Your union dues at work:
Buying the union boss hookers
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/u...OvSCUBALLAmz9J
Headquarters
Your union dues at work:
Buying the union boss hookers
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/u...OvSCUBALLAmz9J
Retired
Every time I read an article or hear about some of these guys with the huge hooker bills I wonder why don't they just get on a plane?Originally Posted by Hunter
Your union dues at work:
Buying the union boss hookers
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/u...OvSCUBALLAmz9J
What we do can't be that much of a secret is it?
Retired
This is the one we need to watch, here we have the $140,000 pilots without a contract for 4 years that want the same salaries they made pre 9/11 when they sacrificed to keep AA in business.
This is the dispute that will set the bar for pilots compensation and in turn, what we'll pay for fares
http://www.time.com/time/business/ar...997688,00.html
Good news for stranded travelers. The Spirit Airlines pilots strike, which left many Florida vacationers stranded, was called off at 8:28pm Wednesday evening, as a union recorded voice message said, "we held the line, well done," and instructed pilots to return to work. Though the details of the tentative settlement are still unkown, Capt. Sean Creed, leader of the Spirit unit of Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) released a statement noting "increases in pay and retirement benefits," were among the gains achieved in the negotiations. Spirit flights are expected to resume Friday.
While the strike is over, the airline industry's labor problems are not since other unions will likely seek to capitalize on any gains achieved by Spirits' pilots. "Every other pilot group in the country is frustrated with their inability to get a new contract," says Thomas Kochan, an industrial relations professor at MIT's Sloan School of Management and co-author of Up in the Air: How Airlines Can Improve their Performance by Engaging their Employees. "If they got substantial increase, others are going to be bolstered to push harder in negotiations themselves." (See which businesses are bucking the recession.)
As union members see it, there is plenty of lost ground to make up. The airline industry shedded up 100,000 jobs, and cut $15 billion in wages and benefits over the last 10 years, according to Kochan, and members are understandably unhappy as they watch the industry's business begin to improve without any payoff to them. The International Air Transport Association declared global traffic back to pre-recession levels and recently forecast $545 billion in revenues for 2010, up almost 13% from last year. (See TIME's 50 essential travel tips.)
American Airlines (AA), currently the second largest carrier in the U.S., may be in the trickiest spot since it is currently in negotiations with its pilots "We congratulate the Spirit pilots on reaching a tentative agreement," said Gregg Overman, spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents over 10,000 AA pilots, some of whom walked the Spirit picket line in solidarity, "and [we] look forward to learning about the agreement's specifics."
The APA and American have been at the table 82 times with the National Mediation Board (NMB) over the last two years, and they've been negotiating over a new contract for nearly four years. "My hair's turned grey since we started talking," says Overman. "We think that length of time is ridiculous." American's management points out that they don't set the schedule, the NMB does, and with only a handful of federal mediators available, and complex scheduling issues, cases can take a long time to hammer out. (See the best business deals of 2009.)
Overman feels AA pilots, like those at other carriers, made deep sacrifices for the industry. "We gave up a great deal to help AA avoid bankruptcy seven years ago, and now we've watched a basic transfer of wealth to managers," he says. "It hasn't created a good atmosphere." The APA says that AA's top tier managers have seen over $330 million in stock grants since 2006, and on average, increased salary by 150%, while pilots pay rates are what they were in 1993. "It was supposed to be shared sacrifice, shared reward," says Overman.
American says its management team's total compensation is targeted at the median of the market for comparable positions within and outside the airline industry. Missy Latham, American Airlines spokeswoman, adds that "the average AA pilot makes approximately $140,000 a year," and that the "average American pilot retiring today walks away with about $2 million in cash."
Even airlines that haven't seen job cuts or furloughs, such as budget carrier AirTran, which has been profitable 9 out the last 10 years, is operating without an approved contract.
Part of the reason negotiations are dragging on, Kochan believes, is the enormous gap between expectation and reality. "Pilots want to go back to 2000 level wages, when salaries peaked," he says, "but that's not necessarily what companies can afford." But that's not the only issue: When CEOs get pay rises "that takes away from the argument that the employees can't be paid," opines Jody Hoffer Gittell, head of Brandeis University's MBA program, and another co-author of Up in the Air.
To break the logjams, Kochan urges the Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood to show more leadership. "[LaHood] set up the Aviation Future Panel," says Kochan about the 20-person committee set up last month. "This issue should be his top priority." To get both sides to agree, most observers believe, they've got to think long term. "We've got to get away from the boom and bust model," says Kochan. "Total compensation for workers, middle management and top management should be tied to revenue and general economic conditions."
While pressures may mount this summer, unhappy pilots won't necessarily translate into more strikes. When both sides sit with the National Mediation Board the rules are that they have to get a release from the board to take "direct action," that is, go out on strike. "Spirit is a small airline, so the mediation board gave them the OK," says Kochan, "but the board is unlikely to release an airline like American for a strike." The board works well, Gittell agrees, "we don't have a lot of strikes."
BOD
Just booked a free milage trip to DR.Cost was $105.Believe it or not DR has one of the higher tax rates.By the way,Spirit starts daytime flights to Santiago,DR soon.Exactly when I don't know but my Sept.trip leaves Ft.Lauderdale at noon and gets there at 2 and coming back leaves Santiago at 3 and gets back to FT.Laud at about 5. Hmmmm lets see for those of us on a budget........1or 2 hundred and a $4 2hour bus ride by taking Spirit to Santiago or........whatever rediculous price the other airlines are charging to go to Puerto Plata.Was looking and cheapest flight out of Ft.Laud. was $459.To me it doesn't take an Einstien to figure this one out.I know Iknow I haven't got unlimited cash like most of you guys seem to have.I'm always impressed by the working man who can afford to spend thousands of dollars at a time for a week mongoring.I worked all my life and had trouble spending hundreds of dollars on a weeks vacation while I was still working and keeping up that stupid competing with the Joneses lifestyle.Oh well.if it sounds like I'm jealous your right.
Senior Member
I'm looking forward to daytime flight at sti. Then I can take the metro instead of taxi.
I'm with ya jack. I can't afford to toss around 800 or more on a flight.
BOD
Joe and I will be on the Metro bus next week!!
Paid subscriber of I.S.O.C. & member of the Stash.
Has anybody joined the Spirit Air $9.00 club?
I'm thinking of enrolling but wanted to get some opinions of those who have already joined AND booked flights.
Has anybody had trouble booking the discount fare both ways? What about the availability?
I looked at the website and they seem to have some pretty descent fares.
Is it legit or will I be hit with an ass of hidden fees once I book?
Senior Member
its absolutely worth it. It pays for itself the first time you book a flight. Most fares are always cheaper for members. And then when they do super specials its even better.Has anybody joined the Spirit Air $9.00 club?
I'm thinking of enrolling but wanted to get some opinions of those who have already joined AND booked flights.
Has anybody had trouble booking the discount fare both ways? What about the availability?
I looked at the website and they seem to have some pretty descent fares.
Is it legit or will I be hit with an ass of hidden fees once I book?
When they do 50 off coupons, you can do it over and above the fare club price.
You pay half for checked bags..
They have great flights to Florida and to Columbia. The dr flight is dirt cheap, disadvantage being the time into sti. But time into SD isn't bad.
I have no complaints about the fair club. And ill be renewing when the time comes.
Also if you get there credit card you get free flights. I think 3. Plus the credit card gets you priority boarding, as well as check in at the counter.
Yes the club is well worth the 40 bucks. The credit card is worth it too if ya have good credit and get approved. Bastards. Lol.
Do it !
Monger
I recently joined and booked my first flight.. If you are going to fly spirit anyway then for sure you should join - it will save you money. Remember that they auto-renew each year if you do not stop them.
You will have more fees - better seat, carry-on, the bag fees, tax of course.. For example: My "airfare" for this upcoming trip was $20.00 ($1.00 up, $19.00 back). I upgraded the seats for $40.00, one bag each way $40.00 and then taxes for $159.80 for a total of 259.80 for round trip from FLL to STI..
For me this flight actually saves time as I used to spend a night in a hotel in Miami.. Now I can fly straight there and then tazi to Sousa. I arrive in Sosua about 10 hours sooner and did not pay $100 for the hotel in Miami - I do have to pay for a taxi to Sosua and I am in Sosua unless I want to wait for the bus (5 hours).
Administrator
I got the credit card and with it, 15,000 miles and free admission to the $9 club.
You want access to trip reports?
Google Wallet
JDRent97@gmail.com
DRAGON SLAYER Super Mod
I got the card a couple years ago. I never got the free flight promised and my free miles expired after a year.
Administrator
Well why did you wait a year?
DRAGON SLAYER Super Mod
At the time, I had 120,000 miles on American, 70,000 miles on Continental and 2 free vouchers on Delta. So i just didn't get to it!!!
Administrator
You poor baby. So many miles, so little time.
Moderator
wow hard choices there
Tu Saaaabe
If you use the card once a month. Even if it's $5.00 and you pay it off at the end of each month, your miles never expire.
BOD
You need to use "some" of your miles within a certain period of time.It is explained somewhere in the reedeming your miles page.I've been both a member and then a Master card holder and have taken at least 4 trips with miles and saved plenty of dough by being a member.
Paid subscriber of I.S.O.C. & member of the Stash.
Thanks for the feedback.
I went ahead and enrolled.....so much for trying to curb my addiction to Chocha Dominicana.
Lurker coming out of the shadows
Regarding the miles,found it hard to book a flight with award-miles,maybe it is phone booking only?
Monger
I was just looking over the Spirit schedule for February and noticed that the flight times have changed for Santiago and Santo Domingo.. There are only two flights per week for Santiago (Wed and Fri - I don't remember what they were before) while Santo Domingo is everyday.. but more importantly are the times..
Santiago now leaves at 11:15am and arrives at 2:09pm
Santo Domingo now leaves at 2:45 and arrives at 5:58pm
No more 2am arrival times!
So.. you can fly into Santiago on a Friday afternoon, rent a car with the "casa del conductor" insurance (offered in Santiago and Santo Domingo only) so that you don't go to nakid-guy jail when you mow over some motoconchos, and drive yourself to Sosua by 4:30pm Friday night..
The return times a a bit wacky.. Santiago returns on Wed/Sat. The Wed flights are in the afternoon (3:05pm) and Saturdays is 4:09am
Santiago return at 6:55pm everyday.
I have not really paid much attention to the Santo Domingo flights inthe past so they may not have changed much..
Looks like the schedule changes start January 12.. and prices for all flights for both airports are set at 16 bucks through February, no $9 club membership needed.
Last edited by Talis; 12-13-2010 at 09:08 AM.
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