Originally Posted by
DAL 88 Driver
Well, mostly.
[Sound of brakes screeching] Whoa. What did we improve in scope, and how many jobs did it bring back to mainline? And while "higher compensation" is a technically accurate statement, it was essentially a COLA to our bankruptcy/emergency rates. Buying power consistent with our bankruptcy contract... certainly nothing to crow about.
Yep. Not rocket science. But there is more to it than that. And using the measures of buying power and mainline pilot jobs, we haven't gained much if anything at all. And when did we come out of BK? 2007? And how much did Delta make last year? And how much did SWA's average Captain and F/O make last year?
We reduced the allowed number of aircraft 51 seats or higher to a number below the total numbers allowed under each separate contract.
Our average compensation (for all 12,000) 2008-2012 will have gone up 27.5% when you include DC compensation. At SWA it's 7.5%, CAL 1.5%, UAL 1.5%, AMR 1.5%, LCC 0%. If you count non-traditional compensation like stock the numbers favor us even more.
Why did you leave TWA? Was it because 3 years out of bankruptcy their contract was second best in the industry? How long did it take Pan Am to get the second best in the industry? Never. How about Continental? It's 20 years since their last bankruptcy and they still haven't reached #2. UAL, LCC, ......
No one is happy where we are, but you make it seem like we are stumbling while the rest of the industry is thriving. That is not the case. Look at the history of carriers coming out of bankruptcy and tell me which one did better than we did.
Sure SWA is doing well after they undercut the industry by 20-30% for 25 years so their company could grow with no debt. Do you recommend we undercut the industry by 20-30% until 2035 so that Delta can grow with no debt, just so we can be like SWA? If not, then we have to continue to pound away so we can be the first airline to leave bankruptcy and then get to number one. There are no magic bullets, only hard work and persistence.