Yeah and we as tax layers get to foot his bill! We should be spending tax money defending and stopping terrorists, not defending them!!

That may be the most depressing post I've read in years. Maybe the most depressing of all time.

We are in far more trouble than I ever imagined.
I guess it hadn't really hit me before, or I didn't want to believe it, but satchip's post opened my eyes. The company, the bankruptcy courts and the union have done their job all too well. Its taken a few years, but the expectations for what an airline pilot can expect from this career have successfully been "reset".

We've lost the new generation of pilots. Maybe they got here to the majors at too young an age. Instead of comparing their compensation and lifestyle to doctors, lawyers and engineers they compare themselves to their buddies who are assistant manager at the Burger King. Or maybe they got accustomed to the minimum wage sweat-shop life at Comair and think Delta is some sort of paradise in comparison.

Placing trust in management to take care of us in the long term if we are "non-confrontational". That is just profoundly naive. Praising the union for "reading the tea leaves" and realizing how much we were overpaid. That is just profoundly sad.

I shed a tear for this once great profession.

For those all those who are flying or doing something productive with their day, the investor site says the earnings call will be archived until March 1st or so.

Check;
Wrong. Not all are lost. Many understand the score and what we are up against. We also see this as a war and not one final battle. There is a big difference in that.
I see this as a two to three contract offensive. I hope we come close this contract. I really do.

Buddies at Burger King? Really? That's a little dramatic Check. Please show me a Burger King Employee(non management like us) who makes 50,000 a year. And that's our 1st yr pay.

I'm all about raising pay, but come on.

You're right. I should have said Burger King manager.
I'll re-write the post.

I don't have a problem with $50,000 1st year pay.
Its the $150,000 25th year pay that is wrong.

First year pay for a corporate flight attendant at two Fortune 100 companies that I know about is 83-88K per year. They work hard, and they deserve it. So do new pilots, but not if their expectations have been reset.

Check Essential is exactly on point.

Carl

Well that'll learn ya to go away for one night!

Carl

Code a phone announced that a plan for a spring/summer time frame for online booking of jumpseats. Anyone have any details? Will this result in a reservation system that takes seniority into account?

god I hope not! I think the first come, first served process is working quite well.