Timbo

I've always wondered why Boeing didn't put a little wheel on the bottom of those engines, and one on the 767-300 tail skid as well.

Not that I've ever needed it of course...

forgot to bid

Wheels cost money an..... oh wait

Columbia

Happy 100th Birthday to the IRS tomorrow. In 1913, the top tax rate was 7%!

Timbo

And happy 50th birthday to the Porche 911!

Wasatch Phantom

I agree that if management finds the lack of hiring has put them in a real bind staffing-wise, they will seek relief from ALPA (and ALPA will likely cave... (again)).

In addition to the two options you listed, another would be giving pilots the option to sell back their summer vacations. There's precedent for that...

sailingfun

The Delta people hired from 78 to 81 sat on the panel or loaded bags until 85. Most moved to a FO seat on the MD82 or 88 in 1986/87.

Smokey23

Fixed it for you.

(and everyone knows it's a porsch-uh, not a porsh, right?)

slowplay

That cannot possibly be true. The only bad things that have ever happened in this career happened to the post '95 guys. There were never "lost generations."

JungleBus

And if there were, I'm sure they never b!tched about it, because airline pilots never ever complained about anything before the current generation you despise, amirite?

flyallnite

... Oh, to be a Delta pilot in the 1980's! Most of those guys did stagnate at the beginning of their career, but boy did they move up quickly after that! By that time senior captains were pulling down the equivalent of half a million per year in salary alone in today's dollars, while enjoying the insanely feather bedded contract of the time... hardly work! Non rev in first class on your ample time off to anyplace, anytime. Normal staffing on the 727- 5 or 6 cabin crew, stay together for the entire trip. Young, hot, fun and mostly female stews... (weighed at sign in)... what drug testing? Crew cars at the layover... cheap everything everywhere- gas less than a buck, new Cadillac Eldorado 16K, loaf of bread 40 cents... If you were lucky enough to fly international then, when the mighty US Dollar was king, you might as well be on the Grand Tour. What is the TSA? ---All that and hang it up at 60 with a few million lump sum pension and virtually free healthcare. Then nothing to do but polish the corvette and head to the FBO for some fun in the Bonanza, drinks after on the boat at Lake Lanier!

My point- today's stagnated 90's or early 00 hire has seen an enormous loss of pay, benefits, retirement, QOL, and prospects of advancement in this era of code share and ever larger replacement jets. Cost of living in the USA has increased enormously, and we are being taxed to death. If you have kids and you're an FO, chances are your wife is either working or looking for work. You just can't provide the same standard of living that you could 25 years ago. Healthcare costs alone have taken a huge chunk out of take home pay. Most guys are flying a lot more. There is really no comparison to the pilots and contracts of the bygone days in most respects.