Full of LUV
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2002
- Posts
- 1,021
All true....
You to make some valid observations... I have know way of knowing if RAH would have flown the exact same routes as Midwest or not and I suppose it's a "mute" point at this juncture. But I do think it would have been a lot harder to transition the whole kit-and-kaboodle if MW pilots would have threatened to walk out 7 days after the initial announcement had the company not really negotiated something.
I guess some would say the company did want to negotiate, and that was for the flying to be done at RAH rates, and then people have to decide if that is what they are willing to do. Unfortunately, the company seemed to enjoy the best of both worlds as senior pilots hung on and flew to the "last day" at their rates and facilitated the transfer over to RAH rather than accept RAH rates themselves.
Who knows, I've never personally been in that situation and hope not to, and I'm sure it is very tough to leave the comfy captains seat in your hometown once you've obtained that, but all was lost eventually anyway. Ironically, the RAH pilots would say they enjoy the growth because it gives them more PIC time so they can someday get that coveted Capt position at a major airline in their hometown.
You make some good points. Obviously it easy to armchair quarterback after the fact. Unfortunatley the silence coming from the ranks at RAH speaks volumes. I do not believe they would honor a "picket line" and not fly "their (Midwest) flying." In 1989 when I was on strike at EAL, Continental was flying from east coast cities (like PHL ect) to ATL. They never "crossed a picket line" to do it.
An RAH pilot that showed up to work, and in his schedule was MKE to "XYZ" they would fly it.
You to make some valid observations... I have know way of knowing if RAH would have flown the exact same routes as Midwest or not and I suppose it's a "mute" point at this juncture. But I do think it would have been a lot harder to transition the whole kit-and-kaboodle if MW pilots would have threatened to walk out 7 days after the initial announcement had the company not really negotiated something.
I guess some would say the company did want to negotiate, and that was for the flying to be done at RAH rates, and then people have to decide if that is what they are willing to do. Unfortunately, the company seemed to enjoy the best of both worlds as senior pilots hung on and flew to the "last day" at their rates and facilitated the transfer over to RAH rather than accept RAH rates themselves.
Who knows, I've never personally been in that situation and hope not to, and I'm sure it is very tough to leave the comfy captains seat in your hometown once you've obtained that, but all was lost eventually anyway. Ironically, the RAH pilots would say they enjoy the growth because it gives them more PIC time so they can someday get that coveted Capt position at a major airline in their hometown.