Albief15

And me. I never said it wasn't about the money...

You got where you are because someone else got out of your way at 60. Now its your turn.

Where else has labor ever negotiated to work MORE? While individually some will benefit from this windfall, the profession just planted the seed for a serious reduction in retirement benefits. Besides slowing us down in the short term, your windfall has the potential to force all of us to work longer just to reap the rewards you could have had at 60.

And in a seniority system--why do you even care what we think? You are going to bid, hold, and get what your seniority allows...not what Albie or Huck thinks you should get.

AerisArmis

Jetjok..."travel the world" as a Diesel 10 Oiler? I guess if your world is Newark, Hoboken and Jersey City that's true. Unless I missed something, the 5 day CDG layovers that they had 10 years ago are long gone. But seriously, if a guy (not you) has his high 5 max'd and we know what 50% of that is, can he really make that or much more as a 10 F/E? I think "I just don't get it" IS, in fact, a legitimate statement. here's a better idea, retire and get a job as assistant greenskeeper at Bushwood C.C. Just wtch out for the Dali Lama, I hear he's a big hitter!

Iceback

Thanks for the retirement numbers... I do really appreciate it. And thanks Captain Mark for the words of encouragement. I don't want to get into a debate on the age 60 thing, as I have mixed views. I have seen the unmitigated greed that is behind some of the current and pre-911 arguments for extending the age 60 rule, and I have seen the unadulterated destruction of people’s personal lives... 54 year olds that have taken a downgrade, a 45% pay cut on F/O wages and lost their only pension. They did not have much put away on their own as they had been under the common assumption that the pension would never be touched and they were only a few years away from a 2 million plus lump sum. Facing a mortgage, kids in college and a massive pay cut with only the promise of 28.8k a year from the PBGC, that has fueled the fire to keep a paycheck coming. Most that I know in the latter situation would love to retire early, but have been unfortunately painted into a corner they do not want to be in.
I am not advocating either side of the argument, suffice it to say that I can understand where some of the age 65 guys are coming from, and at 42 I will be affected adversely by the lack of movement it will add to my career. I can say that I have little use for those who want to work an extra 5 years for reasons of pure greed. Unfortunately they sometimes seem to be the most vocal. I keep hoping for an age 45 rule, but the Powerball Gods have not blessed that proposal.

Huck

I have argued for years - at 59 you get an official audit of your finances, and if you are above a certain threshhold you have to retire at 60. If not, you can work.

Albief15

Bad idea. All that means is you are stuck with an over 60 dumb@ss who has proven to be completely inept in his decision making. I'm NOT talking about the poor guy at airline X who just lost his retirement. I AM talking about the walking social disaster than managed to ruin what should have been a retirement most people can only dream of...

Huck

O.K. so give'em a dumb-ass screening first....

- "Have you ever been to a Carlton Sheets seminar?"

- "Did you take all your 401k and put it in tech stocks in 1998?" (p.s. my dad did this one)

- "Did you really leave your wife and three kids at the age of 42 to marry a Russian mailorder 20-year-old?"

I know pilots that have done all of these....

fecav8r

Hey jury, how about this one. Guy is set, gonna retire at 60 with all the bells and whistles. A month before he is supposed to get the fond adieu, his significant other b1tch says "it's been real, but not real fun" and walks with half of everyting, including the retirement. Does he get a pass on the work to 65 train?

Purple F/O

No passes, all these sob stories are compelling, but they don't change the core issue.

Jetjok

THE core issues are that: a) You, Mr. Johnie-come-lately, don't make the rules; If the new rule says 65, then those who fall within that age limit should make up their own mind to either stay or go, based on their situation and feelings, and not be swayed by jerks like you; b) I just so happens to be none of your god-damned business why someone would stay or go. You don't have the need to know, and you haven't earned that, even if you feel that you do need to know; c) When you've put in 15 or 20 years of hub turns, wx diverts, operational emergencies, 4 leg nights, multiple CAT III approaches in the same pairing, etc, etc, then maybe you'll have the right to tell someone something about their private life, but not now.

Jetjok

And for Huck and Albie, congratulations, you are two of the honest guys I've seen on this board. I know it's all about the money, and so does everyone else, but the others seem to like to point to all the other extraneous stuff, sort of like the non-members who always say it's about something else, when as we all know, it's only about the $$$.