Spudhauler

If I had a dime...so tired of this silly argument. Lots of us mainline guys were furloughed while all of this happened, and much of it occurred because of bankruptcy and subpar contracts being forced on us rather than just caving. So while these regional jobs were being created, guys you are blaming for scope issues were laid off. But continue your online blame game of the mainline guys; it's refreshing and original.

poopplop

The mainline could have instead chosen to take pay and contract hits to prevent the outsourcing of their jobs in the first place. And besides, JUNIOR guys were laid off. Probationary guys were laid off. Not the senior guys with voting rights. Not the senior guys who are now happy in retirement. Again, there is no excuse. The choice was still made to sell scope, and not by regional pilots.

Mesabah

This isn't Delta chitchat, it's a public pilot board.

Spudhauler

Prove it. You weren't here, didn't see the vote, didn't know what was happening with bankruptcy, yet you seem to know exactly what went on. You're a part of it, too, since you've chosen to work at a regional, so look in the mirror before you start throwing blame around. And yeah, I know who was laid off since I was out for more than 4 years while the regionals exploded. Thanks to management, though, not mainline pilots.

poopplop

Thanks to both management and mainline pilots. If there was a vote that passed at all, then both are to blame. Be an adult and take responsibility. I chose to join the industry at a time that I knew pilots were in demand and the pay was increasing. And because I love what I do. Just because mainline created the regionals and the road to a major job is tougher then it used to be, doesn't mean I should never have joined the industry. The industry just is what it is, now, thanks to mainline management and its pilots' agreements of the past.

It's just interesting to see the animosity towards regional guys for "celebrating" when they are finally thrown a bone by management, since it was management and mainline pilots together that created the regionals in the first place. No one is out to take away mainline benefits and screw your retirees (even if they screwed everyone else). No regional pilot group has the ability to do so. Any unpleasantness regarding flight benefits should be directed towards management.

Mesabah

Are you former Comair?

sailingfun

The road to the mainline is easier today not harder as you state. The days of needing 2500 hours total time and 250 hours multi before a regional would look at you are long gone! Consider yourself lucky.
There was a time where the majors hired such a high percentage of military that a civilian pilot had to practically have a PHD and 10,000 hours of heavy time to be considered.

poopplop

There was also a time when all you needed was 250 hours and a commercial license to get hired. Goes both ways. Now that pilots are in demand, however, they must still jump through the regional hoops to get hired at a major.

Edit: This is not a complaint, I know what I got myself into. I'm just saying the simple fact is that the career is worse than it used to be because the regionals exist.

zippinbye

The answer to your question is probably a "yes," given years of service to the company. The essence of my post was to introduce another category of individual that is harmed by the elevated boarding priority for a group of non-Delta employees, not to pit myself against a hard working regional pilot. I was not trying to be nasty. Nor did I describe a class of individual as you seem to be interpreting (retired, disabled former pilot with nothing to do ...). First of all, pilots are retired or not. Disabled is not retired until retirement actually occurs. As a current disabled pilot, I can assure you I have better things to do than fly around as a non-rev. Until the day I need to. When I MUST fly somewhere, my only option is on Delta or Delta Connection as a S3B. A retired pilot would also have access to OA travel options. I do not. The point is a new segment of S3A travelers places a disabled pilot in a worse position than they are already in. Right you are about where unpleasantness should be directed. Delta management is doing no favors to a group of folks who provided years of dedicated service to the company, many of whom will resume such dedicated work. I have no beef with any Endeavor employee over exercising a priority that is offered to them. I would do the same thing in their shoes. I also hope that an Endeavor employee might observe the plight of others such as myself, and voluntarily take a jump seat to help out on a full flight, as I have done my entire career.

Scoop

Dude,

You really need to learn more about the subjects that you are posting on. The DAL Pilots took a 32% pay cut exactly as you suggested above. It resulted in two things: Jack and Squat. Correction, three things, Jack and Squat and a much lower baseline from which to further lower our pay another 14%. So yes besides the 42% pay cut we took we should have took pay cuts to stop management from employing RJs.

The company went into BK anyway. They had their BK contingency plan in full force and executed it flawlessly resulting in more and larger RJs.

Did mainline pilots make mistakes when the RJ threat first appeared? Absolutely, but more out of naivety and ignorance then avarice as you suggest.

Scoop