Both the organisations representing the majority of flight crew at VA have been doing an exceptional job,given the situation could reasonably be assessed as backs to the wall stuff.
They’ve been working together and doing all they can(and then some) to keep members informed of what is actually going on,and providing educated guidance on where things might or might not go whenever they can.Seeing as they are actually sitting across the desk from the people who are now acting for the new owners in waiting,it’d be hard to see anyone else’s point of view being more relevant.
As for the new agreement,once again,almost any opinion is speculation,and almost anything’s possible,given the obvious lack of leverage flight crews apparently have at this point in time.This doesn’t mean a negotiation means the unions should or will just rollover,it’ll probably be just tougher than almost any process had in better times;remember there’s almost no comparable precedent here.
A significant base rate reduction is probably on the cards,no different from almost any airline agreement reached worldwide in the last few months(didn’t Ryanair crew vote for a sizeable reduction?),but there’ll be opportunities too to make the best of a pretty awful position.
I don’t envy the guys in the chairs doing this stuff,most are line pilots themselves,with plenty of heat coming from many directions,like everyone else..
I reckon they need to be thanked and respected for whatever outcome they can manage.