Originally Posted by
Mesabah
I agree, but it's very likely they are all going to be military, or those that are well connected. Delta is showing that there are perks if you take concessions and play nice; I use the term "perks" very loosely here.
That is not how it played out in 2007. The military pilots have a bit of a catch 22 at the beginning of the wave. If they get out too early, they become not current. If they wait, they are obligated to serve and can't get free for an early class date.
Further, the regional guys (at least the ones I know) had been preparing and flying Delta passengers for so long that they kind of knew the right things to say and do to get hired. IMHO a good record flying for Delta means something.
The military pilots are a known pool of high qualified applicants. But, nowadays, so are pilots who have been serving Delta and flying Delta passengers for years.
If I were a military pilot, I would be equally concerned about regional competition. The statistics bear this out. You can improve your odds by getting involved either in semi management positions (ex LCA, Safety, CP) or volunteer work. It is easy to volunteer for something. Delta has Habitat builds all over the place, Heritage Foundation Museum, etc ... that's one way to become "well connected."