EXACTLY.

We have been looking for a camper lately. If I had some money for every time I heard "the sale ends tomorrow" or "we have been selling these like hotcakes" or "we are sooo busy lately, we can't keep units on the lot" or any other sales tactic catch-phrase I would be able to pay for half the camper by now.

BTW: For those of you concerned about the non-contract raises, I wouldn't be too concerned. I don't know what the Mechs got, but an FA with 12 years got a $1.52 raise. "I guess that swimming pool will just have to wait a little bit longer Honey." Jelly of the month club, here we come. :rolleyes:

Has anyone asked Alfa yet why he and his constructive engagement didn't find it appropriate to ensure that Delta Jets are flown by Delta pilots? He keeps hinging everything on the smoke and mirrors of compound interest and pay issues which are ok. They're a 50.01% pass. But yet no one can come clean and explain to me why the most qualified pilots in the Delta system were passed over for a fleet of 70 aircraft (because you know GD well the 717s are growth-neutral).

Explain. Someone. Please.

Brutha from anothuh muthuh! (translate: brother from another mother)

In rough terms, the CRJ 700 earns 40% more revenue on about a 15% operational cost increase when compared to the -200. The Next Gen 900 carries approximately 18% more revenue than a -700 at the same (to +5%) cost as a -700.

On a CASM basis the airlines report the Next Gen 900 is less expensive than a B717 (using AirTran's pay rates). At Delta the delta might be larger due to our better pay. Alpha and Slow have not come after me yet on this point, but I am told they disagree based on numbers from Delta management & I will admit that gleaning real data from the DOT numbers is difficult because of the complexity of the capacity purchase agreements.

My educated guess (confirmed by TA results) is that management wants the Next Gen -900 more than they want the 717.

While I think I am coming to the decision to vote "YES," there is no real fear that the 717 (or something else) hangs in the balance.

I also have not detected a FUD campaign from our MEC. My Reps have been candid in our discussions.

Yep. "The company staffs for summer needs" is what we have always been told. And here we are allowing them to reduce reserve staffing needs (and hence total pilots required) in the summer with ALV+15 (and smaller summer bid months) in exchange for some bogus "60 hour average" so-called protection.

The company will get the reduced staffing they want due to the "averages" throughout the year (think slower winter months) diluting out the summer increase, and we'll get less pilots needed.

Oil is down to $90/barrel...my guess is the downward trend continues. Profits!

Good concise summary. Of course, there might be a practical limit to the CRJ-700/900/1000. 300+ is a lot of hulls. Not only could that market be saturated as the 50 seat market was, but can you imagine the effect of an onerous Airworthiness Directive? Bombardier products are always improving, but the RJ has nearly had a couple of show stoppers. The fuel tank supply cracks and flap AD come to mind.

Because DAL is stuck until very late in the decade with contracts for DCI lift. The only way out is to form a deal with a DCI to remove 50's from a DAL obligation and replace it with a reduced number of larger jets.

The DCI companies can't put themselves out business by just giving up their contracts, the shareholders of those publicly held companies would be outraged. IF DAL could accelerate the parking of 50's and not have to be accountable to paying a DCI anyway, they would.

The additional 76's aren't going to DCI out of charity or desire, they are going out of necessity.

A true hard cap is the first step, and if/when we are "back at the table" (maybe in 2 years and 10 months) we can start looking at the "sunset clauses" and starting to knock down the 450 limit as planes are coming off of the "financial commitments".

All of this while:
LCC has a RJ fleet of over 550 (and is a fraction of the size of DAL)
UCAL has over 550 RJ's and UNLIMITED 70's
AMR 1113 and the AMR/LCC term sheet will allow around 800 if not MORE RJ's upto 81-88 seats.

Staffing formulators already are set at 60 hours. Having daily credit helps us hit "60 hours" earlier.

Having credit time for reserves is a big YES for me on this TA.