If DALPA doesn't get the eventual TA correct to the majorities satisfaction, then I would rather wait a year or more and get better people in there, than accept a ridiculous contract via ALPA, that could last even longer. ALPA needs to deliver, and somebody else will jump in there if they don't. Keep saying this out loud, "$952 million in bag fees last year.". ALPA just can't say or give any more memos that state that they can't afford it. It's the cost of doing business.

I want no part of an LA base. Ever. Can't stand SoCal except for the occasional visit, yet the AS code share abuse, particularly for the LAX guys, is completely unacceptable to me. An out of control large 737 DCI operator that gets 2X the pax from us as we get from them while we transfer routes we used to do to them including ultra high density and frequency markets is ridiculous and one of my highest priorities to fix.

Straight from Flying the Line 3?: "First they came for the DC-9-10 guys and outsourced over 250 DC-9-10 replacements, but I was not a DC-9-10 guy, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the west coast guys, but I was not a west coast guy, so I did not speak out. Then they came for me, but there was no one left to speak out for me."

I don't ever want a part of an LA base. But LA is one of the biggest aviation markets on earth and we dang well better be able to compete with our own product and our own pilots or the long term viability of our company is in serious peril. By all rights our LA base should be much larger than is currently is and the fact that its not can be blamed on poor management and even worse union leadership.

And to see our own pilots swallow the hook on the company outsource propaganda that we can't compete, at all, anywhere, on that mysterious Narnia-esque yield-less 4th dimension that is the entire west coast of this country...a large and vital part of the biggest domestic market on earth...really grinds my gears. We better find a way to compete becuse if we can't then our business model sucks and we need to find management that can win.

Finally some positive news in regards to the AF JV today. AF flight from SEA-CDG will change to a DL 767 in 3/2012. In addition to the ORD switch, this seems good. Is this an overall decrease in the amount of flying AF does in the JV or are they picking up more elsewhere?

Its to keep within the JV agreement on percentages of flying. Both SEA and ORD will more then likely go back to AF in the spring when we increase our flying to Europe.

The cost of doing business? Name a business that can afford to operate when it's costs are out of line with the competition? By operating more effciently a business can afford to costs a little higher but there are limits.

I'm not saying we don't need and deserve a raise. But I think the pilots represented by the folks on this forum are going to be dissapointed but what can realistically be achieved in the next contract.

You're the one that hasn't thought it through Clamp. That lance captain option isn't all bad and actually produces higher pay for the group in a lot of ways. And because of this option which you don't really understand, you'd want to throw away SWAPA's Scope, pay, minimum daily pay, etc? Really?

Carl

What's with this bag fee mantra ?, if it wasn't for bag fees DL would be losing money. Bag fees are just another source of income, like cargo,pax, etc.

So this is where we are guys. Our favorite MEC bureaucrat slowplay feels that success is measured by how many blow-up rats you inflate. It's embarrassing that the rest of the MEC bureaucrats may well be this obtuse. Sigh.

Carl

That's my brother! LAX guys appreciate it!

Ord-CDG is seasonal