AA now wants costs cuts

[ExpWayVis31]

Always, Always think about what the senior dudes want to do to the pilot group. They try to sell the membership on "improvements" for everyone but the reality is they want to help the senior dudes the most. Don't trust them.

I'm not a senior dude but some day god willing I might be one, so might you?

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

I'm not a senior dude but some day god willing I might be one, so might you?

Yeah and I hope I don't turn into the A$$ that some turn into after they get there. I am thankful that many a Captain at SWA remember what its like to be a junior FO.

 

[OffHot]

Hey good news, even if the Air Traffic Controllers turn down their present contract, congress can force them to accept a contract that pays the avg. controller 187000 a year.

 

[ExpWayVis31]

remember what its like to be a junior FO.

It's all relative, at SWA what's the time to upgrade? 5-6 years? That means that you will be complaining about being a junior captain while many of us are still F/O's.

 

[Frank Lorenzo]

I love what I am seeing here. I'll tell ya guys, uncle Frank is hopping on the AA bandwagon.

I see the employees are going to let management keep their bonuses that come due April 17th. I can't tell you how proud I am of you all! This is the key to airline success. Huge managerial bonuses. If you want a well oiled machine, you need to attract the best. The only way to do that is with a lot of moolah baby.

And now I see this Horton guy is back. I see he just came back from a slash and burn tour of duty at AT&T in which THOUSANDS lost their jobs. THIS IS MY KIND OF GUY!

This Horton guy needs to get the AA pilots salaries in line with the likes of UAL and JBLU. The fact that the AA pilots think they can keep these outrageously expensive pension programs is ridiculous! Dump them on to the tax payer I say! A few more furloughs wouldn't hurt either.

I'll tell ya.......AA is GOING PLACES!

 

[AAslag]

Thank's for the comedic relief Frank......I need it.

Say, ya wanna do coffee?

 

[800Dog]

I've got to throw the flag on this one...

The DALPA have made a number of mistakes to get our profession to the point we see now...

Bronze medalist:
The whole PAN AM integration/nonintegration thing...which of course set the stage for a number of other windfalls at other pilots expense.

Silver medalist:
The allowance for "contract aviators" on the widebody. Oh yeah, that was a one time deal. And the same DL guys will turn around and tell JB we can't accept Transcon turns due to "precedent."

Gold medalist:
Allowing RJ commuter lift. When they (and ALPA national, to be fair) could have killed it in its cradle.

Oh yeah, DALPA is holding the line. Wrong, DALPA is starting to make the bearest of amends for the abortion that this profession has become. And that they helped create.

Those Delta guys are long gone!

 

[Big Slick]

I'm an AA furloughee, so I can say this.

IMHO, we need to get rid of the A and B funds. We will not be able to compete if we don't. I say, the sooner the better.

Ironically, we might have been better off if we had declared bankruptcy back in the day. Without bankruptcy, it will be nearly impossible to lower employee costs and, thus, save the company. How in the world can we compete with Southwest, Jetblue, United, etc. if we have huge retirement costs and they don't?

The good ol' days are gone and the sooner we accept reality the better.

Here is what we really need - Growth Plan Two. Maybe we can recall Crandall. Employees bite the bullet with paycuts in exchange for growth. I would plan the growth phase to coincide with SWAs fuel hedges running out.

I would hire new employees on b-scale wages. Even at b-scale wages, American could still hire lots of top-notch folks. Don't believe me? Look how many folks are trying to get hired by the discount airlines right now. If the pay was the same, I would rather work for American than Virgin American.

It was a bitter pill at the time, but the original Growth Plan made American the largest airline in the world. It also made a lot of Captains. No one would complain about paycuts if they knew they could move up in seniority.

We have been playing defense long enough. We need a strategic plan to get out of this mess. We also need to consolidate with someone, maybe British Airways. In short, we need some innovative thinking. Just asking for paycuts over and over is not an effective strategy.

 

[Uppercrust]

I'm an AA furloughee, so I can say this.

IMHO, we need to get rid of the A and B funds. We will not be able to compete if we don't. I say, the sooner the better.

Ironically, we might have been better off if we had declared bankruptcy back in the day. Without bankruptcy, it will be nearly impossible to lower employee costs and, thus, save the company. How in the world can we compete with Southwest, Jetblue, United, etc. if we have huge retirement costs and they don't?

The good ol' days are gone and the sooner we accept reality the better.

Here is what we really need - Growth Plan Two. Maybe we can recall Crandall. Employees bite the bullet with paycuts in exchange for growth. I would plan the growth phase to coincide with SWAs fuel hedges running out.

I would hire new employees on b-scale wages. Even at b-scale wages, American could still hire lots of top-notch folks. Don't believe me? Look how many folks are trying to get hired by the discount airlines right now. If the pay was the same, I would rather work for American than Virgin American.

It was a bitter pill at the time, but the original Growth Plan made American the largest airline in the world. It also made a lot of Captains. No one would complain about paycuts if they knew they could move up in seniority.

We have been playing defense long enough. We need a strategic plan to get out of this mess. We also need to consolidate with someone, maybe British Airways. In short, we need some innovative thinking. Just asking for paycuts over and over is not an effective strategy.

PAYCUTS BABY!!!! PAYCUTS here they come!

 

[CaptainMark]

The good ol' days are gone and the sooner we accept reality the better.

there is the attitude that we all want to here...give up..it's over! if pilots of years past had that same attitude i would be making LCC wages...thank God they didn't!!!!! how about getting some managers that have a clue and some pilots with balls!