is there an expectation they will stop hiring again in April?

 

So far they have stated we are hiring about the same as last year, and that’s when it stopped last year.

 

I see evidence of the opposite. Several independent and official (but internal) places have talked recently about 3-4% growth next year. They can’t do that by hiring for attrition. At the same time, AA and especially UA are hiring like crazy right now. Like 2000+.

I’m starting to believe more and more DL will hire more like 1000+ in 26.

 

Growth in ASMs, or growth in pilots? I had only ever seen/heard attrition only, which is what was said to us at RTAG. I hope you are correct.

 

I'm not the only to hear some things, but I've had several different conversations with persons in a position to officially know something more than any of us, and have also personally heard official comments in an official large group event, all of which aligns with what was also described of by a pilot attending an internal Velvet recently which leads me to this conclusion. Whether the management person(s) were accurate may be a fair question, but these things were 100% said by relatively senior 4th floor types. These pieces of evidence are all consistent with one another. In other words, multiple sources all say the same thing...

They felt they got burned last year when they put out the "1000 in 2025" number only to stop hiring at about 500 for other reasons. Now, they are gun-shy about overpromising and underdelivering. So they put out the official "public" info as "hiring for attrition", including at the industry conferences like RTAG. I wish they also said the next part, but the key is that is a floor. A bare minimum which will be hired. They fully expect to hire something more than that.

Now, add to that the data points in the Velvet and the Q3 comments about growth. They had plans to 'rebuild' the international network post-covid this year, but for various reasons did not (deliveries, supply chain. tarrifs/unceartainty, etc). For 2026, they are projecting 3-4% growth. They absolutely cannot do that unless they hire pilots well above attrition. 3% would be require hiring about 1000 pilots, and 4% would mean about 1200. That part is not conjecture. That's math.

Now, whether you believe the Flight Ops upper management types were telling the truth (why would they lie to an internal audience?), or whether economic conditions will actually allow for 3-4% growth is maybe up for debate, but the underlying facts are still facts. Take that for what you will. I'm somewhat of a skeptic, but am starting to believe that the pieces are in place to expect that we will hire 1000+, barring some unforeseen/interfering factor. And none of that addresses the fact industry peers are hiring like it's the Covid recovery still...

 

Only my opinion. I can’t imagine they’d dump two training hotels if they thought we were going to be doing a lot of hiring. I know those two hotels have a number of issues/complaints but if push comes to shove they’d use them if they needed the rooms.

 

Was the Sonesta ever used for new hires? As far as I know the hotel shakeup they announced only affected people already on property going through a new course or for CQ. I didn’t think any new hire hotels were changed, but I could be wrong.

 

Maybe an ignificant number but theres less rooms needed due to SLC training center opening up

 

makes sense. They’ve sent quite a few invites lately to people with pretty low times and no TPIC. Checks out.

 

No. I won't share what it is, but new hires were never there. They wouldn't DARE put their newest pilots in that dump.