Originally Posted by
djrogs03
There has been talk with the Delta Connection Pilot Alliance to equalize all conx carriers with equal pas bennies, I'm curious to see if this will ever truly happen. I'm unable to comprehend why front line employees who fly for connection carriers and represent the Delta brand are not given somewhat comparable benefits to mainline in the pass travel department. I know that the same benefits mainline employees recieve are not fully capable of being recieved at conx carriers because we are not flying mainline aircraft, but nonetheless.
The exact benefits are negotiated between DL and the individual DCI carrier's management. There is minimal input and probably zero participation from DCI employees so you have to look at who at the negotiating table has something to gain...
DL management doesn't have much to gain or lose.
- Increased nonrev fees help the bottom line but only a tiny bit. They will probably be inclined to raise fees if the DCI companies don't complain much (the companies, not the employees)
- Increased priority for mainline employees might generate a little bit of goodwill, but that will soon be forgotten by labor anyway. It's more likely that they would hold out increased priority as negotiating capital with mainline labor.
Regional (DCI) managers might have something to gain...
- If they can negotiate slightly more favorable feed contract terms in exchange for throwing their employees under the priority bus they will do that willingly and eagerly. Also most will not expend any effort at all to improve employee benefits even if it doesn't cost them any money.
- Certain DCI's may be limited by labor contract terms although unless you are wholly-owned that's a stretch since mainline is not bound by regional labor contracts.
- Some regionals (ie SKW) will stand up for their employees because they rely on a certain amount of labor goodwill. Since it doesn't cost them much or anything to stand up to DL, they will do that.
Originally Posted by
djrogs03
I'm also interested in seeing interest on adding a code at the end of our standby priority for those that commute to recieve a higher priority than those using their passes purely for vacation or joyriding. It's a debatable argument, curious as to everyone's thoughts.
The problem here is that this a benefit for some (commuters) which comes at the expense of others (non-commuters). There might be a slight benefit for non-commuters in that they could more easily return to work from vacation or weekend travel excursions. The folks who would bear the brunt of this would be non-crew employees who would get bumped while trying to take their once-a-year family vacation.
Since it would benefit mostly crew, it would probably have to be done at the negotiating table at significant cost. The non-commuters would probably not give up pay for a deal like this.
Also it wouldn't help as much as you might think...if the flight is sold out you are in the jumpseat anyway. This really only helps on the rare occasion when there a seats available for nonrevs, there are a lot of nonrevs, and the JS(s) is already occupied.
The JS, not nonrev priority, is what makes commuting feasible for most of us.