Thanks ALPA for managing our expectations. DL has financials that are a lot better than all of those, for the last 3 years. Bag fees last year were over $900 million, and that is a new fee that goes straight to the bottom line without being taxed like a ticket. Southwest has NOT asked for paycuts from their people, and they were going to give the Airtran pilots the same rates but the MEC there pushed a bit too hard for the SLI, but the offer was there in offer #1. You can stick your head in the sand and not see how well the airline is doing, or you can compare ourselves to airlines that just don't have the same pricing power, etc. You also are forgetting that we are aiming to bring the debt down to $10 billion (from 18 Billion) by 2013, which will then give us an EXTRA $500 million per year that now won't be paid in interest payments. Can we have part of that? You say NO, because you didn't really think about that, or chose not to even include that in YOUR reality. How about a 10-15% raise the first year, and then after the debt is paid down maybe larger chunks the next few? Can you possibly think about that? Are you management or ALPA? If you are ALPA and IGNORE reality, you will be replaced! Just try giving a weak TA, and see what happens.

If you have the right qualifications and skills, you can find a job paying that. Unfortunately, pilots do not have the types of skillsets that pay that kind of money.... (to start). I did not say that a pilot leaving his job would be able to make that kind of money. What I did say was that people are commanding much higher salaries than pilots are and they are doing it earlier in their careers.

I suggest that you do some research to see what others are making out there. You would be quite surprised.

..........

So that Venn diagram would look like what?

That may be true if you majored in underwater fire prevention, Nepalese basket weaving, business or aviation "science" for your undergrad.

If you majored in something worthwhile, like math, engineering, or some of the sciences (not the social type), then you can get spooled up and back into worthwhile earnings in as little as 2 years.

It might take going back to school for a bit, but it is completely doable.

Nu

Bill L. Bag fees are not some sort of new discovered revenue that goes straight to the bottom line. Delta may have had to lower fares to get on the first page of Expedia, and used the bag fee to recapture lost revenue. I'd guess the part of bag fees that makes it to the profit line is the amount Delta saves in taxes.

Southwest management hasn't asked their employees for a pay cut. Yet.

We should get a bigger up front pay raise than 10%. That's too low.

Thanks to my Delta Brothers...friends of Mel had over 400 new people express an interest. If you think angrypilotwife is funny, please continue to share, and thank you!

Doubt you would say that if you saw the remote with a black light. :D

And Bill, one more thing. I spoke to AG the C44 S/T after the LEC Meeting. Whether you think your expectations are being managed or not, we will not overcome the NMBs idea of "reasonable". American had been parked, and USAPA is parked by the NMB because they are not even making progress on small stuff.

If American takes a hit on pay, and USAPA continues in purgatory, and United doesn't make any progress, we have a whole new perspective on "reasonable" from the NMB.

Strategically, we should get our contract done as quickly as possible, if it takes us above SWA in pay+DC, and live to fight another day. Keep the contract short so that is a possibility.

Reminds me of a story that a friend from my regional days tells about heading to his room after a long day of flying. 1st room: occupied with door locked. Returned to front desk. 2nd room: hadn't been cleaned and appeared to have been ransacked. Returned to front desk. 3rd room was a winner. He opened the door to find an overweight and very naked man at the desk in the room who, when startled, stood up and faced my friend. Returned to front desk. Even free dinner/free drinks at the restaurant couldn't help him 'unsee' that.

I use a towel now when I sit in the chairs.