At first glance, I was for adding some kind of 1.5x trigger to our current system as you suggest. However, the more I thought about, the more I felt like this would only encourage people to pick up more time and try to fly even more per month then they already do further reducing staffing needs in each category. More stagnation...

If we want to spend negotiating capitol on something, let's spend it on book rates and make every hour worth more, not just "high time."

My goal is to make more for the same amount of days away from home, not to make more by working even more.

 

More pay less work, I'm there with ya. Or More Pay Same Work, I'll even take that.

I'm fine with max flight hours is ALV. No ALV+15, no swaps, none of that. I know, then it's not an ALV but a CLV, for capped line value.

 

ATL 717A-155 senior with 84 first choice to sen#64xx

 

Yup, my bad. Thanks.

GJ

P.S. Monday morning, looking for an additional reason to be optimistic about the future of Delta.

 

Here's the simple math:

Flying 5 more hours, on average, ie. 80 instead of 75, adds 6.66% productivity, which is how the company wants it. To US, that means 5hrs. mo'money, but it also means they need 6.66% less pilots to accomplish the same amount of flying. On a 10,000 pilot list, that equates to 666.66 fewer pilots needed to do the same amount of flying.

Now, ramp that up to 85, from our old baseline of 75, that's 13.33% or 1,333 less pilots needed. Want to fly 90 a month? If everone does, that means 2,000 less pilots required, vs. a 75 hr. cap. The company will love you! DALPA will love you (the guys who's pay is based on the average pilot's hours), but the bottom 2,000 may not think it's so wonderful.

Now you see why we've had stagnation and a shrinking seniority list, vs. hiring.

Here's a little something else that's hurting our needed numbers. Why do you think the company wanted to combine the 767Er and 767 Domestic? Because now they won't need as many reserves to cover both categories, they can use all 767 Reserves for both Domestic and Int. flying, which requires less reserves overall.

The only bright spot for us is, Richard seems content to keep bringing in new fleet types, which requires more guys off the line, going to training, and will require more reserves spread into yet another aircraft category. It may replace the overages caused by combining the 767ER+Dom, but at a much reduced pay rate (717 pay vs. 767 pay) and after all the DC9's are parked, it will wash out to less pilots needed overall.

 

I thought they filled vacancies with AE's before MD's right? That's why when I read this I went back and put in my bid for 717A(11,6XX 2010 hire). Lets test your theory.

 

New categories are filled in straight seniority order. It does not matter whether it is an advanced entitlement bid or a displacement. And category freezes also do not apply. It is open for all bidders and it is filled strictly based on seniority.

 

As C/E said, the super computer starts with SN 1, and works it's way on down the list. A senior pilot on a MD will trump a junior pilot's A/E every time. In fact, a senior pilot on a MD can go anywhere he can hold a seat, and the bottom guy there will get bumped out, also (usually) on a MD, and on it goes, all the way down the list.

If nobody senior to you MD's or AE's into it, you may get it, don't hold your breath.

Oh, and 'My Theory' is not a theory at all, it's just how the system works. I've been displaced more than a few times in the past 27+ years, so I know how it works.

 

Raising ALV's permanently absolutely results in less jobs. Filling of open time after staffing is calculated does not affect staffing. Whether the open time is filled via GS or 1.5X over XX only affects the GS opportunities. ALV's and how open time is filled for premium flying is apples and oranges.

 

I agree completely.