ABSOLUTELY bogus opinion; and I guess I almost disrespectfully disagree. My thoughts here are that YOUR opinion absolutely disrespects your fellow workers, to the point that any old joe-bag-of-doughnuts that you happen to want to travel with, you think they should be able to use YOUR seniority and bump me off while I'm trying to commute to work. But that's OK with you because, well, they're your buddy and you're senior to me, and you like them enough to travel with them, so they should be above me-- a guy WORKING AT DELTA trying to get to work. And of course it goes without saying that ANYONE you know and are willing to give a buddy pass to and travel with, should travel above my wife and kids. If I want to beat out the "Buddies" of 40,000 employees or so who happen to be accompanied by the employee, I have to burn my S2 passes. If your plan was accepted, I'd be through those S2 passes in one month trying to get to work.

Sorry OC, but there are some opinions that make you stink to your fellows, no matter how you try to justify them. Most of those are socially unacceptable to speak now. Maybe you just haven't thought about how you look to your co-workers when telling them that even just a buddy of yours should trump THEIR seniority?

From the Flying Ops Update, May 2014, just emailed to me. I clicked a link in an email to arrive at this, and as such it is NOT from the DeltaNet and thus open for public consumption as all emailed data. These hiring numbers are super low, this must be wrong???

Pilot Hiring
New Hire class 11-2014 will began on May 5 bringing the total number of new hires this year to 24. Flight Operations anticipates hiring approximately at least 50 pilots per month through April 2015.

Same here. Buddy passes are nice to have.

They left off a 2. The correct number was 224.

Not to be argumentative, but those state medical boards are controlled by state medical association members, all of whom are affiliated with the AMA. It's a nifty firewall though, I'll give you that. And I'm not suggesting that ALPA get directly involved in who Delta hires, but I do think they should have a role in who is granted an ATP, in the same vein that the Bar Association accredits lawyers. (I know, those are state boards too, but it's the same thing.)

The problem with leaving the licensing to the gov't. is twofold. First, they can raise or lower the standards as economic circumstances dictate. And second, having some control over the licensing process would allow some control over the supply of pilots, but as we stand today, that doesn't seem to be a pressing issue...

All that said, we're in a good position so long as we can prevent cabotage and keep the current ATP requirements in place. Which is why I give to ALPA PAC!

London, Summer, one week, kids... where to stay, what to do, valuable tips etc...??

Why? I've very seldom used it, but it's come in handy once, not long ago, and the friend was very appreciative. She fits the parameters, as an older widow with flexible schedule, and is a polite person. It was a pleasure doing a favor for a friend.

Most people, of course, don't fit the parameters, because of time constraints, or are way too high strung and whiny, or simply refuse to grasp the concept of travelling space available.

I guess some people just don't know how to behave. Are they the people that make you object to buddy passes?

Me too! Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Lived in England for years. Would dedicate 2 days max to London, rest to England. Whole country 1/3 size of TX.
London-- British Museum, see the highlights. London Tower, jewels etc. Ride the Eye. Walk around a bit, see the std touristy things.

If you plan on Europe also, get to Kent/Dover, see the cliffs, take chunnel to France and back.

I recommend you leave London then and visit UK!!!! I like E side better than W, but both are nice.
You can visit West Country, if you want to see Stonehenge...drive W that way, it's reallllly disappointing--size of your garage and tall as your own doors really, the replica in TX just as impressive. Sorry, everyone I know who has seen it has been disappointed. However, keep driving towards the Welsh border. Visit Bath, good Roman history there and nice place. I'd then push into Wales a bit. The Aglesey island and Conwy area is nice, as are the mountains... maybe not worth the far divert if you want to see the N though.
I'd head E from London myself.
Rent car. Drive on A12 up to Suffolk. English countryside and life is VASTLY better than London. Framlingham Castle, curtain wall castle with great tours and beautiful small castle town. Gives you "the feel" from all the medieval movies you've seen. Visit Lavenham, one of the best preserved "medieval" looking towns in England, all the wood/stucco/wattle/daub buildings.
Visit Aldeburgh, sea coast village. Oxford castle there, they do Hamlet at night there. Get fish and chips from the day's catch, best I've had in the world. Nearby and on the way is Leiston Abby, ruins of an abby that are nice to see.
Buy some Adnam's Bitter. Best real ale (cask style) in the world IMO. Made locally.
Drive on to Cambridge and Oxford as you head inland, hour drive or so. See the college, go to a pub.
Get on the hmmm.... A1? Highway north anyways. 2 hours more up to midlands. Never was super interested in stuff here, but you'll drive through Sherwood forest area and can have some Bass Ale near it's brewery, fresh.
Continue on up 1 hour, 3 hours total N, to near York. Stop near Ripon at "Fountains Abbey", best Abbey to see in UK for history, still beautiful. If you like the series "All Creatures Great and Small", drive around the Yorkshire Dales a bit. Leyton, Harrogate both nice. My favorite location to tour from there is Appleby, there's a bed/breakfast there overlooking the Eden valley... forget the name.

Lake District is a nice drive W then up N through the dales if you want to visit there, you'll be setting yourself up for Glasgow and the west Highlands of Scotland then, which is decent.

However, MY recommendation would be to continue N to Edinburgh! Lots of good stuff there to see, the Royal Mile, Sterling Castle, Holyrood Castle. I like Edinburgh next to Paris... that's maybe just me though.

If you want to visit the Scottish highlands, then head W into Argyllshire, go to Oban for a good central spot with the right flavor. Ferries from there to Skye, Islay, and other scotch-producing wonderspots where you can visit all the distilleries and sample things. Oban has a great distillery and tour.

So, in summary: bag London, visit UK. Spending time in London is like being in Atlanta for a US visit vs. grand canyon etc.
Good luck!

Stationed in England for 6 years, and I agree mostly with RK. Two-three days in London (start off with the double-decker bus tour of London, then see big tourist sites like Westminster Abbey, the Eye, Tower of London), but I would also include (if you like airplanes) the RAF Museum in Hendon (west side of London, on a tube stop).

Go to Duxford, just south of Cambridge. Airfield since 1919, RAF fought Battle of Britain from there, USAAF 78th Fighter Group later in the war. Several hangars full of historic airplanes, plus on many days they are flying (pretty cool to see a Spitfire flying from a WW2 RAF Spitfire airfield!). You can take a train from London to Cambridge, taxi to Duxford.

Go to a pub for each meal, enjoying the unique atmosphere of each one!

Oh, by the way, prepare for sticker shock ... prices are about the same as you're used to paying, except they're in pounds. So, something that you'd pay $10 for will be 10 pounds ... which is more like $17!

Also, be prepared for cool, rainy days (i.e., dress in layers). Don't let the wx stop you, however.