I agree with your assessment. However, isn’t it a little difficult to set the parking brake and never think about this job? Just in the last month, ‘take this opportunity to head online’ and do....Dependent Verification, Open Enrollment, Multi-Factor Authentication, IPad Swap (which meant pick up, do on my own time since 40 minutes wasn’t enough for IT to Swap it, then return it making sure I got to the airport early enough before a trip), QDLs, Medical, etc etc. Its amazing to me how much it seems we are required to do outside of, (and on our free unpaid time) you know, flying planes.

Well.... not really a correct quote... a semicolon is used to make a more distinct separation between the two statements.

"This place makes a ton of money, we're getting paid; live within your means and try to work as little as possible..."

This statement was not meant to imply we make less, more, or the same as Delta, etc.... I was stating a principle that will lead toward happiness wherever you work, live within you means.

And as far as your "total career value" perceived as much lower, that is obviously different for each individual. I drive to work and barely break 300 hours a year, didn't break 200 years ago. I'll probably pull down $160k this year, to be gone a night or two a month, that is some career value that I personally couldn't find somewhere else. If I was unhappy with my "total career value," you gotta believe I wouldn't stick around when everyone is hiring.

I hear your angst, I see your thousands of posts, I hear you that this place could/needs to be better. Hell, I even voted no on the contract. But don't try to use your one size fits all "total career value" on everyone.

Tex

I agree 100% that it's easy to get caught up in all the company issues, if you let yourself. I used to have the company email on my iPhone, no more. Thankfully (hopefully?) the dependent verification was a once every 5+ years thing, and the medical there's no getting around that... but as far as everything else, I take care of it at work.

I realize pilots love to talk flying, and I love flying, but I find it's way better to just have fun and be a regular civilian when I drive out of the company lot.

Tex

Deleted the email off my phone too. Totally agree.

Total career value when comparing peer compensation, benefits, work rules and seniority progression shouldn't be dependant on where you live. Sure, as part of YOUR PERSONAL calculus, fine. But when making statements about how we compare in general, I don't except your special circumstances.

Great, your an in-base guy so making less apples-to-apples works for you, because you can trade QOL for actual pay and career progression.

I get why you think it's great, and that's fine for you. You may not like my critical posts of the current direction of our careers, but I personally feel that if we have 3,700 pilots all just delighted to be making less and giving this place 110% of our good-will, the company will literally see no reason "whatsoever" to give us a more competitive contract and in a timely fashion 3 years from now.

Delta will be starting full blown negotiations soon. I would love for you to go on their forum and tell them not be disgruntled if they don't make pay in-line with the top employers in our market, and that they should be satisfied that the paychecks keep coming and to live within their means. You may think I'm a Richard, but I think it would be eye-opening to see what a group of pilots with self-esteem have to say about that!

We're good dude, I just think we see things differently.

Total career value, when you work for the airlines, absolutely 100% depends on where you live. Sucks, but that's the road we've chosen.

I don't think you have to be worried about 3,700 people all giving 110%, it's been a long time since I've flown with someone who goes out of their way to help the company, myself included. I posted a whole list of things I wanted to see to be a yes vote... they didn't happen, obviously. I attended the picket, signed up for the second one.

I hear what you're saying, but I make it work for me, and there are people who can do that who don't necessarily want to move for the job. It's a hit I take, I get it. Be disgruntled, be unhappy with the company if you choose, I'm just saying, you'll live a better life if you don't take it home with you.

Was going to write more, but it'd just be regurgitation that we both know. We're absolutely good, and not even sure that we're that far off in what we think, but maybe how we deal with it.

Tex

Just so we're clear, I don't "take it home". I have a fairly exceptional life by most standards. I'm happy, seriously.

The reason that your location is irrelevant for general comparison purposes is that if you want credit for living in base, then the only fair comparison is to our top of industry peers that ALSO live in their respective bases... Apples to apples. On that basis we clearly do have less total career value.

In your specific case, because of where you live, this works for you. But that isn't useful for general discussions.

We did good, didn't even call each other names...

And I agree, I see almost no-one going above and beyond, which is why I think the chiefs and company are on a meet-n-greet tour.

Anyone else see that LGB slot utilization vote? It's only a matter of time before we pull out all together. If we just reduced a bunch of flying, why would we go ahead and increase it even more now?

I missed it. What happened?

LGB city council will require more utilization of slots. Current requirement- 57% over a 180 day period. New vote - 85% use required
Use of slots-
AA 100%
Delta 100%
Southwest 100%

Jetblue 66.1% - just like our on-time performace.

( from the Press- Telegram, on -time joke, mine)