I would agree with that. But for the sake of argument, even if it was all by shrewd design dreamt up on a vision quest, any claim of victory in outsourcing your jobs and then bragging about how that saved the jobs that weren't outsourced from being furloughed is one of the dumbest and most incompetent fantasy land beliefs in all of aviation. Even for a politician with national or higher level ambitions.

To say that with a straight face (let alone actually believe it) is to say that we should outsource all additional flying, provided it comes with convoluted flow down schemes that would be logistically challenging to implement, in the hopes that the jobs we lose by selling them protect the jobs we still have from being lost in proportion to the jobs we gave up to get that in the first place.

Oh and bonus, if that was a negotiating product of bad times, then when times are good we can get all that and more, like selling flying for "furlough protection" and a pay raise! :rolleyes:

From AMS, fwd from another site:


Here are the "highlights", in no particular order.....

***Profit sharing checks should be paid on Feb. 14, 2011 (no idea on amounts--rumor is @ one months salary--Normal deductions will be taken out--including 401(k) monies being put in)
***Retirement #'s... 13 will hit 65 in 2013, 154 in 2014, 234 in 2015 and that number accelerates from there....
***Lie flat seats will be completed in the 767-400 and 777 by July 2011, 747-400 and 767-300 are next then A330
***A330 second crew bunk will be completed in the next 18 months, look for 8-12 planes to have this done (200's only)--bunk in aft, cargo area
***Call in honest still being looked at, expect a "product" in the near future
***A.E. will be coming out 2nd week in January--preliminary indications will be MORE 747-400 spots (pulling last 747-400 "spare" out and using it)--AGAIN SUBJECT TO MARKETING CHANGES--Next A.E. after that-April-May timeframe will "address" A330/A320 and DC-9 ATL base AND 757 "changes" in ATL (going to a 767ER type thing (?)
***Look for another 18 months till the "dust settles" as far as base "realignment" etc...
***Revision centers are "coming back" (like old NWA), look for changes in NRT/AMS
***Flight Planning Room in NRT will be closed for a few days in the near future for "updating"--Look for bulletins on this.
***New crew tracking and scheduling improvements "In the works"--One "change" is a "subscription service" (no charge but you have to sign up for it) in regard to "crew changes on your schedule"-primarily for RSV folks--January 2011 expected roll out
***We will have 91 "fewer" A.C. flying in 2011--This will ALL come from 50 seat RJ's --Saab 340 (Mesaba flies those) and DC-9-40--"Block hours" will INCREASE across the fleets.
***New flight planning system "in the works"... bad news 2013 "roll out"--attempting to "improve FPS 2"
***i-crew improvements "in process"
***E.F.B. (electronic flight bags)--50 SUPER LUCKY folks, starting in January will be "demo-ing" these for 6 months (4 different vendors), they then will eliminate 2 and run the tests for another 6 months, so Dec 2011 they will have those "results"

Biggest "take-away", is that process is SLLLOOOWWWW and now that the FA's have "voted" on their representation some "quality of life issues" (i.e. commuting) may be addressed
Marketing is "driving" this airline... Base opening/closings is being driven by "where can we make the most money flying this aircraft" .....

Thanks iceman49. :)

Ok more reserve question from the guy the f&$% $p and ended up on reserve this month.

How many hours do I need to get to before I can tell scheduling...no thanks I prefer not to fly. At NWA it was around 70:45 based on 75 hour guarantee. Do I need to get to 70 or ALV?

So if I proceed to try this strategy...it worked for me at NWA, should I YS or WS what works best?

You need to reach the ALV. Reserve pilots can only Yellow Slip (YS), White slips are for line holders only. Either can Green Slip, but they are harder to come by.

If you YS on a day off, you don't get the day back or any extra pay.

True, but if it get's you over the ALV, a YS gets you the rest of the month off. I managed to do that a couple of times this summer, but haven't even threatened to get over 70 since August.

Thanks flyer. In my short time on reserve, 10 days, I have come to believe our Res system is lacking.

Here are some of my main gripes.

1. 70 hours pay.
2. Why does a Res pilot get paid less on a trip then a Reg pilot?
3. 70 hours pay should mean if I get to 70 I should be done unless I want to fly more
4 Switching days off. There has to be a better way then the arbitrary capping of days.
5. RAW score...need I say more

I live in base and would be willing to sit Reserve on a regular basis if the pay and a few QOL items were fixed.

Yeah, our RSV rules SUCK.

I actually like the DAL rules better than the NWA rules. Well except for the 70 hour guarantee. :(

Things need to change. RAW credit for SC, a methodical system to assign SC, a reserve availability list that shows ONLY those legal to fly, & a higher min guarantee, such as 75 hours for LC & 80 for SC.