Originally Posted by
Wasatch Phantom
Shiz,
Thanks for your response. I don't want to turn this into a pi**ing contest, but I did want to respond to the part of your post I quoted above.
I don't know when you came aboard, but back before 9/11 Delta alone had 10,000 pilots on it's seniority list. The huge growth in the number of regional pilots was at the direct expense of Delta pilots (and pilots at other mainline carriers).
Call me selfish, but I'm more concerned about my fellow Delta pilots than the jobs of regional pilots, be they ALPA members or not.
Serious Question (for any and all):
My nephew emailed me and asked: Do have any idea what the future of the 100-seaters is going to be? I know the Japanese and Russians are trying to re-enter the aerospace market, plus there is the new Bombardier plane. I'd imagine that there would be a decent market for planes in size between a CRJ700 & an A319?
I briefly explained the scope clause concept, and the history over the last 20 years of ever larger size, and numbers of, regional jets being operated by non-mainline carriers. But where's it go from here? Will the next negotiating team again trade larger regional jets (or more of them) for pay rates (admittedly with the approval of the Delta pilots)? Or will they (the negotiating team, and/or the MEC, and/or the Delta pilot group) hold the line on scope? Would Delta buy a 100 seat aircraft in significant numbers if it was operated by Delta pilots?
Curious as to others' thoughts...
Fair enough, I think some is RJ related but there were much larger factors at play IMHO.
I'd like to know how much of the reduction of DAL seniority list related to the parking of all the 3-man aircraft? I don't know how big the "sidesaddle categories" were, and what the main line fleet sizes were, along with overall fleet makeup (did some fleets get parked and not replaced? .....Before my time;-)
Additionally, how much pilot growth happened from market share (and by extension pilot jobs) being siphoned away from legacy airlines during that decade by JB/AT/SW (airlines with the
massively under-compensated pilots who often made 25-40% less than at the airlines who managed to maintain higher levels of compensation) until bankrputcy forced a massive backslide.
I think there is a much greater correlation between those factors than by RJ's, but RJ growth did play a role, and we as a group fell for the trade. It was a mistake, and hindsight is 20/20.
I am concerned about the piloting profession as a whole, and I am extremely concerned about the careers of the Delta Pilots, and without a strong profession we won't have very good career prospects.
I am confident that through ALPA our reps and NC are firmly committed to holding the line at 76, and recapturing botom end (amd top end) scope when the opportunity presents itself. Anything else is a non-starter.
It is my personal opinion that the "commuter" industry is probably going to collapse on its own when the 1500 rule, FTDT and hiring by the majors begins in earnest.
I would love to see it all come in house, but I'm MUCH MUCH more concerned about the gulf carrier and the "Norwegian Air Shuttle" type business model screwing up our future, and we are VERY screwed if that model is permitted to proliferate.