Actually, no.

An old guy a long time ago told me that we do not make any decisions for the company. None. They decide what airplanes they are going to buy. They decide to where they are going to fly them. We are labor. Highly compensated, highly educated, highly trained, but just labor. And as much as we think the contrary, the world does not revolve around us. Now that isn't to say that we are not a very important cog in the wheel, but we are replaceable, and to act as if we are not is pure folly. Divorce yourself from the thought that we can make management do anything they don't want to do, because it simply isn't true. We tell them how much it will cost them to fly the airplanes they choose to buy. Period.

The same old guy told me to never eat in a hotel or sleep in a restaurant. Sage advice if I say so myself.

 

Great, you started early with your daily devotional to longevity based pay. We have what we have and this TA's scope concessions must be evaluated against that reality.

How should we change it though t? Should we average to the 757 in pay? Exactly how should we attain your dream?

Carl

 

Yes it was protective, but there was no remedy spelled out for non compliance. THAT is where our contract is weak. The block hour "solution" gives an immediate 3+% buffer. I just don't get the logic. We'll go from 53% to 49%. I do keep hearing about the global production balance, and I would love for one of those better informed to explain that. Bullet points please, no graphs and charts.

 

If they swap the A321s for A321neo's, those have a range of 4000+nm. Those will probably eventually replace the 757 in 2020 and beyond, but yes, that is a lifetime away in this business. Also, there is an E195X E2 aircraft design floating around that has MD88 seating capacity with airbus 320 type range. I expect that aircraft to replace the MD88's/717. The passenger surveys show the love for the E-jets. Compass is the highest ranked airline in the Delta system. The last customer survey showed Endeavor just slightly below Delta, and Delta a few points behind Compass. Go jet is so far below the Delta standard, it is embarrassing, like 8 or 9 standard deviations from the mean.

 

That was back in an era where we also told management that only Delta pilots would fly Delta passengers. Now we only tell them how much we'll charge for our services, and they decide whether the pay rates apply to Delta pilots or not.

Carl

 

Like Scambo said. 777/350/330/764 all pay the same.

AAL's bands would be a good start.

We have to look at career earnings guys because the DB retirement is dead. You don't have the luxury to stay really really really senior on junior metal and suck it up in your last year to bump up your retirement. TVM is real, and it is calculable. (I am not talking about the contract here vis a vis hourly pay increases, but rather big picture retirement funding). You have to fund as much as you can, as early as you can or you will be behind. This is another reason that the 2017 increase to the 401k is so puzzling to me. Why on earth would we wait a whole year to see that?

 

Code shares and JVs are a fact of life in a global corporation. Get over it. SWA will never grow and never do anything near what we do with the clauses they have, and you know it. If that is your idea of Nirvana, then you got hired at the wrong place. I wouldn't trade places with their number 1 captain. ymmv.

 

The global production balance was conceived when our administration signed an LOA allowing management out of their Narita flying requirements. They took a snapshot of our global international flying block hours, reduced them by about 20%, then set that as a floor below which management could not drop regarding international flying. We are currently flying more international block hours than the minimum afforded management by the global production balance.

Carl

 

How does that help your claim of the stupidity of bigger paying more? The VAST majority of our fleet is smaller than these aircraft and pay less. Again, how do we divorce ourselves from bigger paying more?

Carl

 

You're right. With those SWA scope clauses, they'll never pull up to an Orlando gate with 3 Virgin 747's getting ready to take their passengers to Europe. They'll never "get to do" what we do.

Carl