Originally Posted by buzzpat

Equally as important, how many HAVE to to make ends meet?

Originally Posted by Columbia

And what are "ends?". For some it's being able to feed their 5th kid. For others, to be able to pay off the ski chalet.

Originally Posted by buzzpat

For anybody who lives in SoCal, has young kids, and a stay at home wife.

Originally Posted by FlyZ

I think some definitions must be in order.

"Upgauging" = moving from 50-seaters to 76-seaters. Mainline upgauging is clearly not happening, as we replace 757s with 737s, 737s with A320s, those airplanes with 88/90s, and 88/90s with 717s. It's not the kind of upgauging that brings pilot pay raises...check your pay category compared with two years ago for reference. (And I know there are exceptions...some have moved up, but not the average Delta pilot).

Sailingfun, I've seen projections that the mainline fleet will grow in the next few years. In those same calls, I've heard the word "flat" and "flattish" (very precise) used to describe our capacity in 2013 and 2014. So depending when you start the three year period you're asking about, I think they are already backing away from the increase in mainline aircraft or it was never true (or miscalculated) to begin with. Or, as they commonly do, maybe they were lumping the 76-seaters in with mainline. That's a way I could see reaching the projected number and keeping capacity "flattish" as promised.

Listening closely to the last few calls, you can hear them disassociating themselves with the 50 seaters. Listen to the December call posted a few pages back. Starting at 14:00: "No one likes them. Customers because they aren't comfortable, management because they aren't efficient, and pilots because they see those jobs as taking away their flying." Well, management, then how do you think pilots like the 76-seaters to which you are moving the 50 seat flying?

Actually starting to listen at 10:00 in is very enlightening as well. You'll hear them talk about just starting to take advantage of the efficiencies gained in the last contract to avoid hiring.

Delta Pilots Association - DPA News - Delta Investor Day*2012. Scroll down and click on black box with green square. So what if its at the DPA site - it's straight from the mouth of management.

Originally Posted by shiznit

It will be 37.5% of the flying involved in that particular JV.(given a 50/50 revenue split)

If VAtl is rolled into the AF/KL/AZ JV that is governed separately and would have to be re-negotiated, but DAL pilots have a 50% share (current trend notwithstanding! )

Other part of our scope says that once we acquire 25% or more of a foreign carrier than the block hours that DAL pilots fly between the US and the home country of the foreign carrier cannot be reduced.(US-UK total block hours)

Originally Posted by johnso29

Yet you assumed from that single sentence that my opinion was that it would be all 50 seaters. Did I state anywhere that it would be all 50 seaters? Once again, you assumed.



Never felt I am. Far from it, & proud of that. I'm fortunate enough to have a wife who loves me for who I am.



This statement is simply a loaded one. If I don't respond, then I can't defend my point. If I do respond, then you feel you're correct. It's a safety net for you.

Originally Posted by johnso29

In all seriousness though, what do you expect? The B757 isn't being built anymore. We have B757s approaching 25-30 years of age. United is doing the exact same thing. They're parking 757s, & replacing them with 737s.

Originally Posted by johnso29

Also, after watching 5 minutes of that presentation, it's clear to me that DPA is just as guilty of spin as DALPA.

Originally Posted by gloopy

OK, so what are the projections regarding +/- DAL pilot block hours for the following 2 scenarios:

VAt rolled into AF/KLM JV.

VAt separate 50/50% JV similar to AF/KLM JV.

Cause I can't envision a scenario that will require us to add significantly more block hours because of the future JV. Even if we can't reduce to the UK now, can the VAt JV be used in such a way that we reduce elsewhere,relative to our current total?

IOW, besides theoretical profit sharing down the road, how will this effect DAL pilot block hours?