OK, I've got to jump in on this one....
-I've also heard the Southwest pay thing, but only from other line pukes like me, did one of you hear it from "David, Al, Ann Rhodes, and others" or just from other pilots who heard it from someone who heard it from someone..... I just wanted to be sure that it actually came from one of them before I got all bent out of shape about it. I was there when one of them said that INITIALLY they used the Southwest pay scales to decide JB rates, but they never wanted to tie the rates to Southwest. I wonder if anybody has ever heard the Soutwest pay thing directly from the horses mouth, otherwise I wouldn't call it a promise.
- I think the healthcare issue is getting worse, too. When I interviewed, they didn't say anything about improving it, though, I was wondering how long ago they made you that promise. Everything I hear on the news is that healthcare is getting worse for everyone, maybe they shouldn't have made you a promise at the interview, but I don't think they're blowing smoke on that one.
- Realisitc, you said "Should a pilot have to wait three or four or five years to start enjoying premium pay? If a pilot is religated to 75 hours of reserve for the remainder of his career (LGB, FLL) should his pay be so much lower than a pilot who may have been hired only a year before?"
If the guy hired only a year before decides he wants to go to JFK so he won't have to sit reserve for the rest of his life, then, yes. If you've been here for any amount of time, you know the situation at those bases, it does suck for the junior guys there, and yes, they could staff it more, but if you've been here for any amount of time, you know the situation. I'm from So. Cal. I have a lot of friends and family there, it would be an on-line commute, and I wouldn't need a crash pad, but I haven't bid over there, because I'd be on reserve. It's a choice that everyone has to make. If you know reserve over there $ucks and you can't take PTO, then don't go there. Bidding to one of those places in hopes that things will improve is a bit naive, it's like moving to a city because you heard Jetblue may be flying there soon, then bitching about it when they don't.
- I don't know where you got the "facts" about preferential bidding, but I'm one of the lower seniority guys in my seat, probably bottom 15% of lineholders, and I regularly get 85-90 hour credit months with 14-16 days off. Again, it's a choice you make when you bid, if you don't want redeyes, or like long layovers somewhere or weekends off, and are about my seniority, you can expect pretty crappy lines.
- You talk about how they can cut 1-2% off our profit margins for better healthcare, then 1-2% for pay raises, then 1-2% more for better staffing, you see where this is leading? You think the stock is in the crapper now, wait unitl we post a loss. Yeah, there are a lot of people whose options are worthless, I'm one of them, but I still get tangible benefits of the CSPP every 6 months, and I'd like to see us keep making a profit.
I'm not naive enough to think everything here is perfect, but it does upset me when I hear people ranting about how they've been lied to and how promises have been broken, when the only tangible information they have about these promises is a rumor they heard from a buddy. Maybe it's a good sign that there are all these conspiracy theories running around. There are thousands of guys out there spending all their time looking for a flying job, and we don't have to worry about that, so we use our time to come up with wild-ass rumors and other things to bitch about. I guess it's in our nature.
I'm pretty new to the industry. I'm not one of these guys who's been flying 121 for 25 years and is on their 7th airline, so most of you probably think I don't know squat. But one thing I have noticed in my short time here, this business is full of choices: where to live, what equipment to fly, what seat to fly, where to fly it from. Having come from the military, where you had very few choices, I like this job better. You actually get the chance to look at your options, weigh the pros and cons and make an informed decision. The only problem is that when you make your bed, you have to sleep in it.
I'm done.....