Originally Posted by
georgetg
I doubt there are many here who "don't want Delta to make money"
Let me see if I can paraphrase:
By having Alaska pilots fly the Delta code, Delta is able to be in markets it would otherwise be less or not profitable. As a result Delta is effectively offering more seatmiles without the associated overhead of flying it in-house.
The employees benefit because as the company is more profitable it is able to pay its employees more money.
Fast forward to 2025 (Hypothetical)
Delta is the largest airline in the world with the most seatmiles of any airline out there. Delta flies an all wide-body fleet, and has contracts with various lift providers around the world to feed the operation. There are 5000 pilots on the seniority list and for the last 18 years not one pilot was furloughed. Captains pay is between $275-300/hour and FO pay is between $205-230.
By comparison Southwest airlines, now also a global carrier, ranks number two to Delta in seat-miles. The two companies are equally profitable, but Southwest chose to grow organically after a disastrous merger with Airtran in 2011. Southwest flies a mix of widebodies and narrowbodies on all of it's own routes. Southwest has 12000 pilots on its seniority list. At Southwest Captains pay is between $240-295/hour and FO pay is between $190-225.
Considering the above scenario:
- Were we successful as a pilot group?
- Were we successful as a labor group?
Cheers
George
My crystal ball has a printer. It just sent:
Originally Posted by Aviation Week, June 2036
Delta Air Lines threatens strike
Master Chairman of the Delta pilots' union, New K Jr., was quoted today stating Delta pilots will clean out their lockers in preparation to a strike over pay and working condition disagreements following an inability to reach an agreement on Contract 2017.
The President of the Delta Airlines legacy division of SkyWest/Airfrance Partners, Holdings, Ltd., LLC responded "Delta has pilots? Who knew? For that matter, who cares?" referring to the unprecedented outsourcing which has diminished the union's relevance in labor issues. Since being acquired by SkyWest/AirFrance the Delta pilot force has suffered a number of setbacks, beginning with the refusal of SkyWest's Pilots Association to merge the Delta pilots and the Air Line Pilots' Association's position that Delta scope wasn't binding on a third party holding company structure.
The President of the Airline Pilot's Association was reached at a SkyWest pizza party. He offered no comment.
Delta currently operates 2 DC9's on the Atlanta to Minneapolis route on an essential air service subsidy. Jerry Atkin, III said "the DC9 is an anachronism, but we're just seeing how far we can take this thing." Delta passengers have all been re booked on code share partner, Southwest airlines.