Originally Posted by
sailingfun
Pre 2004 the average Delta pilot flew about 600 hard hours a year but generated just over 1050 hours of credit or pay.
Post Chapter 11 the average pilot is generating 800 block hours a year and generating about 1100 hours of credit or total pay. We are still well below the 1000 hours allowed. Very few pilots are hitting the block hour limits.
The increase from 600 to 800 hours per year of hard time was the big driver in the loss of pilot jobs at Delta. We should work in the next contract to get pay raises and get back some of those jobs.
I sort of agree and disagree at the same time. Some of those jobs were nothing but narcissistic featherbedding, such as senior F/Os acting as if it were their constitutional right to bid with LCAs and then get paid to stay home. On the other hand, after LOA 46/51 we went to the other extreme i many ways.
I don't mind min staffing formulas (which more often than not in the long run helps the company out by making them actually develop a staffing plan as opposed to endlessly chasing fires), and we MUST have strong work rules for the trips as they are constructed and as we fly them. However, featherbedding for the sake of featherbedding never creates jobs--just the illusion of them.
I'm always struck by the guys who want the company to be forced to hire lots of pilots due to formulas never notice that the companies that adhere to that mentality almost always have guys on the street/stagnation the longest, whereas SWA has always used their productivity (though coupled with a strong contract) to increase profits, thus more growth, thus more pilots jobs.