Agreed. But these are all decisions that management has made that are driving up their CASM's. Pilots, or any employee for that matter, shouldn't be expected to lower their wages any lower than that of the closest PROFITABLE competitor.

 

That is precisely the Point the many of the Professional aviators on this Forum, including myself, have been making. ...........

 

Well good, we agree. I'm glad that all of us "Professional aviators" agree.

 

What do these two airlines have in common? No passengers. Same a DAL soon.

 

I heard it was supposed to start on May 14th. What time is your flight?
Just kiddin...

 

I have a contract you moron. I'm not going to quit. I'm going to uphold my legal right to work under a negotiated agreement that's been in place for 65 years. You have a lot to learn my juvenile sarcastic-spastic fellow flier.

You can thank me later.

 

Good post CAL, Skyhigh drop dead. If history tells us anything the industry will turn around and I applaud the Delta guys for their willingness to stop the MADNESS!

 

A Delta strike will mean instant (job) suicide for the pilots and instant (job) murder for the other 41,000 Delta employees the pilots will take down with them. A real pity. And hardly democratic for the 41,000 employees who don't have a say in whether the pilots strike.

What the Delta pilots have to understand is that, as outrageous as the loss of their pensions and the steep cuts in salary may be, this is The Future for commercial aviation. I wish it weren't so, but the demand for cheap tickets by the American flying public continues to ravage the cost structure of the legacy airlines. Anyone planning (or currently trapped in) a professional flying career with the airlines needs to get a grip and accept that a probable salary ceiling will be about 100K for experienced captains. Again, I wish it wasn't so, but that's the writing on the wall. At least you can have a very decent standard of living for 100K, and can raise a family. Definitely won't get rich, though.

 

History changes my friend. Nothing goes on forever. There will always be a need for pilots but not at 300K and 17 days off a month. If the Delta guys strike and the company goes under then you might as well start saving now because the industry will be turning its guns on even Airtran for a paycut.

SKyHigh

 

Management will continue "going to the well" as long as there's water to be had.

Right now, going after those "over-paid" pilots is a path of minimum resistance for management and they will continue to take that course of action, and why not, it's been successful! 9/11 and it's aftermath gave management some "tools" they never had.

Personally, I don't think the attack on pilot wages is over, by a long shot.

When and if the airline pilots of the US stand together and punch the greedy managements back in their collective noses, things will change.

However, there must be an awakening of the pilot group for this to ever occur, and that is their biggest challenge.

JMHO.