Pineapple Guy

acl, this is not directed at you, but it constantly amazes me that pilots think ALPA is some Fairy Godmother that can prevent any ill from ever afflicting every member, regardless of the external circumstances.

I have news for you. Bankruptcy SUCKS! And when you look at all the hits we've taken the past 10 years, there's your cause. Pilots at LUV, FDX, and UPS have great pay rates and benefits because they've continued to be incredibly profitable the past XX years. It has nothing to do with the strength of their pilot group or the shrewdness of their union.

And to think otherwise is naive.

Check Essential

Let me chime in with yet a 3rd interpretation of reserve responsibilities on a 24 in 7 rest period. Maybe someone can call the office and find out the right answer.

I think Uncle Sam is right on this part:
An assigned 24 hour rest period is different than a "last non-fly day".
There's no "1500" schedule check. During that 24 hours you don't have ANY obligation to answer the phone or check your schedule at all.

We differ on when you might be required to report following your rest:
If they haven't pre-assigned something and had you acknowledge it prior to that 24 hours then you just become a long call pilot at the end. Regular 12 hour leash.
It is legal for them to pre-assign a trip or short call to follow your 24 hours. ie= they call you and say you're on 24 hours rest starting 3:00 PM Tuesday and you have a trip that reports at 3:01 PM Wednesday.

Columbia

What happens when oil goes to $100 barrel? The bill gets paid. There's a reason mgmt gets $5-10 Million a year-they are smart and know how to find revenue streams to pay their bills-things like bags, booze, change fees, Amex, food for purchase, code share revs, etc......they are smart about finding ways to pay fixed costs.

Pineapple Guy

They are not THAT smart, or 4 carriers wouldn't have filed for bankruptcy.

Columbia

Are you kidding? They discovered almost a Billion a year in bag fees. Food is now a huge revenue stream as is booze. Amex contributed over a Billion/year. Capacity discipline that didn't used to exist now drives fares which are 30% higher. ALL of these things did NOT exist just 3 years ago. They have learned from the past and have discovered that people are willing to pony up to see Meema.

hockeypilot44

That's right. We're second class pilots on reserve.

Carl Spackler

Yes. From you and slow and the other ALPA lemmings. I've said previously that one of the problems of being in ALPA is that we don't get to control our finances...ALPA does. You lemmings have repeatedly said how wrong I was and that once the money is budgeted for Delta pilots, it is then controlled by Delta pilots.

Don't worry, I always new you weren't serious about that anyway.

So you're saying that we should never think about leaving ALPA...not because ALPA is the best for Delta pilots, but because ALPA will steal the money from Delta pilots that was budgeted for Delta pilots? That about right?

Carl

Carl Spackler

Amazing deflection of the facts and complete ignoring of very recent history. No TWA pilot was asking ALPA to be their Fairy Godmother. All they asked was for the representation they were paying for. What did TWA pilots get? Lies, double dealing, destroyed documents, destroyed computers (except one thank God) and withholding of money. Not my opinion, but the jury's verdict. Open your eyes for crying out loud!

Read above. Because clearly, bankruptcy is not always the cause.

Carl

sailingfun

They did not learn from the past. In the last downturn there was one airline that was hedged on fuel. That airline was 20 percent of the domestic market. If you control 20 percent of the domestic market you control pricing. They simply refused all fare increases and the other airlines could not raise prices or increase yield. This was a deliberate attempt to put UAL out of business and hopefully one more legacy airline. This is almost a direct quote from SW management at a CP meeting. We are going to use our fuel hedges to put one or two major airlines out of business.
The plan failed and SW was now in a position it was not used to being in. Their cost structure was now high enough relative to the legacy airlines that they could not go into almost any market and push the old carriers out. As a result basically all growth stopped and they had to follow the legacy model of mergers for growth. One failed merger and one merger that is almost done.
What has allowed the increase in revenue with the uptick in fuel prices is that no major airlines are hedged. Everyone has to go along or not make money. If SW were hedged to the extent they were in the last downturn the industry would be a bloodbath now.

FlyingViking

OK, the day had to come.... I agree with PG !