Originally Posted by
fisherpilot
So I'm on the outside wanting to get in. I, like many others, want to get hired when the hiring resumes. I do understand that the Summer schedule is when the staffing is at it's thinnest. If there are instances now where they are running out of pilots to cover trips what do they do when the flying picks up in the summer?? Try doing more GS? Pull IP's out of the school house, management guys out of the office, cancel trips? I can't understand not wanting to add pilots unless there is a bigger picture they are not saying (more shrinking). I'm not the brightest, but when you bring on a new hire they are essentially the cheapest (hourly) rate that you can cover flying with, right? I would think that would bring the overall hourly cost (average per pilot) down. Am I wrong? Correct me if so. I would think the cost of cancelling flights would far out weigh the cost of bringing on more warm bodies to the front of DAL aircraft.
thanks in advance for shedding the light on this for me
I think all the things you mentioned are options they will use if it comes to that. Its too late for this summer now. If it gets too lean they will simply leave block hours/revenue on the table. Period. And it looks like that could be a real possibility. They would rather lose potential revenue than put additional bodies (hiring) on the cost side of the ledger for the FY.
Even with the generous peak leveling relief we gave them in the recent contract, I'm just not seeing how things will be covered in many categories, even with lots of green slips. Even before guys go to 717 training (and other categories to be converted in May through August) some of the categories that are being used to "fund" the "electric-9" are bottoming out in March and April.
Also keep in mind that, despite the talk, DL is still a shrinking airline. Even if the 717 changes that WRT DL seniority list block hours, the network shows no signs of leveling off or growing. The shrinkage is minor, but its shrinkage nonetheless. And the 717/growth 737's won't be here til long after summer, and we still have a ton of 320's/757's/DC-9's to start parking as soon as they start getting here.
Flt Ops wanted to hire, but the bean counters said no. Its too late now regardless for the peak summer schedule. To borrow a phrase, we will go to war with the army we have. If the Euro and/or Dollar don't implode before 2014, we will then start the process of ramping up hiring. Hope to see you here though!