That is a good point to add. Japan was never the goal, just the short term solution. As many have stated, Asia is the prize.

On the slot swap. If we really have to do this, and DAL really wants it done, they can give up the slots, and just fly many of the city pairs with less frequency and larger gauge jets. (mainline not RJ's of course)

The Safety card
 

Do we really accept the premise of that show? Regionals are unsafe?
Are we willing to say it in public?

If so:

It will never come from ALPA because of the major/regional dual representation conflict of interest, but it may be time for mainline pilots to play the safety card.
This has always been strictly taboo in our industry but desperate times call for desperate measures.
It wouldn't take much. A couple full page ads would generate media attention an order of magnitude larger.

A big picture of a pilot with his wife and kids:

My name is Jim Smith. I am a pilot for a major airline. I love my family.
I don't allow them to fly on regional airlines or regional jets.
I have been in this industry for 25 years and in my judgment the regional airline industry is unsafe.

etc. etc. pilot qualifications, training, schedule pressures, pay. Spell it out.

One of the best measures of a man is his resiliency. If you can extrapolate that to the corporate level, we must think a good measure of a company and by extension, its management team is their ability to bounce back from adversity.

We've had a great year with the merger. So the JAL folks didn't want to switch horses midstream - as ACL and others have eloquently said, we have other plans and long term I see the overflight of the NRT and HND airports in favor of the PTP structure that has been taking over the Atlantic.

As to LGA, they'll point out that LCC has already closed their base here and many of the slots will go unused (or used just enough to keep them open) thereby resulting in less options for the traveling public and higher fares. If they sell it to the right folks as a "Job Creator" or a "Job Killer" they could get some traction. I ultimately see this in court in some fashion if the DOT goes against precedent.

We have no control on these things, but if asked to fight again for the NY deal, I'll be all over it - that's something we can do. Let's stay informed and engaged but the sky is not falling, it may be a bit more cloudy but definitely not falling.

Not sure who would fund it because, as you said, ALPA is mute on the issue, but a billboard with that exact sentiment of I-75, I-85, and Camp Creek Parkway would be an excellent idea.

That's been tried before. The courts toss it out every time.
Congress gave DOT the authority to control those airports and slots.
"It is what it is" seems to be a popular phrase. That applies here.

I've been saying that here for years. That argument should be made in conjunction with the drive to require an ATP for all Part 121 operations, every seat. Why are the lives of 50 people less valuable than the lives of 120? It sure is going to peeve the Joe Merchant crowd though!

Makes sense and I'm somewhat happy since I hate having things wind up in the courts. So we just have to outbid JB for their pet Senator.

As to Spirit, couldn't we get their SA slots, get them into LGA/DCA and then make some sort of poision pill to make sure Spirit doesn't become a bitter enemy in the years to come?
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This I cannot believe, times have changed...Continental Airlines announced today that daytime operations would be suspended at Newark Liberty International Airport due to the impending snow storm, which could dump a foot or more on much of New Jersey.
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The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating violations of safety directives by Southwest Airlines, the third such probe of the Dallas-based carrier's maintenance record in two years. Is it time we start going after SWA for being unsafe? May or may not be fair but they (the airline that skews us for bag fees, poked AMR in the eye over the MD80 issues and claims to be the low fair airline even though they are not) have given us the ammo. I'd stop aiming our anger at the regionals and start aiming at our competitors without giving them a pass because they have better narrow body pay :rolleyes:.

Background from an article on the pending AMR fine - FAA officials have not yet determined the amount of the fine that will be proposed against American, but it will likely be along the lines of the $10.2 million fine the agency proposed against Southwest Airlines in March 2008, the officials said. The Southwest fine, the largest ever proposed by the FAA, was the result of nearly 60,000 flights made on planes that had missed required examinations for structural cracks. It was settled for $7.5 million in March 2009.
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If there is a 30 day period to allow us to talk then where shall we send our letters?
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To our competitors holding up the slow swap:

http://leonardzlg.files.wordpress.co...8/whining1.jpg

Now that is priceless...