You can't enforce minimum standards on contracts across different unions. IT would be a violation of the RLA. You can try and pattern bargin to a extent but to have a union minimum like many plumbers as a example is illegal. To have any chance of a system like the above to have any chance of working the union would also have to be in charge of hiring and firing. Not something management is likely to give up.
The last part about one pay for all is actually kind of funny. I have worked a lot of jobs and industries. Every single one rewards a employee with higher pay based on length of service. In fact every one set pay based on three criteria. Length of service, revenue generation and responsibility. Taking us out of the type of system would be a big mistake.
The only reason pilots make what they do today is the constant increase in size of the average aircraft in the fleets. Thats going to continue. Its happening at Delta as we speak. Each nine retired and replaced with a MD90 is a pay raise for someone. Limited runways are going to drive airlines to ever larger fleets regardless of the posts on here. Give up those raises and you have to fight even harder for baseline raises.

I've flown the 88,9, and 320. I would recommend the 320 with the electric seats. Hopefully the mechanical seats on the 320's start breaking as Airbus doesn't even make them anymore. They have been replacing them with electric seats.

Yeah, when the lumbar support isn't broken. I flew the 88 for 12 years and moved over to the 9 a little over a year ago. I actually think the 9 seats are slightly more comfortable. The 88 seats are easier to adjust. I found myself having to write up 88 seat cushions several times because they were so worn out it was like sitting on a wooden bench. I've never had to do that on the 9. Hopefully they're maintaining them better now on the 88.

If you read the first post that I underlined, you'll see Mr. Stain said "dalpa" asked for early openers...not the company.

Carl

Don't get me wrong, I am not defending the "discipline" letters, I think they are shortsighted. I would prefer a greatly expanded commuter policy than this one - essentially positive space to work.

Commuting sucks, I've done it for several years, it sucks. I dont even like flying in the back of a plane.

My only point is, in the original JG letter, there was the "discuss it with the CP" and the policy may have to be revisited if it doesnt work (which I took as meaning done away with.) That is standard policy writing 101.

Now the bigger and more shortsighted aspect of it is: You manage people the way you feel they (and you) should be managed. The disciplin-ish letter says a lot about that particular CP's sentiment toward line pilots and also about his sentiment toward himself.

If he feels that he must document every interaction with a pilot in order to have a chain of paper work in the event that said pilot would be eventually terminated, he needs to be terminated from being a CP. If his directions come from a managerial leadership its out of his hands, if not, it is him.

YouTube - ‪Happy Fun Ball (old SNL spoof commercial)‬‏

You're right. He will have the option to be JUNIOR on ANY airplane he wants. Woo Hoo. But he won't have the option to be SENIOR on any, as is the case today.

I don't think so. You have just made the case for DAL to replace every two M88s with one 767. Pilot costs instantly drop by 50% as half the list gets furloughed. You do realize that a 777 can generate more revenue for DAL than an M88, don't you? And thus, ALPA can make a financial case to justify paying those pilots more. And DAL can afford it. Econ 101.

BS x 3. I'm still waiting for an actual argument from you. You simply say I'm wrong - with nothing to back it up.

BS - again

Here you go again. Everyone makes more money, but the system is cost neutral. How's that math work??

You'll be a sub 5000 number, based on age 65 only, after 17 years. I think you'll hold captain before then...

I say we call their bluff. Say we don't want new planes, just the money and tighter scope. Why should we subsidize new planes? They will be ordered regardless.

Announcements pending for Virgin Australia - Wings Down Under

Virgin Australia is expected to make the most of Sir Richard Branson's ongoing visit to Australia by disclosing strategic decisions. The Virgin Group founder is in Australia for charity talks, announced Virgin's eucalyptus biofuel project, and is having some mid-flight fun with toilet paper.

Some announcements were due to be released late last week but were held for undisclosed reasons, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Here are some possibilities of what this week's announcements will be.

PERTH EXPANSION
Virgin has committed to basing two Boeing 737-800 aircraft in Perth, likely for deployment to Southeast Asia. Favoured routes are Perth-Singapore, which ties in with Virgin's pending alliance with Singapore Airlines, as well as Perth-Kota Kinabalu in Malaysian Borneo.

NEW IFE
Negotiations earlier this year between Virgin and Panasonic, the vendor of the Red in-flight entertainment system used by V Australia and sister carrier Virgin America, reached a stalemate over licensing arrangements. At the carrier's May re-branding unveiling, Branson confirmed Virgin Australia would have an IFE solution, although he did not disclose specifics.

MORE A330s
This is always a question of when, not if, with the current announced count at 6 and plans for expansion to approximately 16 frames. The real question is if Virgin will be able to secure slots from Airbus and lessors for factory-fresh A330s (as it is doing for its third and fourth A330s) or if it will have to relegate itself to old A330s (such as A330 aircraft one, two, five, and six from Emirates). The first two A330s have had a number of maintenance problems that have forced them off Sydney-Perth services, exemplifying why Virgin only likes to keep aircraft for 6-7 years, but 787 delays have meant there is a tight supply of A330s.

PACIFIC A330 EXPANSION
In addition to next February's Brisbane-Singapore-Abu Dhabi route, Virgin could be looking at deploying A330s to other blue-chip Asian ports. (If it is Hong Kong, Virgin Atlantic will not welcome its Australian sister.) Virgin is also evaluating routing A330s to North America via Auckland, as Qantas does.

DELTA-V SHUFFLE
Following final United States Department of Transportation approval for the Delta-V Australia joint-venture, Delta is expected to take over V Australia's thrice-weekly trans-Pacific route into Melbourne while V Australia deploys its freed capacity to Brisbane, which currently has thrice-weekly service that could be expanded to six weekly trans-Pacific flights.

Stay tuned.