Virgin America furlough?

[mvedepo]

As I said in another post, it does not bother me so much that the VA guys and gals are paid poorly, but that the prevailing attitude is that they don't care to acknowledge the problem or work to fix the glaring issues. The "I got mine" attitude seems to prevail there. Hey different strokes for different airlines. I'll give you a ride and be very nice and polite, but that doesn't mean I respect you.

I do respect the F9 guys, the AirTran guys working to hold the line there, the JetBlue guys working to organize, and all the other unionized carriers who are working to improve things or at least stave off some unbelievably incompetent managements.

I hope those who come after me at my airline ALWAYS have it better than I did.

Did you respect the Aloha guys? How about the ATA guys?

Will you still respect the guys that are put on the street at F9 and come to Virgin?

Where do you suggest the above mentioned pilots go? UAL? NWA? CAL? DAL? How about going to Pinnacle?

SWA is going to hire about 500 this year. There are already 250 in the pool leaving 250 open slots. Small dent in the approx 2000 pilots that are going to be put on the street this year.

I guess all these guys should start selling cars so they can retain your respect. :laugh:

If you looked at the VA seniority list you would find out that 90% have paid dues to ALPA at one time or another. Even more if you count all unions. I have paid my share to 3 different unions and I am quite sure we have paid much more in dues over our career than you have in the couple years you have been at Pinnacle.

 

[stratus72]

You should probably relax a little and get off your high horse. An ego like yours is not a good thing in this business and a "professional" like yourself should not resort to name-calling. There is nothing to get so upset over and if you are interested I am not angry in the slightest. I am a very happy 15-year old! But I am dismayed that such an educated guy like yourself is flying off the handle over such a trivial post. I am sure you are under a lot of stress right now and that may be why. That being the case, I offer my apology. Maybe my tone was bad in my original post but it was the message that I was trying to convey....don't believe what you are hearing today because 1) Most are wrong. 2) The environment is rapidly changing 3) I don't trust management. If you have been reading the posts on VA you would have garnered that they are going out of business; things are going perfectly; they are growing; they are shrinking; they are making money; they are bleeding like a stuck pig; they are hiring in the summer; they are hiring in the fall; they are furloughing. You get my point here. I guess I could have done without the "You guys crack me up comment" and for that I also apologize.

I agree, this is trivial. No hard feelings.

 

[FlyinPiker]

No insight needed. Its common sense. I'm not a VA basher. And I don't wish any harm to the pilots that fly there. Perhaps the future holds good things for VA pilots, perhaps not...the odds are against all of us at this point. The only reason I even bothered to post is the continued rambling of VA guys bragging about how much better life is without ALPA. ALPA isn't perfect but I think I'd be in a lot worse shape without it. It will The fact is VA guys won't know that for sure for a couple of years.

 

[Mud]

"Not that ALPA deserves any awards, but if you think ALPA pilots have gotten raped over the last 7 years with them I would hate to see what management would have been capable of without."

This is a good point for those still with jobs. From my perspective, what more could have happened? Terminate me with 24 hours notice?

 

[FlyinPiker]

This is a good point for those still with jobs. From my perspective, what more could have happened? Terminate me with 24 hours notice?

I'm pretty sure the management that was at the helm deserves the praise on that one...I will agree a union is useless if the company is being driven into the ground or cannot make money.

Amazingly in the past union carriers have still been able to get contract improvements (and yes it has gone the other way as well) while it's respective carrier was losing money (not due to pilot pay rates, but to mismanagement so why should we always be the ones to take it in the a##)...I can't see that happening at a carrier that does not have a union breathing down it's back, but I suppose it's possible. Some of the pilots working under the other Branson brands would probably be able to tell you otherwise.

Regardless...I'm done rambling. Good luck us all. VA has a very good product and if anything hopefully it will continue to challenge other carriers to "kick it up a notch" in the service/product department.

 

[atlcrashpad]

I don't think those are your kind of Virgins, Crashpad. At least, I hope not!

Are you Tyrone's Dad?

Watt? I thunk it wuz a buncha yung gurls wif no speariance in luv'in.........
bouyyyyyyyyyyy......