Good question. But I'm sure if you asked one of those running for president about the issue, they'd assure you they could "fix it."

Bush removed the cap on oil futures movement.

Rest assured that skank Clinton will fix everything. She is god re-incarnated in a ugly womans body.

Can't wait to watch her blow it, and then get to say "told ya so."

IMHO
The dollar is the problem here. Not so much the price of oil...

At AA we are completely understaffed. Lots of cancellations, reassignments and reserves being sent to other bases to cover open trips.
That alone is leverage.
Our contact becomes ammenable on May 1, 2008.
I am optimistic with our union leadership. They mean business. I've never seen a unified group of pilots like this at AA. I'm hoping we can match UAL's line guarantee, and quote me on this "there will be a pay raise"
I will be low on time by choice from May on, until we receive/resign a new improved contract.
Most of the trips I fly have 3 legs a day. At AA only the last trip of the month is pay protected. Pay guarantee is 64 hours. Scheduling Never calls to give a heads up that your trip has canceled. If you commute and a trip cancels your choices are go home without pay, get a hotel and hope you can get a trip before it goes to a reserve or put yourself on reserve (yeah right).
AA management has proposed that if the pilots want to make more money, then they should pick up trips. They say there will be no pay raises.
Mid April another PUP (Management performance payout) is expected to pay AA managers more than 100 million again for failing in every way to;
Expand
become more profitable
stay last in customer service
safety
lack of maintenance
canceling more flights than any other airline
failing to match profits made by DAL and CAL

In a nutshell thats sort of whats going on here.

Good Summary 7576.

I'd like to add that management is going to pull out a big fat "Recession" card from the deck and then trump it with a "Jet Fuel Price is sky high" card.

Not to spark an emotional debate. But I'm sure Arpey and his gang of champagne-drinking croonies are looking at the pilot group and saying look at all those furloughed TWA pilots, how can we use them against all those American Airlines pilots. Hopefully the APA can keep all the horses in the stable and come out with a strong voice at the nego table.

FF