...Somehow I get this message, if you are a ALPA pilot, and you do not get what you want, you piss, rant, and rave thru your Union Rep AGAINST your fellow less senior pilots who just want a JOB! Senior Pilots do a fine job of flying a plane from Point A to Point B, but they do an even greater job of nose-diving a whole AIRLINE into the ground! Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't airline economics MUCH WORSE now than they were in 1990 when things started Nose-Diving big-time for EA and their equally stupid demands for pay (in this case, the IAM). Bryant Petitt Cumming, GA --- W Wilson <wlw-jr@att.net> wrote: > NEW YORK, Dec 19 Reuters) - US Airways Group (U) has > agreed to meet with its > pilots to discuss a fleet restructuring plan its > executives call crucial to > shoring up the airline after September's attacks on > the United States. > > Union officials said on Wednesday that US Airways > executives had requested a > meeting to discuss plans to expand the carrier's > fleet of cost-saving > regional jets. > > The meeting is scheduled for January 3 in Washington > D.C, said the Air Line > Pilots Association, which represents about 6,000 US > Airways pilots. > > Pilots at the Arlington, Virgina-based carrier have > criticized management > for not engaging in discussions over job security > and clarifying plans to > use the small jets to replace larger mainline > aircraft in certain markets. > > Regional jets, which carry 30 to 70 passengers, are > seen as a more efficient > and popular replacement for turbo-prop aircraft on > short to medium haul > routes. > > But unions often negotiate clauses that limit their > use due to concerns over > job security and smaller salaries. Under its current > pilot contract, US > Airways can operate 70 small jets, its pilot union > said. > > US Airways, the sixth-largest U.S. carrier, > announced the regional jet > expansion plan as part of restructuring after the > failed $4.3 billion > takeover bid by UAL Corp's (UAL) United Airlines. > > The airline wants the small jets to stave off > low-cost rivals on its East > coast routes and the major carriers who already have > much larger regional > jet fleets. The plan took on added urgency after > September's attacks further > eroded airline revenues. > > Delta Air Lines (DAL) had more than 360 regional > jets in operation or under > firm order earlier this year and Continental > Airlines (CAL) had about 273 of > the smaller aircraft, US Airways said. > > US Airways Chairman and Chief Executive Stephen Wolf > told union leaders > recently that broadening the airline's regional jet > fleet is crucial to > improving its competitive position and restoring > profits. > > "I pointed out to all that the absence of a > competitive number of regional > jets is an obstacle of enormous proportions, > stopping us from generating > connecting traffic and thus much-needed revenue," > Wolf said in a message to > employees. > > Like other major airlines, US Airways has trimmed > capacity and cut thousands > of jobs as it seeks to match slower travel demand > after the air attacks. > Aviation experts expect the U.S. airline industry to > report as much as $9 > billion in annual losses this year. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctions for all of your unique holiday gifts! Buy at http://shopping.yahoo.com or bid at http://auctions.yahoo.com