American Airlines and the Allied Pilots Association have started to unfold in their talks and the best evidence is how both parties have gone back to the media and their respective stakeholders with public messages of complaint against each other.

As long as we didn’t hear much or anything at all, I had a little hope for those two groups. Now? Not so much. They can still surprise me but I think not.

American chose to criticize the union for not negotiating through the weekend and I think that was a move to keep them talking in hopes of wearing them down. Sometimes walking away for a day or two results in better perspective and if the union wants a weekend off, shut up about it.

On the other hand, the APA has decided to describe AA’s offer as “concessionary” and offer that the future of the talks will continue on. This is a change in APA President David Bates’ tone and will tend to coalesce its membership into resisting a contract rather than being open minded.

My prediction? Either AA gets a new contract that serves its interests in every area but total compensation and its costs continue to be an anchor around its neck or . . .

These two groups continue to slug at each for at least another 12 to 18 months. Then that will be the anchor around AA’s neck.

More and more, this is a lose / lose proposition for American Airlines.

Filed under: Airline News by ajax