Here is how this works and should always work.
1. If it is Delta Metal then me and my entire family including my parents should have priority over any Pilot, flight attendant, mechanic, ramper or God knows what else that works for any other company. If your ID badge does not say Delta (this also includes the employees of NWA until SOC is complete and they all have Delta Badges) then you go behind me on my metal. Plain and simple. That is the way it should be.
2. As for Buddy passes of course you everyone including the family dog from any airline goes before them in my book.
3. Complain about the system all you want and please make sure to tell all of us at Mainline how your productivity will diminish and flights will start to cancel that your contract has your company obligated to perform because you cannot get to work. Here is a horrible truth and it's nothing personal but I want that to happen. That way more 50 seats RJ's are shipped to the desert or Africa, your contracts are nullified for lack of performance and then I don't have to hear any of you complain about travel benefits....
because you are at Home Depot selling me paint and stuff as I remodel my house. Look at it on the bright side, you will probably be making more money there anyway.
4. Here is what I would change: If it's your company airplane (ie Pinnacle, ASA, Comair or whomever) that is flying from BHM to ATL then I think it should be DOH between the two of us for Non rev priority. If the flight is operated by another DCI carrier contracted by
Delta Air Lines to operate a flight between respective cities and you work for another DCI carrier then I could care less how long you have been working at that other DCI carrier: your priority should always be after any Delta Air Lines (remember the id thing) employee and their family. Here is another tidbit they probably forgot to tell you but if my parents are traveling with me on a flight they get the same priority as I do no matter what.
You want to make things better then for you in your next contract get commuter clauses, call in honest or whatever you want to call them included. If the Capital for such items is overbearing then forget about it and always remember this.
Your Non Revenue Privileges are just that: Privileges and not Rights.
Neither you nor I have the right to dictate terms to management on what priority a contract employee should have when traveling and in the luxury of not living in the town or city in which we find ourselves gainfully employed. That is always the case. Now stop crying about this and go back to telling all of us "Mainline Guys" how we are the cause for all your other hardships in life. I find that more amusing.