Originally Posted by
tsquare
2 comments. The first highlight above was what management could have called a "sleeper cell" They got that into our contract years ago, and never exploited it until recently. How it ever got there in the first place is beyond me... The second highlight is a comment that I despise. If they got it in a bid, they were not out of seniority. Period.
Two comments back at you.
1. The "sleeper cell" observation is just completely irrelevant. Delta--and every other airline in history--has always had the ability to assign flying any way they want. Even today the 777, which is 95% ultra-long-haul flying, has two day trips that fly ATL-LAX, layover, then LAX-ATL back on day two. Are you stating that we should have a separate 777 "domestic" category just for those trips?
2. The pilots who were on the 7ER in 07-08 were usually assigned those categories as newhires--that could only have happened if those positions went unfilled on an AE. That actually happened, but will most likely never happen again. AND, that all happened at a time when the company was vastly increasing flying to Europe (pre economic meltdown) and hadn't stop flying to several Middle East markets (JFK-AMM, JFK-CAI) prior to the "Arab Spring."
Bottom line is that any new hire in 07 who got the 7ER bid, and was able to fly to international destinations, was part of a very unique one-time only set of circumstances--just like guys in their second year with the company were flying Delta Express captain (and holding a line) in 1998.
I don't resent any of it and am actually happy for anyone who was able to hold Kiev in year two. I just don't want to hear complaints from said guys as if their early "success" was somehow owed them, and any lack of ability to continue that at this point in time is something of a conspiracy.