[Dreah]

I agree 110%. Thank you for sharing your knowledge to the majority of those that love to complain about something they know nothing about.

[Dreah]

Originally Posted by Andyb

A good question for our Secretary of Transportation. Seems he won’t or can’t answer the question.

Questioning the character of a Pilot from those that drive a golf cart around all day. Yup, got it!

[donassaid]

Not enough seats sold? Seriously? Have you looked at the screen shots of the mobs at airports? More likely a shortage of pilots due to health issues brought on by being forced to take the vaccine.

[Dreah]

Originally Posted by Jsan143

You’re clueless, luxury cockpits? Try being away from your family four days a week in crappy hotel rooms. Eating airport fast food in between flights, navigate around the weather, missing the holidays, by the way, hope you enjoy the Fourth of July! I can go on and on this from a retired airbus captain telling you If you think it’s as glorious as in the movies see if you can catch a ride with a crew for a month! By the way they’ve been negotiating a contract for seven years now with the inability to strike because of the Railway labor act which BENEFITS guess who the company. If you want to know what my pension is after 40 years at one of the top three major airlines, I’ll give you a hint it might’ve covered the car payment for a pinto back in the 70s! And that’s thanks to the bankruptcy back in 2012. They kick the can when times are good and then negotiate when times are bad and there’s no retro thanks to Railway labor act this is what they all do and the employees have to seek relief to strike which they never get. And when you’re in the airplane in the crews have been out there for over 10 hours still trying to get you to your Disney vacation I think they’re worth every penny and then 1000 time more! Safe travels, well you can always go on one of those low budget airlines, enjoy!

The experts here love to complain and degrade the courageous and incredible Airline pilots that have gotten them to their destinations all their lives. Sad that this post encourages many to degrade our brave Pilots than to educate themselves on what is really happening. Welcome to America's friendliest town.

[Jsan143]

Originally Posted by Captainpd

There isn't any such thing as a "takeoff slot". Only slots are for landing. Lots of outside influences with the airlines. But are constantly looking for people like you that can predict the future.

You’re wrong there are actually slots for departures depending on the destinations.
Pilots have to endure Medical exams every 6 or 12 months depending on whether they are captains of first officers. Captains have to take EKG’s every 12 months, which FAA has been monitoring for your whole career. Then you have the mandatory retirement age of 65 no matter what. This is one of the only careers that still has age discrimination with no recourse. It’s all about the dollars they wanna get the top $$$$’s off the payroll. Now there’s a pilot shortage that they’ve created and unwilling to fix. As I stated before 40 years in the industry, wasn’t ready to retire! I’m with those who say they will not fly, the only exception is in an emergency.
Safe travels to all!

One last note, anybody know of a corporate job? You have a willing able body ready to go! Still love flying nothing like it in the world!

[Captainpd]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

So, the airline has a plane, a pilot, a co-pilot, flight attendants, and everything else needed to take a trip. They sell tickets to the passengers. They have been doing this for years. But now, when the passengers come to the airport, they are told that the flight is cancelled. WHY?

ORD-FLL this am. 90min flow for lack of controllers JAX Center

[GmaLisaG]

It's thunderstorm season and that has ALWAYS caused backups and cancellations. I'm pretty sure pilots picket on their time off. If things are broken they need them fixed. It's ALWAYS been this way. Be grateful your flight was delayed or cancelled rather than flying through bad weather.. better to be late or miss it than dead .

[Notsocrates]

Originally Posted by manaboutown

The pilots are too busy to fly as they are shaking down their employers for more pay for less work. More than 1,200 Delta pilots picket at 7 major airports to call for higher pay : NPR

Southwest Airlines pilots picket, say they'''re tired of being understaffed and overworked

Year ago I used to fly AmericaWest (known as AmericaWorst to flight crews as well as passengers). For quite a while the pilots were having flights delayed and canceled for any trivial excuse they could imagine. For months it was a nightmare of missed connections, losing great upgrade seats when they canceled my flights and crammed me into middle seats of other flights, getting stuck overnight in connecting cities and so on. One day I was up in first class and the pilot was pulling some stunt about why he could not take off due to a light on the console not working properly. A guy near me pulled out his FAA credentials and waved them at the pilot and told him to get the plane in the air or he would get written up. We took off in minutes.

Either you left something out, altered the story, do not undrtstand FAA regulatio, or it did not happen.

[nhtexasrn]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

So, the airline has a plane, a pilot, a co-pilot, flight attendants, and everything else needed to take a trip. They sell tickets to the passengers. They have been doing this for years. But now, when the passengers come to the airport, they are told that the flight is cancelled. WHY?

Just another federal government screw up. Shortage of air traffic controllers. What is the FAA doing? What is the Secretary of Transportation doing? Can't blame it on Covid anymore.

[Holly Jane]

I’m a former AA flight attendant and my husband is a very senior Delta pilot. The public is clueless. Major major shortage of pilots. Too many took the early out with Covid that was offered. The companies panicked and now there is a major shortage.

[Glowfromminnesota]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

If only they had all those in the same place at the same time

Yet, yesterday, 1200 pilots had the spare time to protest/picket for more money, less hours, more benefits, "job security" (figure that one) and "better working conditions" (luxury cockpits???).

Our neighbor here has been a pilot for 34 years with Delta. His wife just tested positive for covid and they suggested he gets tested as well. Yup, he has covid and has to follow policies of the airline and cannot fly. This is pretty common. Plus they are capped on the hours they can fly due to fatigue. Lots of moving parts in the airline business today. Bless my girl who just graduated from college in aviation to be a pilot. She is a trainer at the college to obtain hours to be a commercial pilot.

[Geodyssey]

Originally Posted by Dreah

Posting a comment about Pilots being drunks is really low.
I guess that says more about your character than that of the Pilots.

"pilots" is not capitalized. They are not Gods.

Of course pilots show up drunk on occasion.

[nsantelli]

Just got back from 2 weeks in Europe. Same issues there with pilot shortages. Some things are worse. Lufthansa misdirected the bags of one member of our tour and he could not retrieve them until they were inspected by the police in Berlin. We were already in Prague so after the inspection he tried to get them sent to our next destination in Austria. No go. Bottom line - his bags finally caught up with him in Frankfurt. Our last stop.
Side note. A few days after returning home we found out 4 members of out tour group tested positive for COVID.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Holly Jane

I’m a former AA flight attendant and my husband is a very senior Delta pilot. The public is clueless. Major major shortage of pilots. Too many took the early out with Covid that was offered. The companies panicked and now there is a major shortage.

That doesn't explain why the airlines are selling tickets for flights that they cannot make.

[Rainger99]

If I booked and PAID for a hotel room and when I showed up was told that the room was not available because of staff shortages, I would be very annoyed. And I would be even more upset if I couldn’t get a room at another hotel.