You wife will enjoy the extra money, whereas my wife prefers me home! Why? I have no idea. I would want me out of the house. All I am doing is sitting in front of the TV watching the Olympics.

 

I think they turned them off during the health care debate. They may be back on. Except in Lousianna.

You know whats funny thinking about that, I was on the no-fly list from 2004 on to some unknown time. Another person with my name had threatened a Senator or something and everyone with my name was put on the list. I contacted my congressmen and the Senator's office did try to help but you talk about a mess. If scheduling listed me on a DH the computer would kick me off and I'd show up (usually at last minute because it was a DH) and no seat. I missed a DH once. Non-reving was flat out a no go sometimes thanks to the occasional unhelpful gate agents at my previous airline not willing to do a drivers license DOB check.

The good thing was I could still ride the js so I just did that every where I went. I just couldn't ride in the back because I was on the no fly list.

Found out after doing a DCA turn too, thought that was funny that I could Captain a plane down the river but not ride in the back of one from EWR-ATL. Funny of course until I found out how seriously screwed you can get with it.

fwiw, I don't have a problem anymore and haven't for three years or so.

 

My aunt is no the list for some reason or another. No amount of prodding seems to rectify that either.

Still working on that one.

Hey any chance you can get to fill up a Congressman's in box, do it!

 

Don't forget, you don't need a calender day off, just a 24 hour period. Pays for lots of chocolates.

 

I finally got the Charmian's Letter this morning. Terrific letter and he is spot on in his arguments except one. In the end he states that the DOT is not following the President's bidding and quotes an interview passage about pro growth. On this I feel he is wrong. Make no mistake, the DOT is doing exactly what the Administration wants. It is part of the Executive Branch. The DOT is O and O is the DOT.

Maybe now some will realize what a Banana Republic government we have elected. We are on the Road to Serfdom ruled by a Neo Social/Fascist Federal Government where they either own the means of production (GM, Chrysler, big banks) or they dictate private owners how to operate (insurance, other banks, airlines, and others).

Pro Labor really means pro certain labor groups who own and are protected by government officials. Others be darned. Without healthy free markets and robust economic activity, labor cannot exist, let alone thrive. How's that Hope and Change working out for you now?

 

Let's not forget that it was the Bush DOT that wanted to take Delta's slots at JFK and put them up for auction two years ago - all of them.

 

I guess this is the "new version" of a regulated Airline Industry, an industry that is heavily regulated and controlled under the guise of Anti-Trust authority while boasting about a fair unregulated playing field.

I guess it really just goes back down to the politics of the day.

The letter mentioned something about starting up a grassroots campaign, does anyone know how we can contribute to this? I'm guessing writing a letter and sending it to some of our elected officials would be prudent, but which officials? And to where ALPA, or directly to DC?

 

If I remember correctly that plan was to take all the slots at JFK, not just Delta's and auction them in order to reduce peak time congestion. You are correct that it was a government taking and thus wrong, but there is a HUGE difference between an auction to the highest bidder to a virtual gift to a favored constituency.

 

DALPA should file a FOIA request for any correspondence between Congress and the DOT pertaining to this ruling. Maybe we can find some fingerprints on this crime scene.

 

That's one of the options, but remember there's lots of moving parts that have governmental interference in play. LGA-DCA slot swaps aren't the only deal out there. JAL/Open Skies have government fingerprints. Haneda access is still to be decided. AA-BA is only required to divest 4 slots in a much more controlled market by the same DOT that is proposing ripping the guts out of the LGA-DCA deal. That same DOT didn't raise a squeak when AirTran and CAL swapped EWR for DCA/LGA slots last year. Where is the greater concentration?

Delta has to tread carefully in working through these issues, as they have to work with this government in this "deregulated" environment. I think the Delta MEC Chairman made it clear in his letter that the Delta pilots don't have to...