Open Letter to All United Pilots

[Big Beer Belly]

IMO there is only one way out of this for us "all". That is either gas has to come down to a reasonable dollor amount per barrel so we can all enjoy a profit and a decent job or the fairs have to go up to compansate for the gas increase. There is no other way. We made a profit in the fourth quarter only because of fuel hedgeing or we would have joined the group of others bleeding red.

Nice post Jim. Unfortunately, I (and many energy analysts) see oil remaining at approx $50/barrel and perhaps more for the foreseeable future due to increasing global demand (primarily from India and China). With refineries operating in the high 90's% of capacity, even if the producers turned the spigot wide open the bottleneck is really with the refiners (low margin/high capital cost end of the oil biz). My gut also says that if oil does come down, the LCC's, the bankrupt carriers and the Legacies themselves will simply lower fares to even further irrational levels in an attempt to fill the increasing number of seats that most all the carriers are adding to the market. I have never seen the supply/demand curve so out of whack ... and getting whackier! Econ 101 dictates that SUPPLY (aircraft seats) MUST BE REDUCED in order for prices to increase. The current situation cannot be sustained. When the inevitable painful shakeout (read multiple liquidations) finally occurs, the real question will be how badly the survivors got hurt (financially, stock price, credit rating, debt level, etc...) in the brawl.

 

[outtahere]

You people really blow my mind! As a pilot GROUP, all of ALPA we need to stand together. Quit selling your brother's and sister's out. Stand as a Union, not as United or Delta.

 

[100LL... Again!]

Too late for that, unfortunately.

 

[semperfido]

You people really blow my mind! As a pilot GROUP, all of ALPA we need to stand together. Quit selling your brother's and sister's out. Stand as a Union, not as United or Delta.

too late for that...but that WAS the answer. before the question was asked.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

As I see it our industry is being effected by the Wal-martization of our entire culture. People want to pay the min for everything with no understanding of the long term effects to the workforce. The inevitable decline of the middle class is directly related related to the ability of everyday jobs to sustain the lifestyle. The decline is on and we as consumers are demaning it to be that way. The answer is demanding actual quality and being willing to pay for it. This pertains to our industry as well as a bunch of others especially service related industries.
I can truely feel for the author of the original letter that started this thread but I would be willing to bet that even he is participating full force in this cultural event especially with the loss of the retirement that he was counting on.


Just my .02

Were we seperated at birth?