OR...you can put in a bunch of "blind swaps" and be done with it. That way you never have to look at it until you can get to a computer, and hope for the best.

There are several pages of trip qualifiers you should fill out, so you -hopefully- don't screw yourself too badly.

Or, do what the F/A's do, pay the Portland Mafia $1,500 to sit on the computer all day and put in your swaps...(that's what I was told, by a 15,000+ seniority F/A who was on a super senior trip!)

The "others" were not happy about her being there, I can tell you that!

asian mafia.

my last ER trip was to cph and the A line was a 28 year old guy who was a 2008 hire, so a year into the company. so the other FA's were a bit in a tizzy, as were we, because it was a mess back there and you've nwver seen meals screwed up as bad as these were.

Anyways, fa's start peppering this kid about how he got this trip. Now I have no freaking clue how FA stuff works but he said (after his initial claim was rebuffed) that within the Asian mafia somebody is assigned to monitor the computer. if you are a 'member' you don't drop without going through the person on the computer. they will then drop your trip for you, a's they have your codes, and then pick up the trip on behalf of another member as they have their codes as well. They have some sort of pecking order. everyone or the new members have to man that phone. don't go outside of that computer person or you'll pay.

they reason this works, according to this FA, is that it's first come first serve within the first 15 min of a drop. After that it's in seniority order.

that's how it was explained to me. fwiw

You both must have missed the whole Chapter 11 thing Delta went through. You can however google it and read up.

As far as SWA please tell me how SWA got the pay rates they have today? Also tell me when they achieved those rates how they compared to the rest of the industry.

We all know how SWA got to where they are now. We came back to meet them. But that isn't really the point is it? But folks seem to want to use them as the benchmark for pay.. fine. That is keeping within the concept of pattern bargaining, but the problem is that that "dot" if you will is artificial. Realistically, and I know I am gonna get slammed when I say this.. I truly do not expect that we can use them as the benchmark, and then ask for complete "restoration" of C2K+... it just ain't gonna happen. So basically, you can spin our payrates vs SWA all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that we are still, and will be in 3-4 years be working under a bankruptcy contract. Like I said in my last post.. for us to make any real meaningful "restoration" (whatever that means?) we have to look well beyond SWA, and that isn't likely to come to any fruition with a impotent national association of commuter airline pilots as our agent of change. So in a nutshell, management won.. we lost. SWA is king, and we ain't gonna change that.

/rant

LOL. That's my new bumper sticker.

It'll go great out here in SoCal. Right there with "COEXIST," "Who Would Jesus Bomb?," "Support your local organic farmer," "Say No to Prop H8TE!," and "Bush Lied, People Died."

Don't forget "Go Green with Prop 19"

Yep, and I almost forgot the most important one, "Bros Before Eskimos!":D

Here is a starting point: 1. Stovepipe both lists; this results in DAL Capts in the 73n down to DC9 being between 23% and 46% (2852 pilots) and AK Capts roughly 1% to 50% (about 725 pilots). 2. Ratio those groups...approx. 4-1 DAL pilots. 3. a repeat of this on the FO side would see DAL 73n and below FOs fall out 78%-100% (2728 pilots). Again, a 4-1 ratio of the bottom of the AK list into this group.

I hate fences as they are devisive by definition, but one might need to fence the 767 and up for 3 years (based on retirements starting to kick in, thus a boost in movement). Seat protect the AK guys in the SEA and ANC 73n category for 3 yrs (we need to make it less painful for them as well). LAX 73n open to all as we both have 73 bases there.

This would leave DAL 1%-23% completely unfazed. 23%-46% might see some minor issues on the west coast with a slight slow down in upgrade after 3 years, but that is unlikely as we continue to see growth in the WB flying out west. 46%-77% in the west would actually be helped as they would all be first in line for the Capt jobs coming available as AK Capts retire. hard to say what the impact would be on 78%-100%. Upside would be 1400 more positions on the west coast, downside of course is those AK FOs probably would not be going anywhere anytime soon.

Also keep in mind, the AK group is more senior (in age) than DAL. Their retirement rate as a percentage of total pilot group will be faster than DAL over the next 10ish years. This means more opportunity for upgrade and movement into west bases than we can currently expect.

I realize there are all kinds of other issues, and many may have valid arguments as to why these assumptions are wrong. I just thought I would throw the idea out there to be built on/deviated from...or completely dismissed as nonsense.

Yes, it is a first come first serve system. I would't mind that system, but I know that the majority wouldn't like it so I think having more PCS runs would be the answer. I honestly think if we had real time trading on a first come first serve basis like most other airlines have, guys would learn they like that over what we now have. Sure you might miss a trip or two, but you can make your life much better with a system like that. I've done both now and prefer the live swap system....I even perferred it when I was senior.

Here are a couple of ideas for a real time trading system. Let blind swaps be submitted and awarded in seniority order before the trip is dropped into the pot. If your flying fill out your wish list and if a trip comes open while flying and it matches your requests, you get it if your seniority holds it. No waiting for a PCS run. If the trip goes into the pot then those who request it could receive a text telling them a new trip has dropped into open time. When the trip is dumped into the pot a 15 minute clock is started. During that 15 minutes everyone who gets a text can use their smart phone to look at the trip and request a trade or to pick it up. When the 15 minutes is over, it is awarded to the most senior person who wants it. If it is still in the pot after that, first person to request it gets it real time. Allowing swaps and white slips up until 12 hours prior to report would also be nice.

We can get 500 of said stickers for $0.62 a piece. Sell them for $2 to each and every one of the LAX guys and whoever else we can find that will support the cause and make a cool $600 or so dollars. :D

DAMN YOU SHIP SETS!!!!