Responses to ideas are better than responses to people. Who cares if Guv is puffing up his resume?
One big threat to pilot salaries is the extraordinary impact technology has on the difficulty of performing the job. For now, the big bucks go to 777 jocks who, to be honest, don't have to do very much. How long before system operator/pilots replace pilots? Nudging up on 50 years I don't see my career giving way to automation, but I'm not so sure about it for the 20-somethings starting out in aviation.
There's a lot to be said for pilot groups teaming up with management to keep the company successful. But it only takes one betrayal on either side to poison the deal. I almost wish the United deal didn't raise the bar so much that my company will be forced to match a deal I'm afraid it may not be able to afford. I'd much rather have the next ten years and my retirement funded by a going concern. When major carrier pilots escape the rhetoric, the fact that we do very well becomes more clear. The real soldiers who need the boost are the regional pilots and those at the bottom of the seniority list. Comair is fighting that battle now for all pilots. I believe ALPA should focus on the low end and forego maximum effort for the $300 whale captain, who already has it made.