I do not agree that BALPA have negotiated nothing and I don't believe that the managment would have been that daft as to draw a line that would be unacceptable to the pilots. A "final offer" can mean anything at this stage so it will be wise to see what it is.
The truth is that the senior management are so full of themselves that they have no idea which way is up. Their handling, and Ridgway's in particular, laid their mat out when he stated that that a below inflation rise is not a pay cut. That was crass.
Now that an agreement may be on the horizon what about the managment and their ineptitude in dealing with a 97% vote for IA? What about the woman who said that she would break the unions? What about HR being not capable of running water let alone running an airline. The product has dropped and it continues to do so. Aircraft are dirty and in need of refurbishment and management are in and out through an ever open door with the result that VS is changing for the worse. Ridgway is the supposed leader so why doesn't he lead? In many people's minds they believe he can NEVER recover the worth and pride that was once the Virgin brand. He has let it slip but still RB persists with him.
My suggestion to RB is to have a strong word with his mate and tell him how to really run an airline. I would also guess that VS is carrying more surplus staff than one full 744 - maybe two. This one factor alone can cause so many difficulties and disenchanment it is enough to drag the name and the airline down. It doesn't deserve that.
The pilots have demonstrated that there was no need for uncontrolled anger, though there must have been some, when their cause was just and fair. They played the game. The management chose to play another game, which only antagonised them and led to a massive unwinable stance by a management who seem not to understand that the WHOLE airline relies on pilots and its aeroplanes. The rest, including the CC, follow if the airline is being run properly. There is some serious doubt about that.
Sometime soon it will be known what the terms are that BALPA negotiated with the VS management. It is hoped that it is what it should be - a fulfilled promise. Not very difficult - so why was it?