Don't forget Lan has 3 more 777F's that SA is in line to receive.

744driver,
All I'm stating is my opinion. And my opinion is that our current contract is nothing at all to hold up as a template for acceptable (for the type of flying we do). Sure, SA's contract may be awful, but I've given up counting the holes in ours. The few recent tweaks via MOUs/LOAs only bring us closer to what regional guys have had for a long time. I'm very happy to have RU pushing hard to get us a contract that will represent our contributions to the success of the company.

Hopefully everyone will survive this ordeal without too much animosity.

SA and Atlas guys can probably knock this contract out of the ballpark if they don't fall for the union busting 101 tricks.

The timing is everything I agree, so... instead of theorizing and prophesying what the other guys are doing, let's grab the bull by the horns and make this a phenomenal place to stay for all of us.

I have an interview in China coming up and really don't want to go so here's an idea! How about we don't fall for the same old dirty tricks!

You'll know if you have a good SLI merger if EVERYONE is p.o.ed.

I can say definitively to thank your lucky stars that you two are in the same union and same local.

Maybe not so definitive (just my own opinion); Thank your lucky stars that you two are not represented by the elitist ALPA! Among other reasons, IBT has more influence outside of airline industry which is just what you might need if/when the poop hits the fan.

^^Yup. I'm in the middle of a the XJT merger, 2 ALPA carriers and non Union SKYW. 7k pilots between the three groups and 4K are unionized. This place is whipsaw to the extreme. At least both Atlas and SA are in the same Union boat. I'm starting class in less than 2 weeks (Atlas) and I'm going to be optimistic about what this could be. I just hope both groups stay unified!

If you consider how ALD sold the pilot group in RAH negotiations, are you holding your breath? DB and his cronies are management's best friend.

Will this spell the end to the current SA management team? DM and DS?

The thing that scares me is in both the Atlas and Southern CBAs it says in the event of a seniority list merger the union has 9 months to agree to a merged CBA or it goes to arbitration.

With both Atlas and Southern in early stages of negotiations for new contracts, we may just end up with the bastard child of a ****ty contract and another even more ****ty contract.

If anything, it should put the SA guys in a better QOL position.
Maybe now they can get rid of the RJ management team.