Quote:
Originally Posted by
FIIGMO 
The boat has sailed on that A/C [76 seaters] and it would be tough to get it back.
Originally Posted by
gloopy
Not really. All we would have to "pay" are the lease payments...that we are already paying for 100% today. In many cases we are literally the cosigners and in quite a few cases ma DL actually owns the planes or leases them directly.
We need to move past this myth that we can't get a certain seat range back. We can and all it requires is pilot solidarity. It won't break the company either but if someone really wants to latch on to that false argument, then a B scale fixes that concern. B scales suck but are a million times better than outsourcing, which is a B scale anyway so there is zero moral high ground in claiming one is "preserving the profession" by outsourcing something at B scale rates instead of doing it ourselves.
Guys,
Like BB I would be willing to strike over Scope - not that we would actually be allowed to strike.
As far as getting back the small jets - I think the 70 seaters and below will never be flown at DAL. The 76 seaters are very interesting.
As the 50 seaters gradually become razor blades all DCI carriers will stagnate and look more and more like Comair. This could play out in a couple of ways:
1 As all DCI Pilot groups get senior, they will first stagnate, and then eventually shrink as they are underbid by the next fly by night Johnny come lately start up. Unfortunately the extreme cost pressures and the ability to pit carriers against each other will allow this. Not a pretty picture for the career DCI Pilots.
2. Another possibility is that somehow the DCI Pilots find a way to prevent this - doubtful but possible. This would result in the largest aircraft 70 or 76 seats, being flown by Pilots maxed out on longevity, 12, 18, 20 years or whatever. As DAL enters a continuous hiring mode these aircraft, if flown by maniline would be flown by the most junior pilots.
Well how would first year FO pay and say, 3 or 4 year CAPT pay on the 76 seaters at DAL compare with maxed out Captain pay and proportional FO pay at DCI?? That is a very important question that is however only one cost factor. Other factors are - FA's, Maint, ACS etc. Some of these costs will be greater at DAL, others would be the same, but there could also be cost savings - outsourcing profits etc. Combine the above with the affects of future Pilot shortages * and who knows what will happen to the 76 seaters.
* While we have been hearing about Pilot shortages for decades, and I doubt DAL will ever be lacking for applicants the quality of applicants will probably decrease, but we will no doubt always have a lot of guys and gals interested in DAL. The right seat of the connection carriers on the hand is a different issue - I think it will be very, very hard to fill this position in the near future for numerous reasons - all pointing to a shortage of qualified FO applicants.
So what is the bottom line? Who knows, too many variables, but we should try to bring the 76 seaters back to DAL.
Scoop