as I bust out laughing again!!!!! I don't think it can be summarized any better. Walter DCA ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bryant Petitt" <skyshirts@yahoo.com> To: <AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU> > ...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