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I'm going to say this thread has been officially hijacked...Seeing as though it was started over 4 months ago and has changed topics exactly 42 times since...I dont care about the subject matter just gimme a new thread to click on, this one is getting old!!!!!!

Well do not click on it then. I think it is funny that it has lived so long.

Hijack....Seahawks will take the super bowl this year....

But isn't that what the tread title says? "Latest & Greatest?" That would suggest that the direction of the thread should be constantly changing to keep up with each new Latest and Greatest.

Yes, case in point. Those who have pretty good plan B ideas are all taking a "wait and see" position right now. I frankly do not see how the merger can be done while preserving anything close to status quo for the new hires. Delta has been terrific to work for and passed along information, there really is not much they can do to ease the pain of fleet realignment. They have a business to run.

At least the cockpit into's will be something like this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHyoO4yCCnw

You mean like, take a bus, take a cab or take a limo. right? :D

Believe he was referring to AF girls in the desert, not the hotties running around scantily clad at all the European resorts! :D

Status quo for new hires...hello oxymoron.

Yea, I agree. But it is what it is and things are pretty darn good for a new hire at Delta. I don't forget though, it wasn't too many years ago new hires were riding the panel for several years before jumping to the right seat. Ahh, things are definitely good!

I like the job too, but that does not mean that I am not actively looking at a plan B that may become a plan A.
With everything in flux it will not take much to change DAL's long term growth plan. Being realistic stinks but it is a necessity.

I'm concerned that many think status quo for Delta's pilots is "too good," even some Delta pilots say this. Hopefully the arbitrators take seriously the direction to preseve status quo to the greatest extent possible (and that the ALPA folks don't change the instructions).

Anyway, back to the theme of this thread. LNAV re-engaged.

C130s. I agree w/you the camaraderie (at the crewdog level) was great. The actual flying when we got to execute missions properly w/ a purpose was great too, some really fun stuff. Trouble was that was an exception. Typically we were mis-managed in a constant cluster that had people's lives in unecessary chaos due to bad leadership.

I was mainly referring to actual crew-day rules though. Over 8 hours and I get an extra pilot and a break. I am still in shock. Big change from 16-18 hour days w/ no break or relief pilot.

And yes, I have more time off every 2 months at Delta than I would get over serveral years in the AF. Not to mention I now have a monthly schedule. Just that alone is great.

I could not have said that any better. You definitly hit the head of the nail with that last statement.

Now that I work with DAL, I haven't learned what to do with my days off. I actually feel guilty that I'm not at work.

you guys don't have to feel guilty about anything, enjoy it,you've earned it.

Come on guys those fat chicks at the pool started to look good after 2 months.

Does anyone know what will happen to hiring after the merge? I would like to get based in DTW if hired. Will DTW still be a base? Any thoughts out there? Thanks

I don't think there is any doubt that DTW will remain a big base for the combined airline. It's NWA's biggest base right now, and has a brand new terminal. CVG and MEM are the ones that I'd be worried about going away.

If you say so, but it took at least 3 months for the guys to start looking good...

I hear there is not a lot of "local traffic" out of CVG and MEM.

Actually, that's the problem with MEM. There never has been enough local traffic to support a hub. MEM was always just a good place for a fuel stop in that part of the country. But, with ATL just up the road I just don't know.......

Ferd (used to be based there)

So you think Delta will keep DTW as a crew base and hub? Also, if they are going to hire later this year or early next year how will that work with NW guys that are currently furloughed? Those guys would surely have to be recalled prior to new hire classes I would guess.

Lets not forget the "tunnel of love". If I get displaced to DTW I'm going to spend all of my sit time riding the moving walkway back and forth down the tunnel, sending out the vibe. Its like waiting at Disney World sans the ride. :)

For sure - DTW is the largest hub for NWA. It is also their major asia hub. If Delta doesn't operate DTW as a hub, they better just shut the doors.

There are no NWA pilots furloughed - where did you get that idea??? Northwest hired pilots last half of 2007 and first half of 2008.

NWA does still have pilots on furlough. A number have bypassed still.

So does Delta. Anyone who has been hired since recalls started is junior to them and so will any FNGs.

Oh - right, sorry. But they have been recalled - so they do not have to be recalled prior to NWA hiring.

All pilots at both companies have already been recalled - anyone still out is on a LOA, voluntarily bypassed recall, or accepted recall and took MLOA.

Scoop

Yes we at DAL still have about 160 or so that are on bypass recall.

Rumor from a very good source that Delta will hire about 50 pilots to start class in Nov. They will come from the pool and no interviews will be scheduled for these classes.

That is a good rumor, and there may be interviews after that for about 80-100 more slots.

That would be sweet!

How many people are in the pool?

RBG

I did not think that there were 50. I know that there are over 50 people if you include all of the ones that had interview scheduled.
I will have to check.
Either way, bringing anyone on to any property in this economic climate is nothing short of a miracle. I am glad to see that all of the conjure over the last few months in panning out. Maybe NWA will bring a few more on also!

There were over 100 in the NWA pool. Hopefully Delta will honor it and bring those people on.

I do not know if they are going to do that before DCC. If they would it would probably be after that. Also of note there are some in the pool that DAL turned down.

Just curious! How would you know that there are "some in the pool that DAL turned down"

I know them personally.

There would not be a mixing of pilots until a SOC is achieved. That will not occur at the very earliest until late fall 09 and is more likely in 10. There has been discussion about what to do if furloughs are neccessary at NWA during that transition period. No idea at this point if they have made any choices. Pilots could be brought over to the Delta side but would have to go through the Delta new hire program if a SOC had not been obtained. You also have the issue of what seniority they would come over under since any negotiated list would normally not be effective until the SOC. It can get complex.

At this point Furloughs at NWA are no more likely than they are at DAL so i have no idea why you assume they "could" be necessary.

As Super92 said that NWA is no more likely to furlough than DAL at this point. In in August we had over 50 early retirements as well as 12 or so normal ones. One of our guys has a web site were you can track retirements and other departures. We have been averaging about 10 per month. We do monthly position awards and the latest one that came out was for December. That means that unless something catastrophic happens the earliest you would see a furlough is Jan 1. That date is after the new SLI will be released.

Now back to what happens if there are furloughs. Let's say that DAL is 100 understaffed and we are 100 overstaffed. The 2, soon to be 1 MEC, could work with Delta to forge a bridge agreement to allow those pilots to fly on DAL list. It is possible they would be placed on the bottom of the list but still paid for their years of service until SOC. Then at time of SOC they would go were they were on the SLI.

Confusing yes, but it has happened to some degree in the past here at NWA.

The current fleet plans have the Delta fleet remaining basically static in size and they plan to hire because narrow bodies are being parked but 777's are coming onboard. The NWA fleet is shrinking every week. I am told that looking at the numbers NWA will have a pilot surplus for a period of time next year. If they will furlough, carry the excess or move pilots to the Delta side is a unknown and being looked at as we speak. There are still varibles such as how many NWA pilots take the early outs. At the moment however on paper there will be a surplus at NWA. I doubt you will see any furloughs but you may see some pilots flying on the Delta side before SOC.