I see what you mean.

But no. It is not cheaper to augment:

Present way:
JFK-LAX Day A
1 7ER A $220 x 6:00 = $1320
33 hours of per diem = $73
1 room at long layo = $150
1 7ER B $150 x 6:00 = $900
33 hours of per diem = $73
1 room at long layo = $150
Car service to hotel = $50
TOTAL = $2716

LAX-JFK Day B
Car service to hotel = $50
1 7ER A $220 x 5:30 = $1210
1 7ER B $150 x 5:30 = $825
TOTAL = $2085

GRAND TOTAL = $4801


"New" Possible way:
JFK-LAX
1 7ER A $220 x 6:00 = $1320
1 7ER B $150 x 6:00 = $900
1 7ER B $150 x 6:00 = $900
13:30 per diem x 3 = $89
1 7ER A $220 x 5:30 = $1210
1 7ER B $150 x 5:30 = $825
1 7ER B $150 x 5:30 = $825

TOTAL = $6069*

*Does not include additional PWA value like VAC/401k... That makes it an even greater disparity.

The Company is not going to spend $1,268 MORE (plus reduce the revenue by 1 Biz. Elite seat each leg) to augment that turn, or any transcon turn.

I believe transcon flying is not at risk in this.


As to Carib. dinner/movie... It'll take pulling the transcon 75's or using a 7ER to a tourist spot (ain't gonna happen)

OR modding every 73 and domestic 75 to accommodate Class 3 requirements....the current FC seat pitch would mean the FC seat BEHIND the rest seat would be blocked and the rest seat modified to allow it to recline further and install a proper leg/foot support.
Which means that the Company would lose 2 FC seats anyway and would have to mod a significant number of aircraft (In order to maintain fleet flexibility/spare capability). The cost would be very high indeed to still lose the revenue from two seats that are presently used.

We don't have the numbers, but is the savings of 1 CA versus no gain in revenue seating capacity, mod costs, and fleet disparity will make it rather unlikely that we will see augment there, IMHO.

If there are any delays out of ATL or going back to ATL there isn't much spare time (no more legal to start/legal to finish), so the risk is too high to send it as a 2-man and strand an airframe, crew, and full load of pax.

Just like the saying goes "One pilot's trash is another's treasure," I'd gladly take your spot in LA so I could stop commuting SF-NY. Oh yeah I went to Humboldt State so I resemble your state college remark!

Nice overview, you wonder why this train of thought won't die. When the 3 man aircraft were replaced with 2 man aircraft to Hawaii the LA guys begged the company to keep the turns. They said no way, it's just to expensive to pay the extra guys.
This was in the line of time era and man those lines looked great on the DC10 and L1011. Work 2 days a week at most. I never got close to holding them. They went in straight seniority order for the most part.

How about making these flights a 2 man in certain months? I have this same concern about Europe out of JFK. DAL has rooms full of data and the reliability of flights between almost any 2 city pairs anywhere in the world. For example, JFK-FRA. In certain months, let's just say April for sake of discussion, (and I am making these numbers up for the discussion) they know that historically it runs under 9 hours 95% of the time. Would it not be more cost effective for them to run JFK-FRA during the month of April as a 2 man operation? Then in May when the reliability goes back to 87% go back to 3 man... In many cases, a small departure/arrival time change will put these flights well within these windows. I also think the standard of wanting to be on the front page of Priceline.com is going away because DAL is becoming a premier carrier of the remaining legacies and is taking a certain percentage of market share anyway. It's probably not going to happen much, but like I said, my concern is that the potential is there, and the impetus of the company's ability tpo do these kinds of things is growing.

I'll hang up and listen.

I thought the same thing. They have however gone to 2 guys on some of them. If there are delays they bring the return into Miami or Tampa and recrew it on a quick turn.
Most have gone away however because we added frequency in the markets. We now have SXM layovers out of JFK as a example. Daily service instead of 2 days a week.

First the contract forbids it and this LOA reaffirms that.
Second the duty times are just to short on a unacclimated layover. You could lay crews over for 2 days and get a longer return time but now you get into credit time and hotel costs that can be huge in Europe.
Dublin which was always a 2 man trip from JFK went to 3 guys all winter because of the short duty times. It's back to 2 guys now mostly because they are really short of FO's.

It'd pay well, that's for sure. Yes-- Allegiant is a hot mess.

Not to mention that it would apparently require another negotiation with the pilot group to be allowed to augment on an aircraft that has no current rest seat.

Where is the TA language The world wonders