Long rant ahead, but this all started with the hotel sign-in sheet.

Delta has a reputation in the industry, and honestly, a lot of it is exaggerated. Some of it feels like the usual airline stereotypes — “Southwest throws pizza parties for ATC” or “American taxis slow.” But after flying multiple fleets and upgrading relatively early, I’ve realized some of the culture issues are real.

When I got hired, most of us had survived the brutal 2005–2015 era: long regional upgrades, terrible pay, furloughs, and miserable schedules. By the time we made it to a major, many senior captains still treated us like we knew nothing about the industry, despite the fact that many of us had worked at multiple regionals and seen the industry from every angle. I respect what the older generation endured, but hardship isn’t a competition.

As an FO, I learned to take the good from captains and ignore the bad. When I upgraded, I hoped the next generation would keep the professionalism while dropping the outdated hierarchy and unwritten rules.

Instead, I’m noticing some of the newer captains inherited both.

A lot of younger pilots entered during the hiring boom: quick regional upgrades, short time at regionals, then straight to Delta. As a result, many were mentored almost entirely by the old-school Delta crowd, and a lot of those habits stuck.

What made me realize this? Experienced FOs constantly apologizing or overexplaining completely normal techniques — using vertical speed, balancing fuel at a certain time, making a PA, calling the flight attendants, etc. Then there’s the obsession with the hotel sign-in sheet.

For years I assumed people were just overly anxious. Then I finally asked why FOs kept rushing to write my name on the sign-in sheet. Turns out, the 737 OE guide actually says the FO is supposed to fill it out!

None of the other fleets I’ve flown had that in their guide. Sure, I was told the FO was expected to do that. But since that was not written in any or my manuals, I ignored that as a weird Delta thing. Honestly, it’s faster if we each sign ourselves in.

That’s the issue: unwritten cultural expectations becoming institutionalized for no real reason. It’s not 1999 anymore. Just because Delta did something a certain way decades ago doesn’t mean it still makes sense today.

Let’s focus on following the FARs, the FOM, and Volume 1. Beyond that, most of this stuff should just be personal preference — not cultural baggage passed down through generations.

 

Well said.

International hotel sign in with FAs taking 20 minutes to dole out rooms needs to go too. On the rare occasion the hotel hasn't already decided what room you get, CA, FO, RFO. Then purser. Then rest of FAs in seniority order pick rooms.

Not a 30 minute debacle. I got beds to see and beers to drink.

 

Well…. I’ll just say it is actually appreciated. Now and again the lead FA signs everyone in, pilots included, and it makes a very positive impression.

I think the Capt name on the top line is probably outdated…. But it was always explained to me that when the company calls the front seat looking for a pilot from flight xxxx, whomever was on top was probably getting called. Of course these days they are just going to call the Capt’s cell phone.

From a practical side, I still refuse to wear glasses all the time. My medical says I’ve got to have them with me, and when the sun goes down, glasses come out. But when we get to hotel, they are in my flight bag, and I can’t read the sign in sheet late at night, tired, in poor light. So again, my hanging back to let the FO hopefully sign us both in is part vanity, part laziness, but still appreciated. I will stand there and give my name and part number so they don’t have to look it up.

And they must not teach it to everyone on 73OE, plenty of FOs don’t sign both pilots in.

 

Overall the flight ops culture here is good but that’s where it ends. Compared to my last 3 airlines we have the usual few outliers but for the most part the culture is good.

Outside of flight ops, the company is very cult-like and despite our airline being the joke of flight aware cancellations page lately, many DL people still think that this is the best airline in the world. At Velvet you can look around and see people (literally) in tears of joy when EB arrives on the stage. He is worshiped as a deity.

Just this week I had ATL agents -tell me- that they won’t move a DL pilot to the FA js to get an OAL guy on because “they ain’t got time for that” and “it’s not up to you cap.” (Exact words) I did end up getting them to do it but I know they wrote it up and they did it as slow as possible to make the flight late. We have the absolute worst reputation in the industry for stuff like this.

So yeah, in many ways Delta culture does need work.

 

Pretty sure our Atlanta gate agents are the worst, overall. There are some gems, for sure, but on average I feel for our customers and fellow employees traveling through ATL.

A5S

 

I opened this thread expecting one of several Delta stereotypes, but hotel sign ins? I don't know, I think I'd just go enjoy my layover and not worry about this one.

 

I commute on DAL and almost every other carrier and our gate agents are by far the worst. When I see how UAL and SWA agents go out of their way to accommodate commuters last minute, I’m embarrassed by our act. I’ve had more issues commuting on our own metal in uniform than I’ve had on any other carrier combined— we need to do better. Same goes for non-rev travel.

 

It's about to get worse. The last standards meeting announced a policy change coming that mandates FOs do all walkarounds. During past OE it was taught that PM does the walkaround unless discussed otherwise. But apparently there were instances where the jetbridge got pulled with no one doing the walkaround since the FO just assumed standard, and the old school capt didn't brief otherwise. Usually this is handled during the first leg brief, 90+% of the time capt says I'll get your walkarounds and everyone goes about their merry day.


And I know....base/category dependent, strong opinions on various fleets/bases, based on the 10+ page heated debate on walkarounds we had last time this topic came up. And there are still a few here who insist Capt must be in the seat at all times to put out their imaginary fires at D-50 and can't handle a 5 minute walk lest the mission fail 😜

Grenade tossed...

 

The FOM got updated. It does not mandate the FO does the walk around. It standardizes that the FO normally does the walk around but it does not preclude the Captain from doing it as time allows.

Just observation, in this time of prosperity for the Legacy airlines, it seems like we have had an uptick of complaining about petty issues. Complaining about 330A schedules, complaining about FA PAs saying we've been cleared to land at 18,000ft, complaining about be too junior to get multiple Silver Slips.

Talk about first world problems. Imagine if real economic struggle hits the US like much of the world has dealt with on a regular basis because their Govt doesn't have the ability to turn on the money printer at the slightest sign of trouble?

 

Im at a different AAirline, ha, but we have little oddities too; pretty sure we all do.

The hotel thing is a common courtesy thing and a QoL enhancer. Im just NB, but still, even with only 4 FAs, they muck it up and will still take 15 min.

I do it as an FO as a simple nod of respect to the CA and to ensure we get rooms that benefit rest. Having the tips from our hotel write-ups is huge to get around hotel shenanigans and gotchas like odd/even room side of bldg, pool bar side, etc. Plus, just writing out 4 FAs real quick and handing them their cards takes less than 3 min and you leave them happy; although it can backfire and they end up being extra friendly/chatty at the 0500 van 🤣.