofit union corporation registered federally and in Florida. They have to follow the same rules right now whether they like it or not. Timmy is running around talking to the media and pretending he represents Delta pilots so he has to play the part. Where's the money going? They ask for more money in every update and have stopped saying where they spend it. Guys like who are unhappy sending money to ALPA for everything are blindly sending money to Tim's Crusade. I find that more telling than everything when it comes to motivation.

Why hasn't the DPA uploaded complete finances for 2013, 2014 and 2015? What exemption is the DPA using to not file a 990? Why aren't there any other tax returns for the DPA on their website for the state of Florida and the US? Why hasn't the DPA published the results of the Department of Labor investigation into ALPAs alleged fraudulent 2013 taxes?

You know a cramdown deal is imminent if the MEC has started posting under its "hitimefurl" screen name.

Some misdirection, a little hysteria...and away we go.