Hey, they're not all bad. But, they are not all good either.

 

"Cat Ranchers" gotta love the Internet, 31 years and I'm still learning every day in this business....LOL.. Now if I can remember the term in the AM....

 

Classic - I'm going to have to remember that one!

One Captain I flew with on the ER said he disliked going out to dinner with the crew - almost everytime, dinner cost him $100 because of the "I put in enough" game.

 

HOOK'EM HORNS!!

 

ACL and others,

After flying 13+ hours, I do not expect Delta management to make a formal announcement until Thursday. After all, the just put in a half day of work, flew 13+ hours, then had to get to downtown Tokyo to announce the JAL/DAL deal, if you can believe the media. I expect the fact that Anderson and Co are on there way, its agreed too. The will not get to their hotel until 7-8PM Tokyo time. I expect the next day over for them is making sure any agreed to "agreement" can withstand a JAL backrupcy filing.

I think it is a bit early to be ecstatic about the deal.... Spending 1 Billion dollars in cash and commitments for a bankrupt airline does not help our (pilots) case going forward to Contract 2012. With JFK Capitol improvements (terminal), the commitment (now?) to JAL, and the corporate debt the DAL has to either pay back or refinance in the next 3 years, a play for Alaska with surly lead the company to plead poverty at contract time.

A Guam rumor of up to 300 pilots and 21 737's does concern me. If Guam is a new opportunity to expand and fight for market share into China from the closest US soil, is one thing, but if is due to loss of wide body flying south and west of NRT, the every DAL pilot should be concerned.

Until the DAL MEC conveys to ALL of us what the plan is, I am cautious about what to expect. Narita is no Frankfurt. The 5th freedom rights allowed NWA to be the 3rd largest "Japanese" carrier in Japan after JAL and ANA. This "good corporate deal" might not be so good for pilots.

We shall all see. Lurked long enough.

 

we need to get some Alaska pilots to join in on the conversation...

Crunch...Crunch...You hear that?...Crunch...Crunch...know what that is? It's the sound of a 20+yr AS Captain top 20% seniority walking on egg shells on his way to the 'lions den'....

Changed Avitar from my snowboarding days up north to reflect mood for future SLI ...IF there is one.

Joking aside let's see if this rumor is for real! I'm very skeptical, if not doubtful that any kind of buyout or merger is forthcoming. Since the '80's I've heard of countless rumors from many sources of an imminent merger deal or buyout next 'Thursday' by 'xyz' only to discover that the deal is with another code sharing partner.

At this point in my career I would be happy to ride off into the sunset as an independent carrier. I see no positive benefit merging with anybody, personally speaking.

 

stix, welcome, Super brings pictures as olive branch. No sword needed. We appreciate Super around here although fwiw last nights tcu pic is probably the best so far Super.

Share whatever you'd like to share.*

 

Bar, initially the impression we got on JAL was it was a necessary evil for us, a lose-lose situation but with management all for it, ACL hinting at it being good has this thing become a win-lose situation?

I'd like to hear from slow again but something tells me there isn't much he can divulge.

 

I heard Bastian went cartwheeling out of the whale in NRT and then punched someone's grandmother in the face while yelling "DIS JOINT BE MINE, FOOLS!"


I'm checking out for the night.... tomorrow night, super's sideboob hour.

 

If and when it happens which is rarely I offer to buy a round and ask for separate checks right up front.

Also offer to buy coffee at Starbucks in the terminal, but coffee only - no
Fu Fu drinks. Usually have no takers but they have to act grateful