Additional to the above
I think it's only the SkyWest Pilots who get the Duty Business Travel hence the policy of No Staff Travel entitlements for all employees until the Pilots capitulate.
J Class duty travel will be a non event when Virgin set up a sim centre in Australia. If the SkyWest boys don't barter the J Class entitlement now for some extra conditions/pay then they will have achieved nought when they realise they have an entitlement in their award which serves no purpose and no staff travel as well.
Industrial strength is not necessarily Industrial savvy.
As far as the integration I am still dumfounded as to why the company is sending out messages that it is their want.
I see no purpose for them and whilst a united pilot group industrially is a worthy goal for us pilots I do not see many current VAA pilots looking at moving onto the ATR fleet.
With that said I personally think the issue of integration will become so troublesome that both the company and the VAA pilots will accept that it provides no benefit to either party and consequently it is not a path that they collectively want to go down and VARA will remain a separate entity with the ability to apply for positions on the bottom before an outsider but not an entitlement.
The next 12 months will be critical as to whether we become one list or remain two and I think the SkyWest crews should consider well what they stand to gain or most definitely will lose.
My two cents