Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?
12-12-2013 | 09:17 AM
Gets Weekends Off
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Only reason I brought it up in the first place was form something Timbo said. The pilot group basically gave up it pension and approximately $1.3 billion/year in pilot compensation when the company was struggling. Fast forward 10 years later the company is making $2.6 billion a year and they can't even provide a decent meal for crews on Thanksgiving/Christmas or charge $1 for a cup of coffee in our crew rooms.
Not everything should have to be a hard-nosed negotiated process.
The company has had no problem asking the pilot group to go above and beyond normal duties in the interest of improving the overall product, and it would be nice to see small tokens or appreciation from time to time. Just an observation of mild disappointment, that's all.
Not everything should have to be a hard-nosed negotiated process.
The company has had no problem asking the pilot group to go above and beyond normal duties in the interest of improving the overall product, and it would be nice to see small tokens or appreciation from time to time. Just an observation of mild disappointment, that's all.
The entire airline took a hit post-911, but Delta has also used the opportunity to institutionalize a shift of wealth from the pilots to other employees, to offset their cuts. Just look at SharedRewards.
So don't feel upset when your money is being used to fund buffets. Feel pride. The pride of ownership...
12-12-2013 | 09:24 AM
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From: undefined
When I saw the pile of snacks over by the coffee machine, I didn't care either. That was until, our flight attendant showed us the pictures she took of the full buffet the had in their lounge.
Actually, I didn't care then either, because I thought she was trying to pull a fast one on me.
Actually, I didn't care then either, because I thought she was trying to pull a fast one on me.
screen shot pc
12-12-2013 | 09:42 AM
At home on the maddog!
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From: Retired (mandatory age 65)
Not to mention we have 9-ish different fleets. That has a massive associated cost with it, and is also a huge contributor to the average block hours per month flown statistic. While "narrowbody" costs were isolated, its still not apples:apples because of the massive training churn we have that they don't. Not only lack of productivity due to the training bubble, but also in the resulting trip inefficiencies. Since marketing > flt ops and wants every plane to fly to every city every day, we're stuck with more 30 hour layovers while they keep on trucking and racking up their daily average. We also had a few hundred furloughed pilots that helped pull that stat down, exacerbating an already not exactly fair context.
And yet even then, at the end of our current book, they will still make $1 more than us on like equipment*?
*Considering that what…95% of their fleet is -700's while less than 10% (and falling every day) comprises ours.
And yet even then, at the end of our current book, they will still make $1 more than us on like equipment*?
*Considering that what…95% of their fleet is -700's while less than 10% (and falling every day) comprises ours.
The smoke and mirrors rate comparison ALPA produced for our last TA showed them making $1 more than us on like equipment by the end of the contract. This is factually inaccurate and, even worse, very misleading. For example, the actual Captain rate at SWA is ~$186. But that's $186 per "TFP." So ALPA used a conversion factor to get what they claim is an apples to apples rate comparison. With the conversion factor, it does show them making $1 more. HOWEVER (and that's a BIG "however")... that doesn't really tell the story. Their contract allows for a good portion of their flying to be paid at premium pay. If you look at the end result of how many days they fly/how much they make versus how many days we fly/how much we make... they are still being compensated MUCH better than us while flying fewer days. THAT is the comparison that is relevant.
So, trying to just compare rates is in this case is VERY misleading. ALPA is smart enough to know the difference. The question we have to ask ourselves is, "why would they intentionally mislead the pilot group like that?" I think the answer is obvious. They were selling the TA and were more than willing to mislead us into believing the TA put us equal to SWA. Whatever it takes to get the TA passed... because they are the smartest guys in the room and know what's best for us. (Incidentally, it's this attitude more than anything else that I think is primarily responsible for the existence of DPA.)
BTW, I totally agree that comparing 737 to 737 is the wrong comparison to make. The MD-88/90 is the category that should be used for the comparison, as it is the category that has the flying most closely resembling the flying done by SWA.
12-12-2013 | 10:41 AM
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From: 765-A
12-12-2013 | 10:55 AM
Back on TDY
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From: 747-400 Captain
I know you read the powerpoint presentation from the head of the NMB when she flew to Atlanta to lay out the ground rule for our contract negotiations to the MEC. She made it very clear that any release would be contingent on our proposals being reasonable and the definition of reasonable would be our standing amongst the other passenger airlines.
Carl
12-12-2013 | 10:58 AM
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From: Gold-Braided Lesser French Fort Commander
Personally, I hope the architecture firm that did T4 has been fired, never to be seen again on the premises. I could have had the 5th year architecture students at UT do a project on this and come out with a much better result. I find it amazing that to get outside the airport one has to walk almost completely to the other finger, and the signage there is abhorrent.
I completely agree T; and what's even worse is to consider that this forced deathmarch at Terminal 4 was intentionally, and mercilessly, conceived wholly to guarantee commercial leaseholders that every single passenger would trudge past every single storefront and eating place thus guaranteeing maximum eyeballs/day and ensuring that every location rents out as Class A space. Such willful commercial ruthlessness at our passengers (and ours) expense is, literally, breath-taking.
"Welcome to America! These yoga pants would make you look fantastic! How 'bout a 5 dollar bag of chips to go with that? We do dry cleaning, too..."
12-12-2013 | 11:00 AM
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From: 747-400 Captain
Exactly. The MIT data is flawed. It's just raw numbers with no context and does not provide meaningful information for a comparison of how much we make/number of days worked versus how much pilots at another airline make/number of days worked.
Of course management is going to use something like this to their advantage as best they can. The guy who headed up the MIT project is a former airline consultant with an expertise in lowering employee costs. It's natural that his "report" would be slanted that way. What's really alarming is that apparently DALPA wants to hang their hat on this same selective, out of context information!
Of course management is going to use something like this to their advantage as best they can. The guy who headed up the MIT project is a former airline consultant with an expertise in lowering employee costs. It's natural that his "report" would be slanted that way. What's really alarming is that apparently DALPA wants to hang their hat on this same selective, out of context information!
Carl
12-12-2013 | 11:06 AM
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From: Permanently scarred
12-12-2013 | 11:15 AM
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From: 747-400 Captain
Not normally a fan of commercials, but I thought this was pretty cool from Honda:
Carl
Carl
12-12-2013 | 11:28 AM
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From: Permanently scarred
In light of the fact that it looks like Delta is going to make $2.6 billion this year, I bet a lot of people who don't work as a flight attendant, customer service employee, ACS, tech ops, cargo, customer service center staff, and reservation sales would question why more wasn't done, and be considered whinebags for asking 
<<<<---fixed it for you.
<<<<---fixed it for you.Delta thanks employees for working over Thanksgiving holiday weekend
November 27, 2013
Delta planned to show appreciation to many frontline employees who are working the holiday Thursday with turkey dinners and a variety of thank-you efforts as the airline faces one of its busiest stretches of the year.
In-Flight Service has been showing their appreciation for flight attendants around the system this month with a series of events. During this week flight attendants working the busy schedule saw everything from grab-and-go lunches [in the pilot lounge when they went to park their rollerbag in front of a computer] and hot holiday meals to hot apple cider and pancakes served in flight attendant lounges.
Many Airport Customer Service employees at Delta hubs will be served Thanksgiving meals Thursday, while other locations have holiday meals planned later in December, ACS leaders said. Some divisions such as Delta TechOps already held Thanksgiving meal events prior to the holiday.
At Delta Cargo, operational teams are set to enjoy turkey dinners brought in for those working the holiday while the customer service center staff has plans for a pot luck lunch in Atlanta and Minneapolis/St. Paul, where they will bring sides to compliment ham and turkey provided by Delta.
In Reservation Sales, a series of holiday pies and coffee are set to be available for specialists working the holiday while some stations have catered meals and trays of meats and sandwiches.
In turn, many Delta people continue to donate coats and other items to help those less fortunate during the holiday season. IFS is continuing its Giving360 winter coat and food drive this week at all bases with a goal of delivering thousands of items to those in need around the country on Dec. 20. ACS is doing its own coat drive and other divisions are participating in charitable efforts as well.
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