411A: Come on now. You somehow forgot to mention (or chose not to state) the well-known fact that US pilot unions at the major airlines, in more than a few cases, have given up anywhere from 15-40 (yes, forty, at TWA) percent of their gross salaries for three or more years. By such simplistic statements and excluding the historical truth about fluctuating salaries, you implied that pilot unions have no interest in saving their companies, as if they would never consider helping with the cash-flow problems.
Only laymen fail to realize that after a certain age, our companies often are our only careers, unlike most careers out there, and it is a well-known fact inside our industry that all US airline employee groups make considerable pay cuts when needed. But they don't always happen overnight. I remember when America West was rescued (at least to a large degree) by Arizona banks. And their employees' retirements consisted only of company stock (or a little bit in 401Ks?)! That must have been frightening for the older folks.
Drinking strong beer from Montreal or Europe and Ppruning don't mix very well.
[ 18 September 2001: Message edited by: Ignition Override ]