Pilot: “Alan, I fail to see how your logic of “core time” is going to make them move any faster. Right now, they’re motivated to get us out quickly because the clock is running. We change that, and they’re not longer motivated. Am I missing something?”
AP: “Well, you’re not wrong. There is that 5 minute restriction. Now the gate agent gets in trouble if the aircraft isn’t moved
Pilot: “Right now, the metric AirTran is using with the gate agents is door closed. They can change that to get the aircraft moving faster without affecting our pay. I believe now that the clock isn’t running with door closed, they’re not any more motivated than before.”
AP; “Well, let’s just say that if I’m completely wrong and it’s not going to get better, the point was that the company gave us a couple million in negotiating capital to use elsewhere. I’m not going to battle and say that you’re not right. But this is the industry average.”
Pilot: “This isn’t done anywhere else in the industry.”
AP: “well it’s done at Southwest.”
Pilot: “Then they can give us Southwest pay.”
AP: no response
Pilot: “There seems to be a rush to get this contract done before the merger. But there’s no time like the present to get the language clear. Is there a commuter policy?”
AP: “Yes, it’s in the form of a “late report” where they put a reserve on your trip. If you are doing a turn to start, they may try to get you back on that trip or they can offer you reserve which you don’t have to take but you’ll get some pay back. If that’s what you mean, then yes.”
Pilot: “In terms of seeing who’s on reserve, can we see who is on in front of us and do they have to use that?”
AP: “I don’t know.”
Pilot: “When are we going to be able to get SAP 2 back with FLICA?
AP: ”We won’t go to FLICA now. (history lesson we already knew for 5 minutes). I wish we could go to something like that. The company’s not going to turn it on until they get a floor. – didn’t answer the question.
Pilot: “Based on your press release and comments you’ve made, what is the rush with the BOD decision and T.A. Why are we approving a T.A. when we’re already acknowledging that it needs to be fixed but we’re going to do 3 ½ years? Why the rush?”
AP: “We will never have the perfect contract, that’s what I mean by coming back in 3 ½ years. We’re not rushing, we’re taking a week to get the Q&A’s done which can only come when you have a T.A. We’re going to take our time to get the Q&A’s right. There’s a point of diminishing return. If you mean wait 2 years until the rest of the contracts come out, we’re going to do that and a year later we’ll start negotiating again. The NMB is there and there’s a good chance if we vote this down, and I don’t want to scare anyone into voting yes, but the mediator could put us on ice.
Pilot: “I’d rather continue living on the current book than sign a concessionary agreement and everything you’ve said and shown on the powerpoint shows it’s a concessionary agreement.”
AP: “you’ll see that with the raise in pay, 401(k), and signing bonuses and you will see that this is NOT concessionary and this is NOT CASM-neutral contract. Nobody can run those kind of numbers and show me that this is a concessionary contract.”
AP: “I also want to remind you this gets us the jumpseat back without the $25 fee. That ought to make people happy.”
Pilot: “Anything in the T.A. about virtual basing?”
AP: Yeah, and it’s a short sentence because it doesn’t appear the company wants virtual bases, mainly because of the Midwest merger. It says that we will be glad to talk to them about virtual bases should they ever want them.
Pilot: “Is this contract with AirTran holdings or AirTran Airways?”
AP: The agreement is with the main company airtran airways. There’s going to be a letter for holdings that actually acknowledges the Scope clause in particular and they agree to honor that scope clause. There’s some other changes in Section 1 that expand the definition of the company into a subsidiary.”
Pilot: “It seems like we destroyed the retirees on health insurance. I’d be a little upset.”
AP: “There is a provision in there, and I don’t have my notes, so I’ll hold that until the road shows.”
Pilot: “Why should I vote for a contract as a 3rd year F/O that is well-below industry average on F/O pay?”
AP: “You’re going to be a CA next year, and you’ll be at the industry average, so that’s why I’d vote yes.”
Pilot: “But I don’t have any guarantee for that. Why should I vote yes?”
AP: ”As far as comparing F/O rates, yes, that is true. But a 4-year pilot here will make more because they will upgrade.”
Pilot: “But we don’t have a guarantee upgrades will continue, and we’re below everyone else?”
AP: “Yes, that’s correct, I can’t argue with that.”
Pilot: “Can you dispel the rumor that if you are a lineholder, at the end of a trip, you can be put on ready reserve?”
AP: “No, that’s not true. If you are a reserve pilot, then you can be put on ready reserve, but not as a lineholder. That’s one of the benefits of the new contract. If you’re brought in on ready reserve, your 6 hour commitment starts at the beginning of your reserve period.”
Pilot: “Is that over and above your 75?”
AP: “No, you have to beat 75 hours total credit.”
Pilot: “We have dedicated CDO lines. Are we going to have dedicated redeye lines now?
AP: ”I believe so, and I don’t know what the percentages are, but they’ve got them split up now.”
Our hour’s up, and I’m going to have more of these along with the roadshows after you get the T.A. document. We’re not going to open up the balloting process until then, it’ll open shortly afterwards and remain open. You can change your vote up to the deadline.
There should be someone in the crew lounge, maybe in the room next to the Chief Pilot’s office and the training center most days during normal business hours to answer questions.