No Yip. I'm suprised by your amateur suggestions.
He's being facetious. Those weren't real suggestions, they're his way to dance around the issue sarcastically without actually giving a real response that would point out that management IS responsible for the financial success, or failure, of a company, much more than labor could ever think of being.
I think the solution is for pilots to remain engaged in their careers and stand firm when required.
Yes, but even when they do, as evidenced by American's problems this last decade and a half, it won't take the place of good management and sound business practices.
I think many airline managements have learned from SWA that happy employees=a better bottom line=happy shareholders=happy management.
No they haven't. Southwest is the only airline that really cares about that and, in recent months, obviously not quite as much as in years past. Every other airline still squeezes labor to the last degree in the name of cost management.
It's been too easy for upper management to pillage a company for their own interests.
They still do.
Do you advocate just sitting back and let management drive your career into the ground when there are legal actions you can take to ameliorate the abuse?
He's management, of course he does. He expects pilots to do nothing but come to work and fly the planes, regardless of how bad they see the working conditions. He also advocates pilots to "vote with their feet" by moving jobs, even though he knows that it's only feasible in HIS industry niche, and not feasible in a CAREER Legacy pilot position, due to our seniority not being portable.
He knows all that and dances around it, but that's what management does, so there's no sense in even arguing it with him.
As for ticket prices, I don't understand why you advocate doubling airline prices. If the average ticket price is $500 and you double it, very few will fly. If you raise it $5 then very few will care. What are you trying to accomplish with doubling airline prices? I can't be to give pilots raises because that would be ignorant.
You're making his argument for him. He's being exaggerative by saying "double" then will turn it around on you and say that it applies to ANY increase, although many airlines ARE raising fares. Southwest has raised fares at AirTran 9 times over the last 6 months and bookings were up until only recently (they're down for the Holidays so far, which is why you saw some fare sales announced the last couple weeks).
You and I both know that small fare increases need to happen to return airlines to a profitable stance for the long-haul, and at regular intervals in small amounts so that the traveling public doesn't notice as much. The airlines HAVE been doing that, to an extent, and the increases are sticking, yielding better profits for many airlines.
But shhhhh... don't tell YIP.
