Part II:
Major airlines other choice is to accept a reset in the express flying cost model which probably doubles labor costs. Even then, they will constantly lose pilots to other express carriers offering better pay or signing bonus money.
If express flying gets too expensive, then our feed from smaller markets will diminish. Everything in this business is still running slim margins. Can we afford to lose that business traveller from Topeka to Asia?
The other advantages to unity have been well covered here before:
- Currently our airline operates not three fleet types in express operations, but something like 14. We have ExpressJet, Chautauqua, Compass, GoJet Airlines, Endeavor Air, Shuttle America and SkyWest ... none of those operator's airplanes, or pilots, are interchangeable. Think of the logistical nightmare FAR 117 becomes during irops. How much more efficient could our airline be by scheduling those airplanes (which cost 2/3rd's of what we're paying for 737-900's) in ways that make the most sense instead of around 6 different Certificates?
- How much do the redundancies in Corporate structures cost? Right now if a Delta manager wants a change, he tells a Delta Connection manager who tells a Skywest manager who tells an Expressjet manager to execute a decision.
The other part of this nut will be going to the FAA and possibly Congress to revise flight training rules. 1,500 hours is a nearly insurmountable wall. We should want to revise this BEFORE Airlines 4 America beats us to the punch with some sort of a euro style multi crew license. We should integrate our training proposal on the basis of military flight training which has some reliance on mentorship. That mentorship should be based in the Delta way of doing things.
I like the CI 400 logo
Some think it is very important that Delta interview these pilots. I agree. Express flying on a Delta ticket is Delta flying. Those pilots should be Delta pilots. Which division Delta wants to operate it with is up to management, but as a union, we should do our best to make sure one of us is flying the plane.