Anyone who was involved at the time will tell you that unionization had NOTHING to do with the failure of Zantop.

A guy I used to work with is over there and flow bound and does not have a degree.

Why wouldn't he be knocking one out in the meantime just so it was a non-deal?

Agreed. I never flew there, but being in the "Willow Run Circle" I flew with plenty who did. The view that they gave was the the father gave the company over the the sons, who were more interested in the money than actually running an airline. So, they just ran it into the ground - Somehow they didn't see that DC-8s and Electra's were the fleet of the future.

Wait till you retire. It is next to impossible to non rev on a S3B. It is painful to see a 2013 hire get on before me. Not whining, I know the rules. It would be nice to get a few (4) trips a year using an S2 or 3 for vacation trips. Something to think about in the next contract. This would be a no cost item to the company. Just saying!

No way. Currently all I often see are 60s, 70s, and 80s board dates on S3s. Let them retire and let them have S2s and S3s?
When I retire, I plan on buying tickets or being extremely flexible with flying as I'll be......retired.

When the dozen of us pilots were hired from a owned subsidiary several thousand of our fellow employees transferred to Delta keeping their DOH for pass benefits. I asked, why can't pilots be treated like everyone else? ALPA's response was, what? You want to go ahead of your other pilots? reply: "No, we've not hired any pilots in the last 6 years..."

ALPA, at that time, said it was a non starter. Maybe they like you better than me, but they were unwilling to even inquire about pilots being treated like every ramper, gate agent, or manager.

Just sayin'

You think it is fun watching a new hire go ahead of you ... how about a ramper with his kids in tow bumping you off a flight to work when he's been on the "property" a decade less than you have?

During happier times this would not be as great an issue, but with the number of pilots who have been displaced from base (including some pretty senior Captains) with more of the same coming as the 757's do fini flights, it really hinges on people getting to work. Many are commuting who never intended to do so.

Close, but not exactly. If you are on the list to flow, you will flow. That part is correct.

However, NWA's requirements were not identical to Delta's prior to the merger. Competitive at NWA might have included a degree, but it my understanding that a degree was not "required." That's why some do not have it.

Because of an expectation of entitlement.

Why work through night school, or strive to stand out for selection to a service academy when sitting on the couch eating Cheetos nets the identical result?

I've long written that allowing a separate, lower standard, at Connection would incentivize management to apply that cheaper standard at mainline to lower costs. Now you are seeing pilots bid for Delta jobs with pay concessions.