30 years ago my first choice of employers was a company that predominantly flew a bunch of cast off narrowbodies....

why? because they had a sound business model, were consistently profitable, and in my estimation represented the best economic future.

I'm reminded of a 25 year old conversation at the reserve unit one weekend...one of our own had left NWA to take a job at USAir...because after all..'he was a pilot...not a FE'....and being a -9 FO was far better than a DC-10 SO.

My observation was 'well....now you are an unemployed pilot...so how is that working for out you?'

I have technical skills to be employed as a pilot....but I always understood my 'job' was to employ those skills in the marketplace to my best economic self interest.

It's best if you have no choice to make because only one airline offers you a job. That way, you won't end up kicking yourself in 20 years when everything has changed.

Well....Commuting is a choice! Just kidding....I couldn't resist. You know there was a certain bunch of guys out there thinking this.

S2 is for vacation, not commuting. Thats why we have S2. Don't be so selfish. Not every employee at this company is a crewmember you know.

We've always had S2 passes since I've been here, however it was told to me that it was a benefit that we crewmembers negotiated and was given to the other employee groups. If we ever got unlimited S2's for commuting (which will never happen) I'm sure it would trickle down at least to the FA group and it would cost us something.

Please look in your PWA and show me the section where non-rev passes for pilots has been negotiated. Don't bother, it's not a negotiated benefit. I don't think it ever has been.

Of course you can use an S2 anytime, but they have historically been referred to as "vacation passes" - for all employees. That was the intent. To give us all a break for non-work related travel.

I've observed over the years that the company has tried hard to keep pass policy unbiased and equal for all employee groups. Giving pilots somehow identified as "commuters" unlimited S2 passes would unfairly disadvantage and trump the travel plans of every other employee group (and their dependents) who did not volunteer for the "...but, but, but, I have to commute to work!" mafia. I think the amount of difference and privelige given to commuters already is enough.

Be careful what you wish for. Rest assured that any pass benefit we negotiate for pilots will be quickly duplicated somehow for the rest of the employees. Diluting any intended benefit for all. Pandora's box. Which is probably why it's not been in our PWA.

Having said that, I think that the so called "honor roll" S2 passes are somewhat discriminatory and not used fairly. They are disproportionately handed out to IFS and ACS for such things as attendance, and "good letters" from customers. Which of course pilots (and any other employee with no direct customer contact) really have little to no opportunity to get that particular reward. But at least those additional S2s are earned and not the result of a personal, voluntary choice of residence.

I used to commute to BOS, and was routinely laid out in lavender by hoards of "Honor Roll" animals.Grrr.....I'm still honked.

I never had that problem -- my base was so low-rent that nobody assigned there ever earned an honor roll pass.

But there's no money in BOS...

All the pens were destroyed in Camille.