Originally Posted by sailingfun (Post 1275795)

We will have placed more then 40 90's into service by June of 13and that number may have gone to 50. In addition they have upped the block hours per aircraft a lot since the merger. You must have missed the little financial meltdown in 09 also. Until the economy turns around I have some news for you. We are not going to grow. Management has a new stupid goal to actually make money. The 717's are not growth aircraft. They are replacements for DCI airframes being retired.

Originally Posted by Imapilot2 (Post 1275783)

Well, how about from the merger to date? parked 70 DC-9's....received about 20 MD-90's...oh yeh and 500 less pilots on seniority list.

If the crystal ball works hopefully all the 737's won't be pure replacement jets as the company and the union said during the contract. They say the 717 will be growth....88 planes....but I digress, we have parked 80ish dc9's since the merger with 17 to go. That's about 88...hmmm, no growth. No growth planed, no growth planes on order unless you want to count the 787 in 2020.
Do I think there has to be growth, no, not unless its good for the company and my job security, but you asked a "growth" question.

Originally Posted by forgot to bid (Post 1275735)

Reminds me of this Captain I flew with that was in the second class when hiring started back up in 1996. Listening to him talk about life then makes you feel like a kid on your grandpa's knee saying "tell me the story about the good ole days again grandaddy!" :D

Originally Posted by FlyZ (Post 1275776)

Sailing, our US routemap is turning green from left to right. Take a look: http://images.delta.com.edgesuite.ne...aps/us_map.pdf

When I compare that even to a few years ago, I see us being slowly pushed eastward. It's gone from some in SEA to most N-S west coast flying and lately the trend has been toward transcons. Either they are immune from the economy that's holding us back, or we are planning to hand them a bunch more flying in the next few years. They are increasing their fleet by 20%. I call that big growth in an economic environment that's forcing a lot of carriers, including SWA, to keep flat capacity. Are they stupid to try to grow that much? Or is there a plan to continue to cede our routes to them?

My question: is there a point at which you, or ALPA, will start to be concerned? They own SEA. The latest rumor is that they are moving into SLC and our other hubs. Will we let them have everything west of the Mississippi? For the good of Delta? And the bad of the Delta pilots? At some point, whatever extra revenue is being generated by them flying our pax instead of us flying them will not help us. It would take a lot of 4% raises to make up for 10 more years of stagnation.

Originally Posted by Imapilot2 (Post 1275787)

I know my posts seem negative so let me clear the air by saying I actually am proud to be at Delta.

Originally Posted by Free Bird (Post 1275809)

Great post! A picture really can be worth 1,000 words.

Originally Posted by Brian Wilson (Post 1275612)

So I got an email from a hiring site and it lists Delta as hiring for the MD. Is this really happening? From some of the posts I thought it might be another year or so for hiring to start. Anyone have the Deets!

Originally Posted by Martin404 (Post 1275887)

I would question the validity of this site. I do not think they a part of the AirlineApps.com system who does DALs applications.

But who knows...

MARTY!!

Originally Posted by sailingfun (Post 1275909)

Delta is not hiring. However the horrible contract we have seems to have almost every pilot on a leave coming back including some JetBlue captains coming back. Delta is letting the leaves come back as soon as they want.