I hope you are right on this one. If there is ANY type of concessions to pay for any gains we get in C2015.....I'm an easy NO vote. I won't even listen to the DALPA sales job this time around. I'm smart enough to know we don't need to give up anything when we can blow 5 BILLION buying back stock.

There is now no excuse for management to ask, or for ALPA to consider, any sort of concessions whatsoever. The corporation is swimming in cash. So much cash they are having a hard time figuring out what to do with it all. And a large portion of that cash is our money -- directly attributable to pilot concessions. Especially the termination of our pensions.

Giving billions to shareholders is not a slap in the face. Yet.
This will only be a slap in the face if they come to us with some insulting proposal like 9,6,4,4 funded by a reduction in profit sharing.

This better be a "historic" contract and it better happen soon.

We spent 3 days in Auckland, then flew to Christchurch and rented a camper van for 12 more days which I felt was about right for the South Island loop. Never felt too rushed, but everyday there were things that we would have stopped to see or do if we had more time. The whole place is really set up well for tourism, and the country and people embrace it.

Thing to remember is that their "highway" is more like a two lane road with shoulders so when you look at a map, plan on about double the driving time you might have spent in the US for the same distance.

Personally, if I had only 12 days or less, I'd just tour the south island (the Alps of the Southern Hemisphere), even if your not "outdoorsy" then maybe you'd go faster. Glaciers coming down to sea level to walk in to, fiords to cruise through (milford sound must see), glow worm cave to tour (outstanding on lake Tanau), visiting the beaches down by Invercargill and watching a flock of penguins just mosey up on the beach, hitting the hot springs with an amazing view in Tekapo, and short hike into the Blue pools on the Haast river, each day had some sort of natural amazement and I had three young kids in tow.

I've been all over the world with the Navy, including all over Australia, and nothing compares to New Zealand for me personally. Truly astounding. I'm jealous just thinking about it!

6 Billion return to shareholders + current Pilot pay = 18% pay raise on day 1 of the contract.

I'll go with 5% a year after that if, and only if we give no concessions.

Any scope concessions and or no tightening of the JV language and it's a NO vote from the bird.

Great advice. Thanks. Had many Aussies tell us to not waste time there and spend it all in NZ.

On daily trip coverage, what does the letter code "O" signify?

Great advice. Thank you. Had many Aussies tell us to not waste time there and spend it all in NZ.

Dave Grohl, excellent drummer and now guitarist. Foo Fighters!!

Absolutely, Aussieland is fun, but it aint NZ! Thats where the Aussies go to vacay!

In Australia, they will talk about the "Blue mountains" but there not really mountains at all, more like the edge of a giant plateau with a steep face.

AZ is quite similar to the US, but NZ is unpopulated, unspoiled and cheaper.

Send me a PM if you need any ideas for the South Island or the Aukland area, but the beaches near Aukland are the very broad, dark sand type.
LUV:o