brucelee, trust me when I say I have a hell of a lot of respect for ACPA's vote on this deal. Like I said, I'm happy that you've all stood up to be counted. Its more than can be said for most pilots.
There have been 2 very large lapses of common sense here though. The first one is management in even allowing this, or requiring this to go to the voting stage. They've got the brand new contract in their hands, how much more "cost certainty" can you get? Break out the ol' calculator, and bam that's what the new toys are gonna cost. But no, they wanted more and let the door open a tiny crack for the small faction of disgruntled folks to barge in. Huge mistake. Huge gamble, they lost and I hope it is as embarrassing for them as it would seem to me. Coulda been a sign here, here, and here deal, doneski thank you very much the 777's get here next summer, management and ACPA both look good. But no.
The 2nd one is the so-called "OAC" group. I don't know how large this is, or if it even exists as Lost in Saigon wrote. Who knows. The point is, the margin was very very close and even if a tiny number of pilots voted no purely because of the seniority issue, it changed the course of the company's future success with a single stroke. Shame this wasn't even an issue up for discussion, and by many accounts this was the single reason for these folks turning the vote down.
In any case, it seems that expansion will continue unabated, just not with 777's. Of course I see it doesn't matter which type I fly if I get hired there. Just like anyone, flying the 777 or 787 would have been great, new technology. But let's be honest, I pole around in a B1900D right now so an EMB175 might just as well be a 777 for all I care. I want a good job when I get there, not 90 hrs a month for $40K a year and missing my entire life back here with my family.
I know it will all work itself out, with older aircraft, or a reversal on this one. Who knows, Boeing was beaten handily at Paris, and Airbus has just announced a price increase...maybe there are more than a couple interested parties in getting a new deal done?
