The Kool Aid drinking MEC is only using have of their budget each year. What do you think they are doing with the other half? Yep, just what you think, preparing.

Hop Sing........now that is a new one for me, but gotta love stupid pilot tricks eh?:eek:

Nope, I've flown with the other guy (MC) and thank gawd it was only a 2 day. The first guy on my avoid list, but I'm in MSP now so I'm safe.

One night in the Sports Bar in NRT, a bunch of guys started telling MC stories. Mine was weak by comparison:D..............but the others were fun to listen to. My favorite story is prostan has convinced him to never make another PA. Somehow the several FAs got the prostan number (not from me, but I wish I'd a thought of it) and complained about his 10 minute PAs:D


Ferd

We did it because everyone backed it up. The airlines were able to pattern bargain with the traveling public and won. If everyone does it, it is sustainable, as it because part of the average industry price/cost etc.

I agree with the premise about pilots and quality. We are looking at 10 years for it to be a major issue at our level. If they can nail a major with liability for a regionals actions, it will be sooner.

You got it.


:D

I think thats all Alex says.

I don't think I ever compared my ability to the ability of anyone else. What I am writing is my opinion and I think I clearly stated it as such. I also think I did it in a pretty humble and respectful way. I'm sorry if you interpreted anything I said as arrogance or putting anyone else down. If I failed that badly at communicating my intent, then maybe you should strike "professional writer" off that list of occupations you have going for me. Just a thought...

Have a good evening! :)

My point is that the industry seems to be able to implement ticket price increases in the range of about $5 to $25 (bag fees, etc.) without too much trouble. The amount required to fully restore our profession is probably a heck of a lot less than $25 per ticket. I'm not convinced that "pattern bargaining" is how it absolutely has to be. We could be unnecessarily limiting ourselves by subscribing to that philosophy. It certainly seems to play into management's hands pretty well.

----------
Pineapple;

I see a great deal of logic in your posts, but IMO this one crosses the line from trade unionist to 4th floor wannabe. I believe I understand what you are trying to say, but your divisive and dismissive statements to a front line fellow pilot don't encourage me.

If my strike fund is big enough for me to strike until I am 97 does that encourage you?

It isn't only about what 777 Capts and 744 Capts make. There are likely DC-9 fo's that make less than flight attendants - is that good with you?

There is an element of our compensation that beyond which we may actually be able to add back in the occasional luxury toy. Today, the general DAL pilot doesn't have that discretionary income. Yeah, the economy sucks, but I really don't worry or care what a $10/hour man or a fellow DAL employee thinks about my compensation.

When we were about to enter chap 11, I had a dead battery in the employee parking lot and a DAL mechanic wouldn't give me a jump start because we hadn't yet voted in a a pay cut. Right then and there, I stopped caring what they thought about pilots...forever.

I am not an angry young man, but if you are union officer, please change your goggles or return to the line.

88;
Maybe maybe not. I would be very surprised to see a initial proposal that was not above what many have would like to see.

Raising ticket prices is a tricky game. Even a dollar difference can land you on the second page of a search engine. 25 buck takes you off the screen. We can do it, but it does come at a cost. The cost is tickets sold. If we were not debt burdened, I could see that and sticking to it. It would result in a big reduction in capacity but it probably would be sustainable.
RJs were initially designed to take capacity out and raise the RASM. It did not happen as all carriers did it. Cutting capacity when there is demand will raise the price, but arbitrarily raising the prices when others do not results in a significant drop in ticket sales. We do not see this data as it is closely guarded, and a trade secret. It is fact though. That is why some fare increases only last a day or two. We have data that extrapolates out sales given current volume and when these hit certain levels it shows an unsustainable price hike. It is quickly removed in favor of cash flow.

One thing that will help it raising prices and keeping them there is to retire debt. It allows flexibility that we do not currently have as a corporation.

Like I said about 10 pages ago, our initial proposal will limit the ceiling and the company proposal will set the floor. D-ALPA will cost everything out do an EFA and come up with what they know to be a good ball park. It will be forward looking and look at debt service, revenue trends, etc. It is three dimensional.

I hope we ask for a lot, I suspect we will. Our reps seem to think that way as well. I do not see us a limiting our top end, just framing our point of reference. Kind of like when I put a offer on a piece of land. I low ball the hell out of it, knowing full well what it is worth. I beleive we will ask, and make a valiant argument for a lot. In the end it is about economics.

Using history as a guide this PWA should be the best the pilots of delta have seen. We are entering a good time for the airline, and will be at the table at the correct time. If it is not what I expect we can get, I will vote no. If I feel it is as good or close to what I bet we can get, I will vote yes.

I am all for a shorter duration if the macro economic picture lends itself to a three year deal. It longer looks better, I will take that in to consideration as well. It is called being nimble and adapting to what is going on.

You hit the nail on the head. Pilots are not looking for money for toys. They are looking for money to have their wife's stay at home, pay down debt etc. It is about having a QOL not excessive quantity.

Mt Dew? I thought it was 2 liter Pepsi bottles. He also single-handedly almost lost us XCM privileges on AK.

If he ever washed his tie, he would have soup :rolleyes: