You are correct....but I believe there is to be a better way. Don't get me wrong, I agree 100% with the pilots. But why destroy the image of the airline any further?

"These eight pilots have routinely been above the 60 to 90 minute range. It just behooves us as a company to talk to these guys, figure out what they're seeing that we're not," (Company Spokesman) Durrant said.

That's rich. Seems to me that would be better accomplished in a conference room, apparently they were all booked, so the company has decided to hold the meeting in the simulator instead. That's an expensive meeting room that probably costs more per hour to use than the total cost of all these naughty pilots tankering a little extra fuel.

This isnt the best time to drive customers away from US Air... as there are enough problems right now. Although the pilots are 100% correct.

My understanding is that the pilots in this particular situation are getting their "re-education" not as a result simply of wanting extra fuel, but putting on extra fuel and then running the APU continuously during ocean crossings. If so, I don't begrudge the company it's right to prevent unnecessary and costly excess fuel usage by a small group out to "punish" management at the expense of all the other employees of Airways who want nothing more than a job at this time next year.

Why would this "re-education" on how to turn off the APU, if that is the problem, require the use of an extremely expensive simulator?

Pure speculation on my part, but I'd wager that it would give the company an opportunity, with some digging, to get them fired.

OK. That does it.

Not booking USAir anymore.

Perhaps, but more likely just a wake up call to operate appropriatly. They had probably talked to these guys before and didn't get anywhere, so time for a little spanking.

This whole Captian's authority issue is pretty much over anyway. The min fuel issue has become the perfect lever for management to let everyone know who's really in charge. It started years ago, like the "joint authority and responsibility" between pilot and dispatcher, and like the issue of "whose aircraft" it is when on the gate.

I don't like it either, but we've become the frog in the pot, and the temperature will keep going up and up and up.

"Strangelove" out...:D

I saw the ad yesterday. I was not a fan of the USAPA deal when voted in, and I am still unsure of how that will work - I say this to let you know that I am generally pro-ALPA and anti-USAPA.

That said, I loved the ad by USAPA. What the ad did was reinsert the role of "Captain" and introduce the term "Captain's Authority" to the general public. I have thought for a long time that ALPA has not done enough "PR" work on behalf of the pilots. Whether the ad was true or not, or whether the pilots are justified or not is secondary to the fact that their union is taking out full-page ads saying (to paraphrase) "management simply wants to save fuel, blah blah blah...but we the airline pilots care about you and your safety and we have superior judgement". This is an exceptional message for the public to have.

Kudos USAir guys for going public with this issue! I'm watching USAir spokesman try to cover themselves on HeadlineNews....

See the power we have?