Caveman

We've a got a pile of good chits in The Squadron just looking to help out where they can.

​​​​​​If pilots from other airlines were able to fly our flying at less than contractual negotiated rigs/rates, there'd be a yuge uproar over Scope.

But somehow were ok to do this exact same thing to ourselves by one of our own.

Pilots are smart!

ROFF

Sage advise.

premium is totally overrated. By about 150%

e6bpilot

I think some of you need to take a good, pragmatic look at history and where we stand for the future.

When I got hired here in 2014, the super upbeat and optimistic hiring team told me to expect 3 years on reserve commuting to Oakland and a 15-20 year upgrade. There were a thousand airtran pilots to train, no organic hiring left, and we were being crushed by fuel costs and the competition.

The finance people came in to my new hire class and told us that we needed to help out and keep costs low so that maybe we could eek out a yearly profit and grow the airline. We were still the little, scrappy guy in their eyes, and if we could just hit 15 percent ROIC, maybe we could start having nice things.

Fast forward two years - I was never based in oakland, the company couldn't hire enough pilots, and SWA was making so much money that they literally ran out of places to put it. Another couple of years and we were hiring like there was no end in sight and I was suddenly in the upper third of my domicile FOs. If it kept up, I would upgrade at 7-8 years.

Then the max was grounded. Then Covid hit.

Now the company is back in doom and gloom comms mode. If you look at what they are doing, though, and not what they are saying, you can clearly see the writing on the wall.

They are recalling every single EXTO pilot that they can get through training this summer. They are adding cities. Load factors are through the roof, I am currently flying a mid April trip with full 800s every leg. The summer schedule looks packed and forward bookings are through the roof. They are training ETOPS pilots as fast as they can. Every flight attendant is being recalled from EXTO. Every training center instructor has been recalled from EXTO.

I know we have a way to go before we are dug out of the hole, but this is the same basic stage that we were in when I was hired. Things are about to get very good for the airline. We have smart people in charge of our network, planning, and finances. As long as the country continues this trajectory out of the COVID hole, this pilot group stands to benefit greatly in the next 2-3 years because we also have smart people in charge of our union and negotiating teams.

My advice - relax and let the process work it's way out. I see very good things in the future for us and the entire industry.

hoover

They told us when we were hired we had to keep costs low to compete with spirit

LUVisLost

Doom and gloom my ass....they gave themselves a HUGE compensation raise. Where is mine? I mean I have a nice letter scaring me and my family back in December but where is my pay raise? They give themselves 11 percent for staying home and safe while the worker bees are out on the lines, I demand 25-30 percent pay raise with all the perks of a real airline. Why are we flying a 175 seat airplane for 143 seat rate? Why am I paying out of pocket for a medical I’m required to have because the rates don’t match the street rates? Why am I paying for parking? What am I only being paid 1/2 time for CBT work? Every time someone talks about doom and gloom I’m going to hold up my WARN letter with a copy of GK compensation raise in 2020. Time to squeeze this goose till every golden egg is pushed out!

e6bpilot

Like I said. Watch what they do, not what they say.

Lewbronski

People have been saying stuff like this for decades around here. But we don’t really seem to change. I have literally heard guys here say, “I don’t want to get paid more because then I have to pay more taxes.” Then there’s the infinite variations of the “squozen balloon” theory: that the pie is only so big so if we achieve any kind of “perk” like paid parking (note: standard at virtually every single airline), then we have to give up things in other areas like pay rates or medical benefits. Yes, they actually used the term “squozen balloon” and guys here took it seriously. They still do. Don’t expect much to change here despite anyone’s bluster.

hoover

if I'm in class or on the line with you and you do this... beers on me!

LUVisLost

I get it. I totally do. The 2 job wonders are IMO the biggest issue. Never before though have we seen such double talk and absolute mismanagement occur. Never before have we witnessed the hostage taking, never before have we seen this company bleed so much money while the C Suite is busy increasing their wealth. The pie is not finite, if I get a larger slice, expand the pie. I really hope the Kool Aid drinkers have woken up, if not I’ll do my best to beat the war drum and wake them up.

If you really have run into people who say they don’t want to make more money cause they have to pay more taxes....Jesus man they need a head exam.

hoover

I've heard from more than one person that they think we should only get paid for what we fly. No rigs or daily guarantee, or even guarantee. They like earning what they work for.