We all knew that the A Fund retirement would go away, especially the junior guys. That is why the junior pilots tried to fight to get rid of it and keep more pay.
To compare United's situation with that of Eastern or Pan Am is ridiculous. United has the best route structure in the world and the fact that they are going to cancel the pension plans will give them an instant advantage over all the other network carriers. If you are buying into all the hype and media coverage you are hearing, then you are a bit naive. It is all posturing. Having been there and knowing what I know about United and the employees I will tell you this...they will give into more concessions (maybe not the mechanics), the pension funds will be drastically changed, and United will exit bankruptcy and EXPAND!! Read it now, and witness it later...
Again, all of you praying for drastic cuts in United pay, and losses of benefits, good for you...but you are in the wrong line of work and you will reap what you sow. Lower wages, no benefits, tougher working conditions...
United's costs for labor are among the lowest in the industry at this point and mgt will milk this whole thing for every penny. I will laugh my butt off when the big management bonuses get handed out about a year after exiting. That is the worst part about not getting a loan guarantee, the govt cannot limit the executive bonuses. And by the way, I personally think they earned every penny of the bonuses that they are going to get.