Probably because even with the 40 gone, PIT will still be overstaffed. Not to mention they have the most miserable negative flight attendants in the system. I actually think it is funny these people who are on reserve now where the same people that used to look down on reserves as the scum of the earth back in the good old days of PIT.
I couldn't agree more! Consider the following:
I was a mid-seniority flight attendant flying out of DCA during the October 2001 timeframe. During that timeframe, DCA was closed, and all of our flights went out of IAD or BWI. The pairings almost always ended with 1-2 dead-heads just to get us home.
One the last day of a four day, we had a flight from PIT to PVD (a no-serve in the back, and a snack basket only in first!). The load factor was also very light, less than 50%.
There was a PIT crew sitting in the boarding area, and they were dead-heading to PVD. When we learned there was a direct flight back to IAD leaving in about 30 minutes, we politely asked the dead-heading crew if they would mind working this ONE leg for us. That would allow us to get back home around 10:30 in the morning, as opposed to 8:30 at night, if we took our scheduled 2 dead-heads home.
The most senior of the crew, said "Let us talk about it". A few minutes later, she walked over and asked what our seniority was. I told her mine, as well as the remaining crew (2 five years, and one 15 year). She said "We've been talking - we've all been flyging since 1975 or longer, and we've decided that we don't want to work this leg for you".
We nicely thanked her for considering (cursing her under our breath of course). The 15 year flight attendant, with her wisdom said "Don't worry Honey! One day PIT will get downsized and these dinosaurs will have to commute for the first time. Then, all we can do is return their 'courtesy' to them.
Looks like her prediction is coming true.
