Originally Posted by
Gunfighter
Exactly!! Nobody wants to move out of a 2% mortgage into a 7% mortgage. Housing prices are still elevated and have to fall considerably before lateral housing moves are possible with similar payments.
Even if financially equivalent, moving to base won't ever be a consideration for a large portion of the pilot group because of outside influences that are a higher priority than Delta. The current industry staffing crisis requires that airlines and air lines cater to commuting employees. You can't keep the airline running without commuters, it's a fact. If the commute hassle becomes too great, they lose a significant portion of the workforce. If commuting becomes too difficult, new hires will look for employment closer to home. It doesn't take a genius to figure out the larger population in TX, FL and IL favor airlines with large bases in those states. NYC and LAX are a draw. The only way Delta remains competitive for new hires in a non-commuting world is with bases in TX and FL.
Employing commuters is a choice and the company knows it.
I completely agree. Burns has been going into new hire classes and stating that PSC will likely not return, all while encouraging them to move to base. In this hiring environment those pilots are simply going to leave for another carrier closer to home as soon as the opportunity presents.
The old mentality of “We’re going to do nothing to accommodate commuters, and if you don’t like it you can just move to Atlanta.” won’t cut it here anymore. Delta needs to improve its commuting policies and/or base offerings if it wishes to attract the best possible talent in the years to come. United is exploring the idea of opening new pilot bases for this very reason.