US airlines: The honeymoon may be over?

[AV80R]

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US airlines: The honeymoon may be over

By By Doug Cameron
Published: June 18 2007 02:27 | Last updated: June 18 2007 02:27

The briefest of honeymoons may already be over for the US airline industry, quite a feat for a sector without even a marriage to celebrate.
No sooner had the industry chalked up its first profitable year since 2000 than executives started offering gloomy predictions of emerging overcapacity as, for the first time in five years, all of the major carriers operated outside of bankruptcy protection...


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[SWA/FO]

Is that how you Brown guys work. Deliver half of the article? Should I expect half of my package next time I use Brown?

 

[BoilerUP]

No sooner had the industry chalked up its first profitable year since 2000 than executives started offering gloomy predictions of emerging overcapacity as, for the first time in five years, all of the major carriers operated outside of bankruptcy protection...

...just as their concessionary, bankruptcy-driven collective bargaining agreements begin to expire.

 

[AA717driver]

The management types were able to collect their bonuses during the post-9/11 "fat" time. Now, it's time for we employees to tighten our belts and hold on for the coming downturn... I don't F'in think so.

Sorry, management, you'll just have to figure out a way to make money after restoring our pre-9/11 pay and benefits. Remember, I'm just a dumb cost unit. TC

 

[Spooky 2]

The management types were able to collect their bonuses during the post-9/11 "fat" time. Now, it's time for we employees to tighten our belts and hold on for the coming downturn... I don't F'in think so.

Sorry, management, you'll just have to figure out a way to make money after restoring our pre-9/11 pay and benefits. Remember, I'm just a dumb cost unit. TC

TC...you wouldn't seriously consider back to the airlines would you?

 

[AA717driver]

TC...you wouldn't seriously consider back to the airlines would you?

Just staying off the corporate board. Anything you say can and will be used against you... TC

 

[jetexas]

Honeymoon??
The last 6 years have been like a really bad divorce...and the b**ch took everything!

 

[magrs]

I really do have to believe the tide is turning!

I have no dog in this fight, as I have moved on to greener pastures. I just want the "chance" to return to a formidable company, complete with pre-911 wages + a post 2007 cost of living allowance.

APA has been the first to take on the fight, I wish them well as we will ALL be watching wth an eye towards the future.

Don't settle for anything less than pre-911+cola, the industry is counting on you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Freight Dog]

TC... give me a G-V gig... and watch how fast I disappear from anything and everything pertaining to the airlines.

Ahhh.... no security lines, no ALPA, no commuting, no worries over oil prices, no airfare wars, no concessionary bargaining, no crashpads, no seniority system.....

OK... time to wake up.

Better stay where you are... or if you're not... please pass the job my way.

 

[whymeworry?]

TC... give me a G-V gig... and watch how fast I disappear from anything and everything pertaining to the airlines.

Ahhh.... no security lines, no ALPA, no commuting, no worries over oil prices, no airfare wars, no concessionary bargaining, no crashpads, no seniority system.....

OK... time to wake up.

Better stay where you are... or if you're not... please pass the job my way.

Grass is always greener, man. I have the same sentiments about leaving the bs of this industry to fly corporate... but you know what? You'll complain while you're on that side of the fence as well.

I took a COLA from airline flying post 9-11 to fly corporate. I had a blast. But against the backdrop of all the fun came a different kind of bs. I remember yearning just to be back in a "scheduled" environment and for the benefits of an ALPA-negotiated CBA, etc. Once I got back to airline flying, the honeymoon ended rather quickly. While I envy some who have the successful bizjet flying gigs, I know in the end I would find just as many reasons to want back in to the airliner side of the business if I were over there.

Each segment of our industry has it's benefits. I miss the spontaneity of corporate (flying to some exotic locale at a moments notice and staying there for days, even weeks, on end), the novelty of the clients (you start to feel wealthy when flying The Wealthy), the celebs (I don't get start struck but it's cool to chat it up with someone famous now and again), $1000 tips, 5 Star hotels, etc. But airline flying has it's attributes as well:

1) Once at the gate at the end of the day, I'm done. No cleaning up the airplane, working out the flight for the following day, etc. I'm off the plane in 5 minutes. It usually took 1.5 to 3 hours before we'd leave the plane after a long international flight so that we could clean up and plan the next trip.

2) Schedule. Some corporate outfits give you a nice sched... most don't.

3) After 10 years, hopefully, the senority starts to finally pay off and mean something. Often in Corporate, after 10 years you're on your 3rd or 4th gig.

4) A union to protect your job. OK, ALPA has done an abysmal job over the past 6 years but, hey, I'd rather have a union than no union. Pilots, especially in corporate, can be ruthless. Our union protects us from each other.

5) Free travel. I don't really use it all that much but it's nice to know it's there if I need.

6) Retirement.... wait, no... they took that away and gave us a new plan... which I'm sure they'll take a year before I retire.

7) Big equipment. I don't realy care what I fly but I have noticed the bigger the plane the more comfortable the cockpit. Hey, if I'm gonna' be stuck up there for half my life it might as well be nice.

8) Hmmmmm.... I wanted to make this list at least 10 items but I'm running out of reasons to be grateful.