How should the Union be catching that? I would assume you mean that pilots submit stuff… since there is no automation on ALPAs end to review every rotation. It’s a manual process.

 

We get the data and paid a price negotiating access. Is it still delayed batch files or are we real time now? We should be churning this data, are we not? What is the point of access if we aren't making people whole?

 

They canned ACE which was the API access and had automations.

I’m sure they’ll get to it “soon TM”.

 

I know they canned ACE, STS was supposed to be a BETTER in house system. How much are we losing by not doing our own data review? Nobody knows. Not having this system up and running is ALPA enabling wage theft. Completely unacceptable and a breach of trust for the ACE decision as well as the resultant in house system not being automated and not adequate to handle real time review.

cencal's lack of a response speaks volumes. That is in no way a dig on an individual but a chastizing of the union leadership for not supplying that adequate tools and essentially lying to the group about their capability and lack of ability. They also can not admit the decision was wrong and correct it so we have lost value in what was supposed to be the negotiated (and paid for) cure. While we continue to make line pilots who are unaware the scapegoat for scheduling violations instead of taking action to remedy the issue that is now long overdue.

 

The newest DALComm says “millions of dollars.”

 

I don’t make the decisions man. ACE wasn’t ready for real time no matter how many cheerleaders say otherwise. Canning it prior to STS was dumb because ZenDesk was wholly inadequate.

The API access isn’t coupled to ACE either. We had ACE before C19 was signed. C19 gave us the whole access but the tools need to be made. If you have familiarity with software engineering you know this stuff isn’t just quick coding weekend can get going. Many complete software packages take years to perfect and are patched constantly in this day and age due to security vulnerabilities.

In the meantime, the organization you should direct your ire at isn’t your bargaining agent, as they’re not stealing money. You need to be mad at the source - Delta.

The people who spearheaded the removal of ACE are no longer reps or MEC leaders. I believe having our previous NC at the top now is a much better leadership group since they sat across the table and aren’t prone to concessions like DH was

 

ACE was a bill of goods, based on a subscription model whereby ALPA had no ownership, with an irratic and unscrupulous vendor who attempted to triple the (already sizable) subscription fee overnight. ACE's demise was assured from the day the original framework was negotiated and contract was signed in 2019. The wayback machine should look into who ran the place at that time.

Anyone peddling a different story either has no idea what they are talking about, or has an agenda and was in some way personally vested in the outcome of ACE.

STS, while certainly not perfect at this point, the code is fully owned by ALPA. If a developer acts up, a new one is a phone call away. Capturing comprehensive data via API is exceptionally challenging due to Delta's patchwork IT infrastructure, but it is progressing and will weave its way into the workflow for ALPA's scheduling team over time. There are no shortcuts to doing this right.

As irritating as it is, IT projects dont happen quickly.

 

First, I said this was not at you. Second, we were promised real time automated review. That has not happened and that failing has caused Delta to not respond in a timely manner because there is not a significant real time consequence. The behavior from Delta while deplorable is expected. My anger is definitely with them. However, the lack of real response to the issue by ALPA for 3+ years now is completely unacceptable and is now enabling. This, I will repeat, is no dig on you or any volunteers who work within the STS system. This is a failure of leadership. And a continuing failure until they get serious about fixing it and being honest about the capabilities of our systems to catch managements wanton malfeasance. We were promised better and our union has over promised and under delivered.

 

I beg to differ, respectfully. ACE had robust code written, and “Auto-ID” had been ready for over a year. ACE unilaterally turned it “on” on the way out the door to prove it, and as something of a middle finger to the MEC admin after getting stabbed in the back. Sadly no enough people noticed to cause an uproar.

The then-Reps were asleep at the wheel and woefully short sighted. “ACE reports are down”. Well, yeah, because it WORKED and a Fortune 100 company changed their behavior. When you take your boot off their neck, do you honestly think they will just keep complying?

Even if they get STS to eventually do some of the same things, they lost out of years of opportunity.

 

I mean- it’s being worked on? Can’t fix it in a day?

STS *will* do it when ready. We get the data. Yes, ACE being canned prior to a new solution being ready was not smart. That was 3+ years of development just tossed.

Given how price sensitive we are (for good reason) I’m also not sure how paying for 2 systems simultaneously wouldn’t have ****ed a bunch of people off.

anyhoo… it’s in development and coming along but right now as you are aware it is up to the pilots to catch things. There are guys who surf open time and DTC looking for this.