Hearing mixed rumors of near term deal with big international customer and subsequent order of P2F 777s. Rumor also links to former MEC chair (retired) that is involved with the deal. Any one have a chance to ask a bus driver?

 

Yes. I have heard similar from someone seemingly connected. Hope it's true.

 

As nice as that would be....It's most likely "Hopium". In times of limbo (like extended negotiations and no dates for negotiations), people tend to fill the void of info with something....anything. This has been exacerbated by a culture that consumes a 24 hour news cycle where giant news events seem to only have a half-live of 2.5 days...always waiting for "the other shoe to drop". Most likely people get bored and float rumours to see how far they can go.

Is it out of the realm of possibility? Who knows, depends on who you listen to I guess....it seems at odds with the crowd who openly disparage the individuals in charge of running this place, yet I've seen some with the most negative view propagate this rumour.

I'm hearing anecdotes about F'O's (and I 've personally spoken with quite a few) who have apps out at other places, have upcoming interviews, and almost fantasize out loud about what life would be like at "Brand X". I used to try to explain how "this" is all cyclical and we've been here before, don't leap before you look....yada yada yada.....to no avail.

They are utterly convinced that this place is a "dumpster fire" and they are very unhappy because they've been told they should be unhappy.....or they are really unhappy because they bought their "Captain's House" as a 2 yr WB FO based on anecdotal stories of COVID paychecks and their rising expectations were not met.

I don't share the negative long-view of the company, but lately I've been telling these FO's "they should go"....for a couple of reasons...And not because I'm trying to be vindictive with a "Love it or leave it!" mentality.

Primarily, if they're this unhappy, if they don't leave now, I think they'll be kicking themselves for the rest of their career thinking about "what if"....The old advice about "in the airline business, you'll never really know if you made the right decision until you retire" is not something they're comfortable with. Green grass syndrome is real and there's nothing to cure that but experience and confidence in one's self and decisions.

They give the indication that they "Feel like" they're missing out on something their contemporary has. Rather than try to rationalize against feelings, I've looked at it from a different viewpoint and I've come to the conclusion that if you feel like you've made the wrong decision and that is part of your decision-making calculus, then you probably did make the wrong decision....spending your career leaping from "good news rock" to "good news rock" to validate a decision you don't feel is right is not a way to spend a significant portion of your life.

I've asked myself, in their position: "Would I rather be at the 'Best' or 'Pretty Good' place I can be, not know it and be unhappy as I compare my reality to someone else's social mask, or would I rather be somewhere not as good, be ignorant to that reality, but still 'Feel' like I made the best decision at the time and be happy?"

The expression "Fat, Dumb, and Happy" has traction for a reason. So if they indicate that how they "Feel" about this place is a significant part of their calculus for making the decision to stay or leave, then I've been telling them to "go with their gut"....or "You might be better off leaving."

The second reason is this: For every X number of pilots that feel like they want to leave, there are Y number of pilots that are junior to them that have decided being here is in their best interest. I'm not even going to try to figure out what that ratio is, but that number is not "0"....It would be a shame if a Pilot Y that wants to stay here gets furloughed or has stagnated career progression, and a Pilot X (that is miserable and wants to leave) stays and remains miserable. Better for Pilot "X" to make a bold move to "Brand X", be happy, and move on, and Pilot Y moves up a number here and each pilot "wins"....

Unfortunately, the propagation of rumours like this clouds the calculus of all the "Pilot X's" that feel like they made a mistake by coming here instead of "Brand X"....They're waiting for the next "thing" that might change their feelings. Unfortunately, like the "Ticker".....the seniority window at other places is continuing to change. Perhaps someone ought to make a "Seniority Ticker" that shows all the pilots hired since TA1 rejection at other places broken down by airline. I think hopium rumours might really harm all the Pilot X's that aren't happy here and prolong their inevitable decision.

Counting down till someone rightly points out that I'm "Fat" and "Dumb"

 

Maybe the more accurate version from the shuttle driver.

He said Raj is happy to pivot and be innovative and be laser focused

 

Im sorry. Is this the FedEx APC forums? A thoughtful non condescending post?! Well said.

 

Thanks Bert!

 

Schoolhouse rumor? Ignore it. Every schoolhouse rumor is wrong. I heard we would be hiring in November, that is November 2024.

 

Unfortunately our jobs are not very portable after the first year or so. If you are in accounting or some other job you can look for an equivalent or better job after a few years or longer.

No one can predict the future for cargo or pax carriers. Pax could take a nose dive, cargo you can get wet leased out.

If you can live in an airline’s domicile that is huge, if you like to fly WB international then cargo is maybe your game.

The worst thing is to have envy over someone at another carrier. As always stated you will know how your decision went the day you retire.

 

A national seniority list would solve that portability problem. Imagine if we had free agency, like baseball? Every other union member, except those related to aviation, can take their experience and years of service when they change employers. Why shouldn't pilots be able to do that? It would give us much more power, especially in a time of a pilot shortage. If we were able to change employers, all employers would have to offer competitive compensation packages. It would have to be grandfathered in, over a period of time, but it would be better for all pilots in the long run. We don't have leaders, either at ALPA, or the company, that think in long term periods of time, to our detriment.

 

I've actually heard some substantive, borderline positive news as well... source, potentially the big cheese himself. That said, I know how ardently we frown upon optimism around here so please forgive my insolence while I show myself the door.