New Emirates order....

[General Lee]

Why are you so mad at EK and expat pilots Sniper? General Lee just craves attention and jealousy from his peers yet you seem to have a real hard on for Americans who chose to work overseas.

Your anger should be directed at your mgt team and board of directors who f#cked you out of your pension and gave you a decade long pay cut. You might have been sharing a cockpit at your former job with one of us but now you wish us all the worst because we took a job in a foreign country? Amazing that someone as xenophobic as you would ever choose to be an airline pilot. Maybe you should go back to being a sniper (assuming you did that at some point). Seems to suit your nature.

Uh, say what? I "crave" jealousy from my peers? I give an opinion that you and a few others disagree with, and you guys get so defensive. Things at EK aren't as rosy as you and the others portray, and I have a buddy on the 777 there that tells me about it. Arbitrary profit sharing, monthly bids that are screwed up, allnight turns to India, and others. Sure, all airlines have some problems, but you literally have no say in what goes on there. No control on your bidding (may or may not get what you want, with no reason given). Your airline has big profits, and you may not get a dime (I had a $8K profit sharing check last year---on Valentine's day too). I don't have to do two man crew India or Pakistan turns. And a bunch of the expats are leaving--- for US and European airlines too. As British Airways starts hiring again, tons of your guys (many Ex-Ryanair) will want to leave the Sandpit for the chance to go back towards family. Same with US Expats. Am I making that up? And how many married US Pilots and their families in the Sandpit wouldn't jump for the chance to come back to the States and get hired at one of the big 3 legacies? If you're single, maybe not, but married people with family back here? I'd say a bunch. So, don't get so defensive, I'm not, I just state reality.

And read from my signature at the bottom the direct quote from TP about starting over at DL if he could. He's been at your airline a lot longer than you have. Was he lying?


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Flopgut]

http://m.us.wsj.com/article_email/S...2219208604-lMyQjAxMTAzMDMwMDEzNDAyWj?mobile=y

Emirates President Tim Clark said it is "laughable" for U.S. carriers to complain about subsidies after slashing costs and debts through bankruptcy reorganization, as did Delta, United and, most recently, American. U.S. complaints are "all pretty insipid," he said. "It would be best if they put their own house in order and put themselves on a competitive footing."

Put our "house" in order? Interesting. I'm pretty sure in 2001 when UAL was a DOW component and $130 stock, the house was in order. Emirates is growing as fast as it can because they know US airlines will get their "house in order".

The US has the most sophisticated military, a space program, dominates world air cargo, and builds the worlds best aircraft. But somehow we pretend that major airlines are something we struggle at? Really, or do we just hamstring them by over regulation, lack of support, lack of advocating them? Seriously, is there a more neglected industry in our Country?

 

[General Lee]

http://m.us.wsj.com/article_email/S...2219208604-lMyQjAxMTAzMDMwMDEzNDAyWj?mobile=y

Emirates President Tim Clark said it is "laughable" for U.S. carriers to complain about subsidies after slashing costs and debts through bankruptcy reorganization, as did Delta, United and, most recently, American. U.S. complaints are "all pretty insipid," he said. "It would be best if they put their own house in order and put themselves on a competitive footing."

Put our "house" in order? Interesting. I'm pretty sure in 2001 when UAL was a DOW component and $130 stock, the house was in order. Emirates is growing as fast as it can because they know US airlines will get their "house in order".

Agreed. Consolidation is a good thing for US Airlines to fight these so called "State backed" airlines. In that article, the US airline CEOs want a few things from our Govt to level the playing field----fewer or less taxes on our tickets being a huge one. Next, actual help or backing us when it comes to negotiating for bilaterals or slots. Some Foreign Govts get behind their airlines and fight for them (some back their aircraft loans). Why can't that happen here?(the negotiating part) Maybe the next President will help more. RA and Smisek get it, though....


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Green]

General,

Admit it dude. You want to be the biggest dog in town. That's patently obvious to those on the outside. You spend an ungodly amount of energy sifting through the net trying to find ways to discredit other airlines and prove Delta is the best. Do you stop to sign autographs in the parking lot after your European trips? Tell the kids about all the hot "stews" and the ice cream sundays at FL350?

Yes Typhoon pilot wanted a job back in the states. I bet he had his fun, has a nice sum of cash in the bank, and is ready to go home. He probably can't just up and retire so why not take a job with Delta for the medical insurance, paycheck, etc. But I bet you his financial security is pretty solid. I imagine he has some pretty great stories to tell his grandkids about flying all over the world. Not just back and forth on the NAT tracks in a clapped out old 767. And he got to enjoy being a 777 captain in his 40's, maybe even 30's. Spending 40 years at one company is not necessarily the most fulfilling path to take in life.

 

[Flopgut]

Agreed. Consolidation is a good thing for US Airlines to fight these so called "State backed" airlines. In that article, the CEOs want a few things from our Govt to level the playing field----fewer or less taxes on our tickets being a huge one. Next, actual help or backing us when it comes to negotiating for bilaterals or slots. Some Foreign Govts get behind their airlines and fight for them (some back their aircraft loans). Why can't that happen here? Maybe the next President will help more. RA and Smisek get it, though....


Bye Bye---General Lee

Jeff needs to stay as close as possible to RA's talking points. When RA talks, Congress certainly listens. So when he describes these three (Emirates, Ethiad and Qatar) as "governments" and not "airlines" it will start to register with our leaders.

 

[General Lee]

General,

Admit it dude. You want to be the biggest dog in town. That's patently obvious to those on the outside. You spend an ungodly amount of energy sifting through the net trying to find ways to discredit other airlines and prove Delta is the best. Do you stop to sign autographs in the parking lot after your European trips? Tell the kids about all the hot "stews" and the ice cream sundays at FL350?

Yes Typhoon pilot wanted a job back in the states. I bet he had his fun, has a nice sum of cash in the bank, and is ready to go home. He probably can't just up and retire so why not take a job with Delta for the medical insurance, paycheck, etc. But I bet you his financial security is pretty solid. I imagine he has some pretty great stories to tell his grandkids about flying all over the world. Not just back and forth on the NAT tracks in a clapped out old 767. And he got to enjoy being a 777 captain in his 40's, maybe even 30's. Spending 40 years at one company is not necessarily the most fulfilling path to take in life.

Admit it? Admit that I love my job? Sure. Do I think I work for a great company? Sure. I also give my own opinions about things I know. I know that the big 3 legacies are all going to experience tons of retirements and upward movement is going to be great. Pay rates have come up from BK days, and the DC funds have replaced uncertain pensions. TP and others see this, and the complaining I hear and read about Gulf Carrier conditions seems pretty accurate. Why anyone wouldn't want to bail out (even from a 777 Capt seat like TP did) and get on with ANY of the big 3 is beyond me. This board has plenty of prospective newhires looking at all the options, and they should be able to read about what may or may not happen in their future companies. Flying an A380 in two years may be awesome, but how do the rest of the family feel while the pilot is globetrotting and they are left in the desert? Being single may be a lot different, but being married may be really tough. And dealing with the local laws and what about needing permission from a certain CEO of another ME airline to get married to one of their FAs? Really? Permission?

Any big airline in the States sounds better than that. I'm just repeating what I hear and read. Feel free to dispute any of that.


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[NEDude]

Overseas carriers see Chapter 11 of the U.S. bankruptcy code as a very unfair form of state aid that is not available to them. In most developed western countries airlines (and other corporations) either make money or they cease to exist. No declaring bankruptcy, operating for years, all while escaping debt and union contracts. Don't be fooled into thinking we don't have some very favorable forms of state aid in the United States that are not available to carriers of other nations.

 

[General Lee]

Overseas carriers see Chapter 11 of the U.S. bankruptcy code as a very unfair form of state aid that is not available to them. In most developed western countries airlines (and other corporations) either make money or they cease to exist. No declaring bankruptcy, operating for years, all while escaping debt and union contracts. Don't be fooled into thinking we don't have some very favorable forms of state aid in the United States that are not available to carriers of other nations.

How about Europe? State Aid almost always pulls European Airlines from the brink, and then their unions strike, and make it worse. Check out Alitalia right now. They are begging AF/KL for help, but it may not come without major restructuring and job loss. AF announced additional job cuts on top of the 5100 or so announced before. But, there is a difference when an airline in the ME can order 100 A380s. Uh, who is backing that loan? Who can possibly afford that PLUS 100 new 777s? The US Govt doesn't help airlines prior to BK, they let them fall into it and then the process works. It sucks, and people get pay cuts and pensions lost, but there is still debt there. DL had $19 billion in debt in 2008(?), and it is now down to $10 Billion, with the new target now being $7 billion within the next year or so. BK doesn't get rid of ALL debts obviously, and the credit rating takes a big hit. Some State run or State backed Airlines will never have to see that. US airlines are probably the highest taxed too. How much of a ticket goes to the GOVT? I'm sure it's like that in Europe too.


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[sniper]

Why are you so mad at EK and expat pilots Sniper? General Lee just craves attention and jealousy from his peers yet you seem to have a real hard on for Americans who chose to work overseas.

Your anger should be directed at your mgt team and board of directors who f#cked you out of your pension and gave you a decade long pay cut. You might have been sharing a cockpit at your former job with one of us but now you wish us all the worst because we took a job in a foreign country? Amazing that someone as xenophobic as you would ever choose to be an airline pilot. Maybe you should go back to being a sniper (assuming you did that at some point). Seems to suit your nature.

not angry but i protect my job in the US by all foreign threats

not xenophobic at all.

Just against the 3 at UAE

 

[Green]

Which 3 UAE carriers are you against?