According to CNBC the lifetime rate of return of the S&P 500 is 9.8%
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/18/the-...full-year.html
We're subsidizing the operation out of our pockets.
Personally speaking
I'm pretty damned happy btw, nowadays. After watching management and our pilot group's behavior (MEC included) during negotiations I've disavowed myself of any urge to take pride in working
here. If I stay it'll be to fly my trips safely, treat people well, cash the check, and go home with no attachment to who I work for. And that's sad because that's not "me." But what's the alternative? Be proud of working at a place that has wh0ring yourself out engrained in its DNA? It's just not a good union shop.
FARRRRRR more good stuff than bad though. It's really is an amazing flying job and I have (and will continue) encouraged people to come here.
It is a big-boy-airline contract and maybe it is amazing that our NC/MEC managed to pull off this contract in spite of this management team. Maybe the NMB told Indigo to "do the deal" comparatively to NK or it's all over. Who knows. But let's not forget how this pilot group truly behaved when bent over a barrel. From the "top" down the pilot group said, "may I have another" with the incentivized flying.
So again, let's not pretend that didn't all happen. Let's not pretend like we stupidly signed up for the same problem the majors are facing now. We don't need to gloss over the gross inadequacies of this new contract and pretend like they don't exist. If this place has hundreds of airplanes and ~4k pilots, PBS, and the optimization software then we'll all be on reserve. The problem is that next time, in 7 years, we'll see this progression again. The pilot group can't help itself.