fisherpilot

Thanks Bar.... I'll republish, it can't hurt. It took 12 years to finish my BS. I decided to stop going to college early on to pursue a full time flying job. I told myself that I'd start back 6 months later. WRONG!!! Finishing a degree working full time and with 2 kids screaming in my ear while trying to study was not easy. Glad it's finally done

dalad

90% of what he posts here never comes to fruition. i remember back in the late nineties talking to an LCA friend who said he was told we would never fly South America. Less than a week later we announced EZE, LIM, and SCL along with GIG and GRU.

whatsitdoinnow

I think a new concern for the junior/younger folk should be furlough. If Iran keeps farting around with the strait of Hormouse or Israel does something about the Nuke program over there, $200.00/ barrel oil is not out of the question. It seems almost certain some sort of conflict will erupt over there, sometime this year. Think not only about Delta's fuel costs but the world economies and how many people/ business people will continue to fly.

johnso29

That's not a concern for just junior people. That's a concern for everyone. It will effect EVERY pilot on the DAL seniority list in a negative way. Plus, I think it's more of a concern for older guys, since many are scrambling to pay off college for their kids and scrape together some kind of retirement before they hit 65. Younger people will have more time to recover.

Herkflyr

This is an excellent point. Between numerous LOAs the past couple of years that have improved our contract (albeit incrementally) to this example, I'm glad we have union and management teams that are at least stretching the tired old models of "here is the contract, nothing will ever change until the next TA is ratified" blah blah blah.

Strict no furlough clauses are absolutely worthless as we have seen before. But subtly layering economic penalties in the event of furloughs is a much more clever--and most importantly--effective approach.

Without those penalties, I'm certain we would have announced "seasonal" furloughs along with every network cutback the past couple of years.

johnso29

My personal experience had been that the AQFO has let me go both times. Both were overnights, but the AQFO could have DH right back out. It was a great deal for me, as he turned my uncommutable 5 day in to a commutable 4 day where I got home 36 hours earlier. And I was still paid for my 5 day & got a PS seat home.

NwaBusDriver

ATL-NRT is going to 744

johnso29

Bingo. If people would actually read the memos put out, they would have read from Crew Resources & Steve Dickson that Jan & Feb would have the highest YOY decrease in block hours & therefore it would very slow. The company is taking advantage of this to install lie flat seats, economy comfort seats, & train for summer flying. This last AE was a 365 day conversion window, but they plan on having all training done by May.

Oh, & did anyone else notice that Delta is forecasted to make a $1 billion profit for the year of 2011? Considering the massive tsunami in Japan which caused a horrific nuclear meltdown, the ridiculous snowmegeddon in ATL, the East Coast blizzard, the East Coast hurricane, & the global economy teetering everyday, that profit is amazing. And it's happening with fuel prices over $100 per barrel.

Nothing is certain in this industry. That's the only thing that is guaranteed.

Beagle_Lover

Profit does not prevent furloughs! How many quarters has UPS made a profit with guys on furlough?

johnso29

How many did they furlough? 300? I think that was more of a d bag management move, but your point is taken.