LUV Will Grow Little Or None In 2009

[Daddy]

You guys act as if ALL of SWAPA was for the age change which is far from true...more like 55-45 or so. Also, do not forget that this thing did not get legs until ALPA jumped on board...APA did stay true til the end though. Water under the bridge now fellas...just another d!ck samwich to choke down in this godforsaken industry

 

[ultrarunner]

I can't believe this can't be worked out. Heck, the company doesn't want you there till 65. Most pilots don't want to stay either.

I suspect there will be a shift. And what will happen, IMO, is that the company will make it worth it to bail at 60. No more contributions if you stay...no more disability if you stay, etc...

It's WAY cheaper for a company to dangle a lump sum carrot out there if you hit a magic number, say 70 or 80. (combined age/yrs of service).

It'll happen at some point.

 

[K-Mart]

Daddy,

You are right on the money. It was probably an even 50-50 split at SWA that were for or against the Age 65 change. Unfortunately not many FO's voted, although in my opinion, it wouldn't have mattered anyway. Our Union, a very crooked one at that, would have spent the money to have the rule changed anyway.

Interesting article in our Union Rag talked about our 1# pilot on the seniority list, most senior check airman and a multimillionaire, stated how he and his wife were looking forward to finally being able to spend some time together up in their family retreat in Missouri but since the rule changed 6 months prior to his manadatory retirement, those plans were on the shelf. He wants to work as long as he can and those plans to spend time with his wife are over for now. To each his own but I would bet even odds his wife takes half and runs. Could you blame her?

 

[AA767AV8TOR]

Ok Ace, then explain to me how a pilot at The All Great and Fabulous American Airlines cannot afford to leave at age 60? With your far superior retirement and medical plans, I wouldn't even think this was a problem at good old AA. In fact the MAJORITY of AA pilots OPPOSED age 65, exactly how many are staying, and why?

Three words – pure selfish greed. You’re right about our retiring pilots being in a much better position than many others that went through the bankruptcy process, but unfortunately that still hasn't stopped many from flying past 60.


On February 1st, we had about 400 retire but that was due to the decline in the stock market and its effects on the B-Fund lump sum payout. I believe at last count that about 50-80 had stayed past 60 so far.


Now here’s the hard part – depending on what happens down the road with the industry, if the company is racing towards bankruptcy that could have an impact on their lump sum payouts, it could cause another run in retirements. If not, the company is expecting most of the guys to stay to 64 or 65. There is simply too much money to walk away from.

AA767AV8TOR

 

[AA767AV8TOR]

AA767
Thanks for your reply, but it still does not answer my basic question. How could any US carrier with a code share partner in Europe claim that 60+ was unsafe in the US, yet safe for their codesharing connecting passengers abroad? Defend that, from a company position, and you have to draw the logical conclusion that it was not just the unions wooing the lawmakers, but the companies as well.
Dad

Dad,

The reason the Europeans raised their flying age was that they had a very legitimate shortage of pilots. That was their way of correcting for the shortage. Back here in the US, we have no shortage of pilots and in the next couple of years it now looks like we’ll have a massive surplus of pilots.

Just because the Europeans are doing something, doesn’t mean we have to do the same thing – again, especially when it’s in the name of safety. Just because someone wants to run off the cliff doesn’t mean we have to do it. Following your logic, you are saying we should have the exact the same contracts between our codesharing partners which is definitely not the case. Finally, I don’t have to defend Age 65 from a company position. I’m not management and I don’t pretend to do their job for them. The union and the company are not on the same page very often when it comes to safety. It’s our butts on the line out there.

Just to cite one safety rule, we are only allowed to fly to 83 hours per month. This is a safety and job concern for us, but as you well know the FAA permits pilots to fly 100 per month or 1000 hours per year. Sorry, just because others are doing something is never a reason for us to do it simply because as you say, “others are doing it.”


We are going to have to see how this age 65 rule works out in the name of safety. Another area I don’t think the Southwest guys really took into account was how the continuous all-nighters are going to affect the older pilots in international or freight flying since it really doesn’t affect them all that much. It’s brutal regimen that ages the hell of a pilot. I just hope something doesn’t happen on my leg.

AA767AV8TOR

 

[ASADFW7]

I thought this was a thread about growth at SWA next year, not a discussion about the frustrations about the age 65 change. Can I say STF UP already, it passed get over and stop your crying, if you are supposed to pee standing up resume the position.

 

[Dude]

.......nice

 

[GlobeIII]

Daddy,



Interesting article in our Union Rag talked about our 1# pilot on the seniority list, most senior check airman and a multimillionaire, stated how he and his wife were looking forward to finally being able to spend some time together up in their family retreat in Missouri but since the rule changed 6 months prior to his manadatory retirement, those plans were on the shelf. He wants to work as long as he can and those plans to spend time with his wife are over for now. To each his own but I would bet even odds his wife takes half and runs. Could you blame her?

K-Mart-
I thought the exact same thing when I read that article yesterday.....I hope I don't get like that when I get old....but I probably will!:laugh:

 

[FlyinGuy]

I am just a little concerned about these samiches that Daddy is choking down!!!???

 

[vixin]

Interesting article in our Union Rag talked about our 1# pilot on the seniority list, most senior check airman and a multimillionaire, stated how he and his wife were looking forward to finally being able to spend some time together up in their family retreat in Missouri but since the rule changed 6 months prior to his manadatory retirement, those plans were on the shelf. He wants to work as long as he can and those plans to spend time with his wife are over for now. To each his own but I would bet even odds his wife takes half and runs. Could you blame her?

Jim R. is an a55 to boot. What an idiot! I cant believe he would be sooooo stupid to put that in the RP. Wait yes I can. He just speaks for the other over 60 idiots. Slam click the over 60 crowd.

AA767 give it a rest already. How many of those original SWA 65 pushers do you think are on the property now? I can tell you the majority here know do not like 65. But it is here so deal with it.