Originally Posted by Timbo (Post 1374295)

Yeah, and you got a rock. :eek::D

Originally Posted by 80ktsClamp (Post 1374298)

aww, yeah!

http://a3.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/i...2b72a7db/l.png

Originally Posted by SailorJerry (Post 1374229)

All of the gadgets won't help with ATL-BHM-ATL-BNA-ATL-CHS-ATL-SAV-ATL-MLB-ATL-PNS-ATL-CHA-ATL-AVL-ATL-ORD-ATL-HSV-ATL.

There's gonna be some rude awakenings.

And even the occasional "give it back! Let Pinnacle have it back" followed by thumb sucking after the 4th reroute into less rest on your 5 day trip.

Originally Posted by sailingfun (Post 1374067)

Talk to some of the scheduling people about the effect that change would have on jobs. It would be huge. The company would certainly love it.
I have commuted almost my entire career. Plenty of GS's go out to commuters. I watch the trip assignments in my category and when the are short lots are covered the day prior. The driver of overtime is how a category is manned. At least with the GS process the company has to increase manning as a result of using that option. Considering the angst on here about job loss I am surprised anyone would advocate reducing overtime pay by 50 percent and losing the manning increases from GS's. the company could really run things skinny with everyone crawling all over each other to break 80.

Originally Posted by johnso29 (Post 1374271)

Does anyone else find it ironic that individuals gripe about no hiring, and then in the same post gripe about not being able to fly more for overtime? A rep recently told me pilots were up in arms after the AE was announced because we aren't hiring. Yet we have many pilots who have no problem crediting 90-100 hours per month. We truly are our own worst enemy.

Originally Posted by APCLurker (Post 1374309)

Agree 100% johnso. :eek: ;)

Originally Posted by Imapilot2 (Post 1374300)

Bite your tongue! God after all the talk about getting our flying back I hope no one ever lets this cross their mind. I rather us do it in the 717 than an rj, all I hope is we hire soon so the new hires can do it! :D

Originally Posted by 80ktsClamp (Post 1374296)

I'll wager 2 +717s on DL 99/NW98-97.

Originally Posted by sailingfun (Post 1374243)

If the company can shave 3 percent off the block times it equates to about a 2 percent decrease in manning. They are not the same because you have to factor in reserves, vacation and other forms of credit and pay. Anything that reduces block time reduces pilot jobs. In the end the number of pilots Delta needs is based on block time plus credit divided by the number of pilots and the hours the contract permits them to fly.
The RJ mantra about job loss certainly has some truth but the reality is that the massive job loss from 2001 to 2007 at Delta was mostly work rule generated. In fact we had the same number of pilot block hours in June of 01 as we had in June of 07. Yes the fleet was smaller but we had shifted a large number of aircraft to international where they flew more hours per day and often were relief or even double crewed. What changed was the average pilot went from 600 block hours a year to 800. Thats a staggering 25% improvement in productivity.
The sad reality however it that with the productivity SW generated per pilot and their rise to the largest US domestic airline it was probably not possible for Delta to ever compete with the work rules we had in place at one time. Bow Wave and Spill back were both tremendous quality of life items and bow wave in particular protected a huge number of jobs. One of the best quotes I once heard was your have a union for two reasons. To protect you from the company and to protect you from your fellow pilots. With the elimination of bow wave and cash paid each month for each hour flown utilization has soared. I know the ALPA haters will jump on this post and say DALPA failed us by allowing what we have today but again the reality is that as a airline Delta was not going to survive with the productivity level we once had. SWA drove a stake right though the heart of the good old days of pilot lifestyles.