I agree.

........................................

 

Offhand, I can't think of a better fix, to a more hated part of Section 23, than going to the bucket system vs. straight RAW scores. Along with other minor improvements, such as being able to high yellow only specific trips, it's actually made Reserve livable again.

If there is flying, the senior guy can't sit out the whole month at the "expense" of junior guys, not for long anyway, because the bucket system eventually catches up. The only exception occurs when we are very fat, and other pilots are very hungry, at which point there is a difference between guys that hold week-ends off, and those who don't. The difference isn't about the bucket system, since the senior guy in the lower bucket IS first to go. The difference is that the guys poach-swapping the open time don't have as great an appetite for week-end flying. Fix the cap, fix the PCS/SB/SWF issues, and the Reserve system works as intended. Hell, progression works as intended, hiring works as intended, the US government probably starts running a surplus, and SW pilots even stop butchering kittens.

If you're on Reserve, and you don't have week-ends off, you're the plug. It's the actions of the hungriest pilots that dry up ALL the open time during the week that help the guys above you, and make you feel, comparatively speaking, like the butt-plug. Just don't hate the senior half of Reserves for it. We're all first to go, in that lower bucket, with our shirts ironed, our bags neatly organized, and our lunchboxes packed. We anxiously check every day, but alas, we are not needed. We're like children lining up for schoolbuses that have been hijacked M-F by a bunch of prostitutes. We don't know what they need our buses for, and we're not allowed to ask. We just get shooed back inside every morning.

 

I guess we went from raw only to buckets and nobody said it'd increase staffing, but to go back from bucks to raw only would decrease staffing?

 

The biggest thing that needed work was SC. We improved. Then added more SC. I'm not sure if that's a one step forward and one back.

I know flying and staffing levels will eventually catch up and nobody will get the celebrated month off, but, when it comes to domestic categories I also believe the company will catch up.

But the more I think about it the more I'm okay with senior only but if we're going back to "the way it was" then I want the bow wave back at the same time or no dice.

 

I don't think you're going to be able to change the bucket system as a precondition to a change in the Cap, because I think you're in a small minority WRT buckets. Nonetheless, I agree with you that the Cap issue would improve many things, and probably negate your concerns on the bucket system.

 

Delta reports first-quarter profit on higher revenue

April 23, 2013

Delta today reported a profit for the first quarter of 2013, its strongest financial and operational performance for that period in more than a decade.

Delta’s net profit for the quarter, excluding special items, was $85 million, an improvement of $124 million over last year’s results. The results included $20 million of Profit Sharing in recognition of Delta employees’ contributions to the company’s financial performance.

“Our results represent Delta’s strongest March quarter financial and operational performance in over a decade and I want to thank Delta people worldwide for all the hard work that went into producing these results for our company,” Richard said in a press release.

“This performance is proof that we are on the right path to making Delta the airline of choice for our shareholders, employees, and customers,” he continued. “With a solid financial foundation and building momentum from initiatives like our LaGuardia expansion, Virgin Atlantic investment and new Terminal 4 at New York-JFK, we are well positioned to generate significant improvements in Delta’s profitability going forward.”

Delta’s operating revenue grew $87 million, or 1 percent, during the quarter compared with a year earlier, while load factors increased to 81.2 percent. Passenger unit revenue increased 4.1 percent despite a slight decline, about 0.6 percent, in traffic with a 2.5 percent decrease in capacity.

Delta continued its focus on reducing debt during the quarter, and ended the period with adjusted net debt of $11 billion.

Unit costs during the quarter rose about 5 percent excluding fuel, profit-sharing and special items. That was less than expected, due to the benefits of cost-saving initiatives.

And fuel expenses declined $80 million during the quarter compared with a year earlier as a result of lower prices and a reduction in consumption.*

 

Im not prposing to get rid of the buckets At this point, but it was that resolution to C44 to go back to seniority only system. And in the interim increase the size of the raw buckets to the maximum extent possible, same thing I guess. I guess someone was irritated they were called out just because junior pilots were in bucket 2 or 3.

Anyways big no on that for me on that, but if we want to go back to the way it was then fine- caps have to come back too. That's what I mean. And I agree, caps would be awesome.

 

Stock price at 8:59 is $15.14.... Does it go up or down? Apple can show the worlds largest ever profit and their stock price drops, amazon shows a loss and theirs increases...

 

My rep said I need to learn English then write him and a simple "that's a poopy idea" is insufficient.

 

Our stock price never goes up after an earnings release. I hope I'm wrong this time.