thanks... so, it 84% enough to finally get a line around this place?

looks like it was this month...hope it stays that way. Breaking news...commuting to 24hour short call sucks.

Nu, I think you are correct.

The really scary part is that the precedents set were ugly:

• Ours was not a category ratio. It was a ratio'd list top to bottom without regard for current category.
• Unknown and unprovable future events, such as retirements were credited as "equities" in the merger. This makes for a real wild card.

If NWA/DAL methodology were used (pure relative seniority) the Alaska 737 Captains would be mixed throughout our 767 ranks and their First Officers would be narrow body Captains. In either event, they will be so much more senior to me that it really does not matter.

I tend to think Hawaiian is a better strategic move. I think an airline or two on the west coast needs to go away before we buy Alaska. If we merge with Alaska now, it could be us that ends up having to pull capacity down to avoid losing big money out there.

Just checked and what's on there right now regarding hiring is the same thing that's been on there since late spring/early summer (the 300 already hired). Would be nice though!

Two things here. The first is DALPA did not negotiate a 12 hour short call for domestic and leave the international pilots hanging. In the evolution and improvement of reserve at Delta we started with 19 days on call, 24 hours a day with 2 hours to report. That has evolved over the years to the current system where a pilot is responsible for 6 short call days instead of 19. Short call for both domestic and international was 24 hours. Along came Witlow which essentially outlawed a 24 hour short call. Domestic was reduced to 12 hours since nothing else is workable under the rule. Witlow sadly did not effect international. If Witlow did apply to international you would be unable to cover many long duty day trips such as TLV, IST, ATH, VCE ect...

On the subject of reserve you can never be forced to cover a trip on a short call basis outside the shortcall window. You are either on short call or long call. They can ask or offer premium pay but its not required. They can contact you near the end of the window with a trip leaving outside the window however that would apply only in a international situation.

Needs to be 5.

My understanding is that they plan on hiring as many as 300 pilots in the fall of 2011. Much the same as this fall. That of course is subject to change at any time.

Nope, try 60% in MSPM88, and we're not even in winter yet.

Several that I have talked with have decided to delay retirement because they are making to much money. Two were going this fall but are going to stick around until at least next fall because of how much they made this summer. They want at least one more summer to boost retirement savings.

I'd be cool with that as well, as long as time spent on furlough was backed out. It simply should never count as active service. But active time counting, even if someone was out on furlough, would be a nice olive branch to start out a merger with and would rationalize the shock of an otherwise cruel and arbitrary "snapshot".

Why?

The effect will be to trade furloughs.

Why should employed pilots be furloughed to make way for pilots from another carrier?

How about plan B: Hold management over a barrel to renegotiate agreements during a merger to FORCE the airline to do its own flying? IE while management is at the table, close scope loopholes. That results in a win for both sides.

I think Delta did the right thing in giving furloughed pilots back their longevity.