That management/crash guy is harping on a disturbing, new page in the propaganda book. This whole notion that pilots are competing with one another for contracts. A few years ago dci started publishing these little tables with all the dci carriers and their "standing in the competition". On time performance, connecting bags, and a few other things. The first time I saw the table I thought, "who ever thought of that gem just made a lot of coin". Now, instead of periodicly hearing about how competitive one airline is the labor groups actually see a pretty chart. Well, that chart is now crammed done our throats on a minute by minute basis. It scrolls on the company website, a fancy plasma tv shines in our face on the way out of ops. It is a fantastic attempt to brain wash us into thinking that we can actually impact operations and control our own fate. I actually laugh just typing that concept. Do I go down the street to the airplane dealer and pick out our next aircraft type? Do I sit in with marketing and identify new and profitable routes? Do I talk with our credit card partners and negotiate hold back ratios? Do I have someone on the inside of oil futures identifying the best hedge price and the best hedge quantity? Do I get flight training, staffing, hr, and skeds together and figure out that 4.6 FO's can actually do the work of 4.9 if their daily scheduled hours increases? Let me think for a second...nope. GECAS, DAL and OPEC have more control over our lives than we could ever imagine. Leave on time, sure I give that a whirl each departure, but too many factors come in to play that I can't control. Bags? Why in the fack am I asked to consider bags, in any fashion. Misconnected baggage...is that gonna be a part of the next interview? "We are reasonably sure you can fly a plane mr. pilot, but lets go down to the ramp and see how efficiently you can throw and sort some bags." Arrival times? SWAP, flow, enroute weather, mx issues, blah blah blah, somehow I can control all of these things and get the plane to the gate ontime regardless. Never mind the fact that I am flying slow to recoup some of my last concession! I know I am rambling, but please stop with the "competiton" bullsh1t...go ahead and do what you were going to do all along because I know I have no control. deep breath, finishes beer...
But - they can't 
At a baby fins.....stay on target.....stay on target!
Well Spiff...we could SHUT DOWN ATL and bring big D to its knees. That sounds like a pretty good start? Almost 900 departures a day there, not counting SLC or CVG? Looks to me like we have a pretty good leg to stand on?
I think that is what they are doing over at the "Granite Palace" anyways!
