80ktsClamp

Dear Fellow Delta Pilot,
This morning, Delta flight 9935 departed Toulouse, France bound for Minneapolis—without Delta pilots at the controls. Earlier this week, senior Flight Operations management notified the Association of its plans to violate the Pilot Working Agreement (PWA) Section 1 C. (SCOPE) by utilizing non-seniority list pilots (Airbus company) to operate new Delta A350 aircraft on the next three delivery flights from Airbus beginning today. Management's willful disregard of our PWA constitutes an unacceptable threat to the foundation of our PWA—and ultimately our jobs. This is not some minor issue that only impacts a handful of our fellow A350 pilots. Work rules and benefits mean little without SCOPE. Violations of our SCOPE language cannot be remedied solely through the Company's willingness to "pay" for it (like some IROP-instigated scheduling violations). This deliberate violation is another example of management's continuing hyper-focus on metrics and financials, pressing the operation towards the "red-line" at the expense of the front-line employees.

Management claims that it is necessary to "maintain the integrity of the operation" to use non-Delta pilot crews for aircraft delivery due to a shortage of available qualified A350 line check pilots, as well as their associated flight time issues. (Management prefers to limit LCP use for OEs.) We believe that better A350 training planning, especially for the LCPs, as well as the continued limited equipment substitutions to the 747, would have accomplished the scheduled flying and the delivery flights and avoided this situation. The Company's adamant refusal to consider other options highlights management's unwillingness to honor its contractual commitment to the Delta pilots.

To emphasize... the Company has other avenues to solve its A350 staffing problems but is choosing to violate the contract anyway. Accordingly, I directed that a cease and desist letter be delivered to the Delta Senior VP Flight Operations and that a grievance be filed immediately.

The Delta MEC will always oppose the outsourcing or loss of Delta pilot jobs—regardless of whether that threat is from the Middle East carriers (ME3), a joint venture (JV) partner or from Delta management itself.

On another note, the January bid packages will soon be available on DeltaNet. Pilots may notice a stark difference in the quality of rotation construction. The Rotation Construction Committee (RCC) notified the Delta MEC Administration that significantly fewer of the RCC's requested modifications to rotation construction would be honored. For more than five years, the RCC's suggestions have been incorporated into the monthly bid packages, at least to some extent. These recommendations represent the "quality of life" side of the rotation construction process. The Company has cited efficiency and cost cutting as reasons to minimize or disregard the RCC suggestions. This is expected to continue throughout 2018.

I'm certainly disappointed in these management decisions. While we perform our professional duties on behalf of our company to distinguish "the Delta difference," we expect management to make choices and take actions that recognize and facilitate that effort beyond slogans and platitudes. As C.E. Woolman said,

Goodwill pays dividends... and goodwill is an asset that won't show up on the balance sheet but is the most important factor in operating a successful airline.

These issues and the ones that I mentioned in last week's Thanksgiving Update, whether under the premise of cost cutting, intimidation or selective policy enforcement and contract interpretation, are casting doubt on management's continued commitment to this historic corporate principle.

We'll keep you updated.
Fraternally,

Bill Bartels, Chairman
Delta Master Executive Council

Han Solo

I wasn't implying anything wrong with adding guidance, I just noticed the change bar when looking at the passenger removal section of the FOM. Ask me why I was looking there...

Bluto

😬 they should have change bars for the stuff they yank out...🤔

deadseal

Dude bro’s,
Anyone non rev on airfrance from LAX? Will they upgrade to business if there is a seat available? Do they have business seats available typically or do they upgrade paying pax from the back complimentary?

Also does anyone know if using an S2 on delta metal bumps you higher on the upgrade list for an international flight above an S3 with greater seniority?
Thanks

flyallnite

Air France will not upgrade you to business class or first class, even if seats are open. On the flipside, if you are in Paris awaiting a seat on a Delta flight, the AF agents will put you in a middle seat in coach and their own people in Delta One, on our equipment. I've written it up many times. Guess what the response always is? "There's nothing we can do". Of course, Delta could pretend to G.A.S. about their own employees, but why should they, when all the managers fly around on P.S. Business? Shut up and row! Maybe I should ask the union if there's anything they can do... lolololol!!!! Right...

GogglesPisano

YGBSM!!

Note to self: Don't nonrev out of Paris on my own airline.

velosnow

Do you have proof of this as in screen shots? Having non-reved out of Europe many times I've never seen this happen so it's curious.

GogglesPisano

Re: DH

What is the latest technique for adding yourself to the standby list for Comfort+? I see a "request upgrade" but it only lists First Class. It's happened 3 times in the past month.

Piklepausepull

S2 always trumps S3 regardless of seniority!

Roadkill

question for UK travelers on cell phone use there: My son is going to London over NewYears for 7 days. He has an iPhone 4S with Sprint. Anyone know what needs to be done for him to use it there? He really only needs to do texts. I had thought to just have him log into WiFi networks there, and use Skype, iMessage, and FaceTime to text us or call us... Thought some of you guys would be able to give me the better answer than wading through Sprint customer support and reading a zillion pages and having them try to sell me an iPhone X every other sentence... Thanks! RK