Originally Posted by
hockeypilot44
Is this even legal per FAR's and the Whitlow Letter? Super. This is a perfect example of how the Delta way is not better. I can name the things better at Delta on one hand. I'll try right now.
1. Hotels
2. Hourly Wages
3. Delta gives long call last day of reserve
4. I like the Delta short call/long call system as I'm junior. If I was senior, I would be ****ed as NWA let senior pilots have long call every single day of reserve except last day. It let people not senior enough for long call pick short call times in seniority order.
That's it. 4 things. 3 if you're not extremely junior. There's always a catch with the Delta way. NWA reserve pilots had the same trip and duty rigs as line holders. If a NWA pilot deviated from a deadhead, per diem was not affected. If a NWA pilot did a single deadhead on his last day, that day counted as one day towards his 5:00 average duty day (the Delta way is 5:15 average day, but deadhead days don't count). NWA guarantee was 70 for lineholders/75 for reserve, time and a half over 80. I'm honestly not sure that the Delta contract was the contract we should have used for this merger. I'm extremely grateful for the merger as I know I would be furloughed right now without the merger. I am proud to work for the largest airline in the world, but things could be a lot better. They could be a lot worse also, but lets focus on the better. Our contract needs improving, and the old NWA contract is a good place to start.
OK, so you're *****ing about LC rules? Seems to me that the four things you listed as being better at the new Delta far outweigh the LC rules. In fact, the hourly wages and reserve rules the former NWA guys now have seem to me to greatly outweigh the three hours or so you are missing on long call.
That being said, the schedulers are damn good (most of the time) about giving us prior notice and all due warning. I can count on one hand the times I've been upset about the reserve system. 90% of the time, I think they bend over backwards to accommodate us and move the mission. I don't have a lot of experience with the FNWA schedulers but the FDAL guys and girls have been ultimately professional in my experience. Every now and then, you get an attitude. I'm sure they feel the same way. I just approach them as being part of the team, try to be professional and polite, and they are as well.
I'm not a cockpit lawyer however. I just like to fly.