Disillusionment with Delta is no longer limited to Chitchat. It’s rapidly spreading throughout all segments of this pilot group.

I don’t waste my unpaid time standing at the door and saying goodbye to the passengers. I make sure the appropriate checklists and pilot-related duties are complete, then leave. Just like my peers at every other major airline — who earn the same compensation for the same job.

Never once have I heard a passenger say “I’m never flying Delta again because a pilot in a goofy-looking hat and blazer didn’t stand at the door to thank me. I’ll fly AA or UA next time (where they also don’t do that).” What I HAVE heard are numerous passengers vowing to never fly Delta again due to management-induced blunders (the most recent being the SkyMiles fiasco).

Fortunately, the big 3 airlines have basically become the cable company of the 90’s. Consolidation and capacity control have removed choices. Even the largest management-induced customer service blunders aren’t enough to put a long-term dent in our revenue. Our current product is remarkably similar to AA’s and UA’s anyway.