After almost 30 years with my airline, I made a small career decision. Rather than fly a regular schedule, I elected to re-enter the world of a reserve pilot. It had been nearly 24 years since I held that status, the last time as a brand-new 727 captain. Why did I do it?
As a result of our merger and a new management team, the strategy to confront our competitors in New York does not appear to include the 777. Certain routes have incurred a reduction in frequency or have disappeared altogether. As an example, we no longer fly to Tokyo from JFK. This reduction translates into fewer trip choices available on each monthly schedule. My senior colleagues are flying the more desirable schedules. That being said, the more desirable schedules actually work more days.
