shoelu

SWAPA wasn't afraid of arbitration, management was. SWAPA prepared diligently for the arbitration process, at great cost, and was ready to make what we all felt were compelling arguments in that process. Management on the other hand wanted a quickly resolved list. Since they have no codeshare options to begin realizing synergies absent a quick agreement, they made two proposals to speed this deal along. The second proposal was ratified by both memberships. SWAPA's highly paid consulting firms informed the membership that the deal on the table was more beneficial to the group than an arbitrated settlement, and advised us to vote yes.

Hopefully there will be no additional mergers on the horizon for SWA. SWAPA wanted no part of this one. Scope will not be relaxed in the future to enable management an ability to easily grow the airline externally. Surely you can see that controlling external growth is a huge benifit to the pilot group considering what is occurring at your own airline presently. The membership is already clamoring to increase the mergers and acquisition protections in our upcoming section 6 negotiations.

To answer the question as to what did we get other than seniority, we got the addition of the beneficial assets that AT brought to the table that management was after in the first place. On the seniority front we got an initial bump that will slowly be eroded away to the equivalent of an additional .02% gain at the time of my retirement for me personally over where I would have been with a stand alone SWA. In order to get more than that in the form of contractual improvements or compensation improvements we would have had to offer scope concessions to achieve those benefits. That option was never on the table, nor should it have been.

Waves

Yes we did get something and I am thankful for that, but,the banckruptcy payout was peanuts compared to what some of us would have accrued. It really depended on how long one had remaining to fly. Some of us were kind of in the dead zone. Not many years until retirement, yet not very much of a pay out either. Secondly, all of the pretend (Preferred ESOP) stock DAL was using to fund our 401k's was vaporized. Additionally, unless one put that pay out money in a shoe box waiting for the laws regarding taxing it to change, nearly all of it was taxable income added to one's normal year's earnings. That meant a very high tax rate for most of that money. Thirty plus percent of it was given to the Governement to spend. There were also some other smaller tax benefits that we didn't qualify for because of the pay outs, but that's a whole nother animal. Also, the PBGC account (if it is actually there when we retire) is about a third to half of the promised and earned annuity pay out. Better than nothing as you say, but still a kick to the financial groin.

iaflyer

Transportation between LGA/JFK adds up. Or over to EWR if you get a trip there, since NYC covers all three. May not happen to a line holder, but reserves can't be so picky.

Bill Lumberg

PROBABLY the NYC 73N? Sounds like a diversion to me. Why would you give away what your choice would be when people senior to you could take it too? It's like showing your hand in poker. My bet, you're looking at something in DTW.

TheTriColor

Yep. Even if you take the train/bus for 3 dollars (Or whatever it is) adds up. And sometimes, the amount of time spent on those things makes it not worth it and makes you get a cab which is at least 20 dollars. Even the Kew runner is 7 dollars. Add all this up, plus the food, it is AT LEAST (Most of the time MORE) 500 dollars to commute.

cni187

Some good ones near LGA. I would recommend Kew Gardens if you're not gonna have a car up there. I had a pad near LGA but mostly flew out of JFK on the 88 and it's $20-25 for a car to JFK from near LGA. I'm gonna get a beater if I get pushed back up there.

forgot to bid

Man this AE sucks.

FlyingSig

12 month equipment freeze for new hire pilots

FmrFreightDog

Understatement of the day (unless of course you have a burning desire to commute to NYC). You should have at least posted a picture of a scantily clad cheerleader holding up a "Man ths AE sucks" banner.....

acl65pilot

I would prefer that, but they are taking too many seats off of the 320. Of course I will have my 777B MD in!