Originally Posted by
Scoop
It is far more complicated than the above rates. IF DAL did start flying the 900 you would probably see guys bidding CAPT around year 3 or 4, not at 12 years, and almost every FO would be year one.
Besides factoring in the difference on the other labor costs which you mention, there would be considerable savings from eliminating the many company functions that could be consolidated.
Finally, there is the whole concept of a "Brand," which our management talks about quite a bit, but either doesn't grasp the concept (I don't believe this) or is bull****ting.
You do not solidify a brand by outsourcing - you dilute it. If a DAL ticket does not mean you are flying on Delta what good is our "brand image?" No good - unless we deceive our customers which is not a good long term business policy.
Outsourcing through numerous DCI, code-share, and JV's is the antithesis of a "brand."
Scoop
This is exactly what I was thinking when Richard and Sir Richard had that meeting where they said they wanted to turn Delta into a "Fire Brand". That plan won't work out as long as we have people flying around on DCI airplanes. Step one in Fire Brand book is to not outsource your "Brand" to a company that you have no control over.