We should have gotten all of them. :D

If they are that backed up now, how in the world are they going to train in the years we are retiring 800+/year?

It'd be great if they would go ahead and publish the projected category/training lists for this last bid.

What did they do, specifically, that caused you to come away with that feeling of being treated really nice? Just wondering.

You just nailed the key to the future of every pilot at Delta airlines with more then 10 years to go to retirement. We either get better at customer service or slowly fade away. Even the retirements coming up wont help movement when your down to 300 aircraft.

On the 320, the training levels are pretty high and they are even using E period sims for new hires. There have been a few that have already resigned prior to going to the sims.

Really!?! Wow!!! After going to all the trouble to get hired and then resign because of E period sims for a couple of weeks? At least that's the reason I'm gathering from your post. Then they really don't belong here any way.

Denny

I don't know if it is because of the E period sims. I don't think that is the reason and I really don't know what the reason has been. I too am surprised that new hires are already resigning before getting into the sim. It would be very interesting to find out what they are resigning for, maybe an expat flying gig???? Not sure..

You've got alot of making up to do after that shrink-wrapped sausage pic.
Major infraction.

We're gonna need some serious underboob.

Heyas,

Just got back from a trip on SWA. All I can say is "meh".

I went up to visit with my GF and her folks up on their farm in KY. Since he goes into BNA then drives, she normally goes nonstop on SWA. This time, not only did it have a connection, but it was more expensive than DAL. But DAL was full when she wanted to go.

I non-rev up the next day on us. Everything was FULL, and only by some grace did I get the last seat to BNA.

In the interst of harmony, I bought a one way tix back on SWA so I could ride back with my GF. Both SWA flights were half full, and it was more expensive than on DAL. I saw no functional or subjective difference between their service and ours, other than having the empty seats next to you.

Honestly, if I HAD to be someplace, I'd buy a ticket on us.

Nu

Me and my family (wife + baby) were non-revving out of MHT-DTW, the Delta DC-9 went out with open seats but not us - weight critical. We got Zed fares on SWA, but time was very tight. I went to the Delta counter, got our checked luggage, literally ran over to SWA, where I checked in via the Kiosk (after having a very pleasant phone conversation with a res agent about available options, and making a listing). The kiosk spit out all sorts of passes to get to the gate - but I still had to check the luggage. The agent was very nice about making sure it would get to the plane (with limited time now), checking the load (and saying it would be tight). She suggested that we put the baby on my wife's lap, as it would be one less seat we needed. She made the change to the reservation - all in minutes and without any attitude that we seem to have with some Delta agents.

At the gate, the agent was again very pleasant, especially as I showed up halfway through boarding. She just said, "we'll see - but you never know!" With three minutes to push, she said, "we've got one seat - you want the jumpseat?" In the manner of 30 seconds, she had cleared my wife into the available seat, put me on the jumpseat and said, "Go!". We boarded the plane, I went left, she went right. 2 minutes later, we pushed from the gate, on-time. No attitude, no "it's too late".

After we got to MDW, as soon as I opened the cockpit door, the FA there said, "oh, you have the cutest baby" and proceeded to tell how she had played with her, walked up and down the aisle with her and generally mom and baby had a great time. (And my wife was towards the back of the plane, not right there by the door).

I guess my takeaway was that if SWA is that nice and friendly to a non-rev, imagine how well the paying customers are treated? I've been in the business a number of years, so it's not just a "wow - someone treated a non-rev nice".