Originally Posted by
PilotFrog
I had a TA question that I never asked.
Why if we negotiated good rates for the 737 and 777 to capture the efficiency those aircraft offered, why did the 717 (more efficient) get the same rates as the DC-9. Isn't it a little bigger too?
Slightly smaller actually. I'm pretty sure it's a DC-9-30 fuselage. It'll be interesting to see them next to each other.
Before I ask a rhetorical question - I think what you're seeing is the beginning of pay banding at Delta. The 717 niche is right there with the DC-9. Plus all the Pinnacle pilots pouring through the floodgates (LoL) will be used to making peanuts and flying 6 leg days.
Rhetorically - the company knew the category would open in ATL and with well over a third of the pilots desiring to be ATL based, they knew they had no incentive to bump the pay on the fancy new jet to attract the pilots. Strategically speaking, what negotiating leverage do you see us not using during negotiations to support higher wages for a smaller jet that people are going to pile onto?