This 15 years of service/furloughed ex 9 and 73 capt. ain’t in any hurry to leave AirTran for USAir. And I bet there are a half a dozen USAir folks that just plain quit (early retirement) USAir to work for AirTran just to take back a little control in their lives.
It’s nice to know that I MAY get recalled. (I was required to resign from USAir in the AirTran indoc process), But so much has changed at both carriers in the last five years. USAir down, AirTran up.
Let’s say I get recalled to the right seat of a 737 by mid summer 06 (190 deliveries schedule for Nov. 06). That’s on reserve 72 hrs @ $89 per hr. Not bad money and more than I make at Citrus. But there is a strong likely hood that I could be displaced to the 190 at $61 an hour by the summer of 07 as they park old tired 73s for the JJJ (Jumbo Jungle Jet). By that time at AirTran I'll be in the left seat @ $102 per hour.
I have two theories of airline economics, both have to do with chickens;
1. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
2. The sky is always falling.
Both of these were proven time and time again at USAir. 99% chance I ain't going back!
GVE