Originally Posted by jetlink

The idea is to switch for a BETTER job, not just another job.
When the opportunity presents itself, I'll definitely consider it.
I'll know in few months, whether the upcoming opportunity is worth the effort and risk. I have to look on long term employment opportunities (retirements, equipment type, deliveries, and replacements) M&A protections, Scope and protections from outsourcing, overall compensation package; including equipment seat and salary, medical, LTD and LOL protections, and most important retirement benefits that I keep in case the whole deal blows up, bases and easy of commuting if I have to again, route structure and type of operations, etc. But you wouldn't know anything about it, since you keep drinking the blue juice, and you hang on every word that Dave says. What's our total fleet today, and what will it be next year, and in 2022? What is that Organic Growth, they keep talking about? What will be our route structure in 2014 after we take deliveries of A321? How much are they willing to pay us for flying A321, since it requires a type differences training? How many A320 have been replaced recently with new ones? Why is T5i construction put on hold? What prevents JB BOD from taking a deal for profitable merger, is it that illegal not to consider a merger proposal if such deal will benefit stock holders? (Watch the latest video from Our CFO Mark Powers talking about mergers proposals and ROI)
For me jetBlue was just a strategic move, nothing more. It is much better place then regional airline, and I used to worked for one of them, that used to be considered the best in the industry. I'll do whatever it is necessary to make this place a successful airline for both stock holders and pilots. I keep up with it's affairs; equipment and airframes acquisitions, swaps, investments in real-estate, engine purchases, dividends payouts, SEC failings, BOD changes, inter-airlines agreements, CEO, CFO, COO and other upper management salaries and bonuses payouts, stock movement, etc.
So tell me, what makes this place so special, if it is just another ticker on the Wall St. Don't you have a 401K, don't you keep up with your retirement investments, don't you want to protect your assets from another 2008, 1999, 1987, 1937 market crashes in US...? Don't you want to protect your job and position in case of a merger, sell, or acquisition? Do you really think, our BOD is not considering a CBA with our pilots? It would make their job easier in plaining for fix unit cost of labor for a period of 5 or more years. What prevents them from CBA is the flexibility of f...ing you on other benefits, such as medical, dental, vision, LTD, LOL, FSM, retirement, etc. They give you on one side, and take away from another. Just think about it; JetBlue is a business, just like any other ones public traded, they make money because they openly stated - labor cost structure. However, they promise to share profits with labor that helped made those profits. What they do instead? Just like any other corporation rhetoric:We have to pay down our high cost debt, invest in new equipment, increase on return on investment for our share holders, and then we will be able to pay you. So what happens if we loose money? Well guys, we have to tight up our belts, and take some benefits away. In the mean time our CEO, CFO, COO, and others take bonuses either way, whether we have profits or we loose money. At the end they all, will parachute with severance package and other gold benefits; and you will be looking for another shiny jet opportunity, so you can take a picture on the flight deck and post it on the facebook.

Originally Posted by benzoate

Great post jetlink.

What makes Jetblue special for BD and others is the fact Jetblue tells him he is special. Jetblue has never shown us industry standard anything in the 10+ years I have been here and they continue that trend today with the insurance/disability adjustments coming next month.
The advertising firm hired by Jetblue during the ALPA campaign won multiple awards for its campaign because it got pilots to believe they were important to Jetblue. They got pilots to believe Jetblue would fix the issues that brought on the campaign.
Has anything changed? Absolutely not.
Has Jetblues strategy changed? Absolutely not.
Do pilots still guzzle the blue juice? Absolutely.

Like you mentioned the key is to make a BETTER move. We already made a move and it didn't turn out as advertised. Now the search begins again. The job isn't bad enough to make another lateral move.

Originally Posted by Lancer

Got the call today for Sept 19th class date, so calls are going out. It seems that they are calling poolies in order for those of you worried.

Question-I live over a thousand miles away, but I'm still considering driving to have a car during the six weeks. Does anyone have any advice on that? I'm not familiar with the local area so I'm assuming that I'll wish I had a car once I get there. Thoughts??

Originally Posted by Flint Stone

Congrats Lancer,

Car would be nice, but as stated, you can get by without one. I'm sure someone will have one and will share with a fellow class mate!

What was your number in the pool...please How many in your class?

Hope to see you soon, as my number is low also.