what's up with the hate?

Velocipede said:
Who says I "hate" jetBlue pilots. Hate is a pretty strong word. I just don't offer them the professional courtesy of the jumpseat.

Why? They've gutted Union contracts by their willingness to work for substandard wages and retirement benefits.

When jetBlue started 5 years ago, their pay was $80-$90 dollars less per hour than Major airlines flying similar equipment. They had no defined benefit retirement plan. What's happened since they proved there were plenty of pilots willing to work under those conditions?

UAL, USAir, Delta and Northwest have all entered bankruptcy. They abrogated their Union contract obligations and imposed pay and retirement levels that are within pennies of what jetBlue pays.

So it really isn't a matter of unionism, per se. If jetBlue paid $300 an hour, put 25% into the B plan and had an A plan retirement, then they'd be RAISING the bar for the Legacy airlines. I'd gladly offer them a jumpseat ride. They'd be to us what Skywest is to the regionals.

But, that's not the case, is it? The linkage between what the airline pilot profession was and what its become can be directly laid at the feet of the jetBlue/Virgin/Skybuses of the world.

So, lets soften the "hate" rhetoric. It isn't hate. Its discernment. I choose not to support people who are detrimental to my professional and financial stability. Scabs don't rate jumpseat rides and neither do jetBlue/Virgin/Skybus pilots.
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I have kept quiet till now on this one...but wow! I talk to a lot of jetBlue guys in Boston as we share the same terminal, and most all of them love working for jetBlue. A lot of them are on furlough from the legacy carriers, and I had a beer the other night with a United furlough-ee who is working for jetBlue and is saying he will probably stay instead of going back to United.

Every airline has growing pains, I look at B6 as getting through those very well, and a good possibility for my personal future. It is not jetBlues fault that the majors cut their pensions. They didn't take over the routs for delta, UAL, AA, USair, like your saying. The regionals (skywest, comair, chimmy changa, penickul, mesa, go-jet, tsa, etc.) did take that flying away, those exact routes, frequency, capacity, from the majors for sub-standard pay/benifits. JetBlue was competition, the majors were unable to be nimble enough to compete, they instead just pawned more and more of their domestic flying to their illegitimate children they label with "connection".

I am glad we have people in this industry such as DE, Doug, and the likes who know how to be professionals. VP, jump seats are a courtesy from one pilot to another, we all have a mutual benefit of being professionals. If you are ill-informed, ignorant or just an ass enough to believe you are making a point by denying a jump seat based on your pre-conceived notions you have a ways to go before you can call yourself a professional aviator.
 
It can also be argued that life at the majors is not what it used to be because the pilots there stuck around after the cuts. I am not a pro pilot yet. I will not presume that it would be easy to give up the job you worked your ass off for. To blame another airline for the way yours turned out is the easy way out. What aside from paying those union dues did any of you do to stop the 737 drivers from making 200k a year.

Again, I am not saying that anyone was wrong for sticking around. You all have alot of work to do to get things back on track. The bad news is that Doug cannot help out Continental directly. He can have a very active role in putting Delta back on track if he so chooses. Thats because he works there. He did not blame Jet Blue for losing some cash. He thanked them for a ride.

Remerber all that talk about its not what you fly, or who you fly for, but QOL thats the most important. Not everyone gets the call from a legacy. If Jet Blue fits best into my QOL, then why not go there with the intention to fight for better conditions. Someone can fix Jet Blue better from within Jet Blue than fron an Alaskan jet. Just remember that the guy you deny a ride to work for may be a guy that is trying to put Jet Blue up where it should be.

Sorry Doug for using you as an example. I just think that if you want to make a ton of money, go to the ones paying it. UPS, FedEx, or Southwest. They still pay 200k to fly a 737. If living in base means Jet Blue, and you are ok with 120k, so be it. Just stop blaming the other guy, and get proactive instead of reactive. Seggy is a good example. Things could be better there. He is not going to be there forever, but he is doing what he can to make sure it will be better for the next guy. He did not wait for the bottom to drop out.
 
Fins Up said:
That is completely opposite of what you have said in the past.
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Do you ever read for comprehension? Or does your guilt because you're a jetBlue pilot prevent that.

If you boys were raising the bar, you could ride regardless. However, people with poor contracts are welcome aboard because it takes time and contract cycles to improve them.

It only takes one group subverting the system to destroy them, as you have so amply proven. BTW, how'd those FAR violators do? Hopefully all 29 have lost their licenses.
 
Velocipede said:
Do you ever read for comprehension? Or does your guilt because you're a jetBlue pilot prevent that.

If you boys were raising the bar, you could ride regardless. However, people with poor contracts are welcome aboard because it takes time and contract cycles to improve them.

It only takes one group subverting the system to destroy them, as you have so amply proven. BTW, how'd those FAR violators do? Hopefully all 29 have lost their licenses.
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Dude I've gotta come out and say it, you're a complete jackass.

Mesa is flying 86 seat aircraft around for $23 an hour first year. That used to be a DC-9, but now it's at a regional. Is there some part about that you don't get?
 
Velocipede said:
Do you ever read for comprehension? Or does your guilt because you're a jetBlue pilot prevent that.

If you boys were raising the bar, you could ride regardless. However, people with poor contracts are welcome aboard because it takes time and contract cycles to improve them.

It only takes one group subverting the system to destroy them, as you have so amply proven. BTW, how'd those FAR violators do? Hopefully all 29 have lost their licenses.
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Now your overstepping the line. You can have opinions on who you like and who you dont, no matter how ill informed you are. But, hopefully wishing another pilot lost their license is too far. Do us all a favor and stop talking, you are making us all look bad.
 
shinysideup said:
Now your overstepping the line. You can have opinions on who you like and who you dont, no matter how ill informed you are. But, hopefully wishing another pilot lost their license is too far.
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So, its your position that pilots who intentionally violate FARs should be allowed to exercise the privileges of thier pilot certificates?

Sorry, slick, but even the ASAP doesn't protect you from intentional non-compliance.
 
VP---You make me throw up a little in my mouth every post I read.

I think Doug said it best in page one of this thread ---Too many Type A personalities in one boat.

Actually Type A and B are a thing of the past. Nowadays personality is measured by the "Big 5" traits...
Openness (to new experience)
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Neuroticism

A "Type A" person is generally high in 3 of these 5. Can you guess what he/she lacks in? (Hint VP)
 
Velocipede said:
Do you ever read for comprehension? Or does your guilt because you're a jetBlue pilot prevent that.

If you boys were raising the bar, you could ride regardless. However, people with poor contracts are welcome aboard because it takes time and contract cycles to improve them.

It only takes one group subverting the system to destroy them, as you have so amply proven. BTW, how'd those FAR violators do? Hopefully all 29 have lost their licenses.
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The others have replied sufficiently to most of your rant. Face it - you contradicted yourself and again looked like an ass in the process.

No violations were issued. The most heated talks/de-briefs/whatever were most likely between FAA and their own FSDO.
 
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