Originally Posted by
iaflyer
As much as I'd like to have DCI airplanes at mainline Delta, I can't see it happening - here's why:
Cost.
I'm talking, really low rates to pay for all the other costs that Delta would have to absorb. The DCI airplanes right now are maintained by mechanics being are probably paid less than they are at Delta. The planes are dispatched using dispatchers who are paid less than Delta dispatchers. Cleaned by people making less than Delta cleaners (maybe, they might use the same people). The Flight attendants make less than Delta flight attendants. The gate agents are paid less than Delta gate agents.
This is what I feel ALPA is saying when they say, "you don't want to work for the pay rates that will bring the plane to mainline."
IAH,
I am not sure all that you say is correct. In ATL DAL mainline employees took over much of the above from ASA. Some of the costs are probably a little lower, but I don't think it is totally prohibitive - especially when you look at a true cost-benefit analysis, higher costs but also much higher quality service.
There probably is a defining size that DAL can not fly profitably (not that DCI flies profitably sans fee for departure -think Expressjet and Indy air). The fact that Jetblue flies a 100 seat jet at a decent pay rate leads me to believe that we should be able to accommodate a 100 seater profitably at mainline.
What really gets to me is the fact that our DCI carriers are mostly turning a profit and we are rarely breaking even - from a management point of view outsourcing flying should be a loser.
Scoop