bassslayer

I am in my fifth year here. If I were in my first or second and Delta called I'd be gone in a second. The problem here isn't just the management. In fact it's not really management at all. They are just doing what they do. The problem here is the pilot group. This pilot group consists mainly of older, close to retirement, beat down with no fight left in them pilots. Add in the fact they we are sharply fragmented in multiple directions due to previous mergers and a completely incompetent union who only cares about the senior nAAtives. The chances of us securing a contract that's worth the paper it's written on is nill. That being said, as far as the day to day stuff goes it's a great job with lots of great people to fly. Every airline has its turn at the top but if I were a betting man, I'd say the chances of overall having a great career are much better at Delta. My only hope here is that I'll spend the majority of my career senior enough to be insulated from out terrible contracts.

Al Czervik

Think this will change? I think we're going to have a pretty tight group in not too long.

bassslayer

Do I think that in the future we will be a much more unified voice? Yes. I'm sure we'll speak loud and clear when we vote in our next sh!tty contract. IMO, the only hope we have is that the nAAtives will be so fed up in 2020 with being number last that they actually stand up and say no. And then walk away. Just like every other pilot group has done before they secured a good contract.

andrewtac

While I have hope, hope doesn't get you anywhere. While I realize the post on here are a very small representation of the actual pilot pool (glad I didn't base any decisions on where to go based on APC); look at the animosity folks hold for each other. I resecently stopped FB due to all the hate. I guess I will have to give up the internet soon. Since we all fly together now I am surprised there are not fights on the flight deck every single day, and I know C&R is orders of magnitude worse. I have flown with some from every group now, and they all have been pleasant to fly with. I can't think of one person I flew with who didn't want things to improve. I am sure I have flown with plenty of yes voters, but even they want improvement. Bottom line at the bottom, I really hope it gets better but if we continue to focus inward on abusing each other then it will likely be a very difficult fight for us.

mainlineAF

Ditto. This pilot group is hopeless. If UPS or FDX calls, I'm out.

jcountry

You guys are clueless....

Every pilot group has it's little set little set of fiefdoms. You only know about ours because our merger is recent (and because it is an airline we work at. People tend to think the whole world knows and cares about whatever local squabbles exist at every airline. They don't. At all.)

People from UAL and CAL still dredge up old wounds amongst each other. Some tools at Delta still say "Delta's" as their callsign as a childish slight against those who came from a merger but were never hired by delta.

I think things will improve at AA. Many of the real problem children will retire in a few years, and we will wind up with a better union and a better airline..... Mgmt doesn't last forever. Hell, even the mighty RA who was so loved at DAL started his airline career as a key henchman for Lorenzo himself. Things change.

But please, please, please-if you hate this joint so much, just do us a favor and jump ship. If the grass is that much greener, go and have a taste! I will be more than happy to move up a number!

PRS Guitars

Good luck to you, but think about what you're throwing away.

I was hired in early 2014. At my ten year point, I will be about number 7000, which is better than 50% even if we keep only 14,700 pilots, which I doubt. 2 years later, I'll be 5,000ish.

To put it in perspective though, the guys at that number (7,000) today were hired in:

LUS 1987
LAA 1998
AWA 1998ish I think

So in ten years I'll have the seniority that it took an LUS guy 30 years to achieve and an LAA guy 19 years to achieve. At that point I'll be moving up 1,000 a year! Guys hired today will achieve 50% even faster since retirements really don't ramp up until 2018.

You've been here 4 years and are probably 1,200 numbers senior to me, and senior to many TWA hires. You're in a great spot. As Bassslayer alluded to, you'll be very senior and most likely insulated from the crappier aspects of the contract (which I agree is a crappy contract).

When you and I make group 2 Capt, the movement is going to be 4 times faster than it is today!

Of course, stuff happens and these numbers could easily be changed by world events, mergers etc, standard disclaimer.

As for UPS, have you been on the cargo board lately...they don't sound happy.

andrewtac

But if they leave we move up. I have gouge for ups and FedEx. I know folks that work there, I'll put in a good word for them.

Sliceback

Death and retirements are a given. Growth and expansion are a hope.

The biggest advantage AA has is cell decay.

PRS Guitars

Correction

I will be 7000 at my 11 year point not ten. I mis read the chart. Still pretty dang good though...