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American Airlines pilots have ratified a new four-year contract offering an incremental $9.6-billion in added value over its term. While the agreement provides pilots higher pay and extensive quality-of-life improvements, American customers seeking upgrades are apt to be left wondering why their loyalty and dollars were summarily deemed secondary to the whims of the airline’s employees.

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Just another sad sign of the times.

The shutdowns, bailouts, etc., have led to a bizarre and abnormal marketplace. The concessions that the pilots have gotten are crazy. I'm not sure if they'll be sustainable.

Airline loyalty is garbage anymore.

The mileage over the years on AS, AA, US, HP, CO, DL LH and on and on just don't mean a damn thing anymore.

I will buy the cheapest F seat to where ever I need to go from now on.

Mrs. ANC still has her DL Magic Amex Ultra Lounge get free shet09hvit card, and when it expires, it's done too . . . .

I agree with the article in that this isn't a good image for the airline. The flying public doesn't know, or even care, about the intricacies of flight crew life nor the difference between deadheading and commuting. All they'll see is a "freeloader" in "their" seat. Perception shapes reality.

Airline management have historically been expert marksmen when it comes to shooting themselves in the foot. If deadheading weren't such a necessary evil and if econ seats weren't essentially torture devices, this wouldn't be necessary.

They are actually behind the times or the article fails to mention that they had that benefit before. From the article:

"American isn’t the first major U.S. airline to adopt such a policy. Pilots in the employ of United Airlines, in late 2020, secured a similar agreement."

UA pilots had that before 2020, and CO pilots had the same agreement. A deadheading pilot was always upgraded before customers. Believe me, I asked after the first time I got bumped.

Every loyalty promise I have ever been made by an airline becomes absolutely meaningless the second it makes things just a little easier for them.

Loyalty programs ceased being about loyalty when they removed the "frequent flyer" component in favor of affinity accruals. Now it's all about whichever activities generate the most ancillary revenue, whether that's actually flying with the airline (least likely) or maxing out your airline-affiliated credit card (most likely).