Int'l Picking Up?
 

More purely anecdotal evidence, but my wife and I just nonrevved to and from Greece and I had to hunt around for flights in and out of Europe because everything was full. I looked at Delta flights out of Athens, Rome, Milan, Venice, Zurich, Prague, Paris, Munich, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Berlin, Amsterdam, and London. All packed. Ended up hopscotching around Europe on ZED passes and getting the last couple seats of the second flight we tried out of Amsterdam on a day when all the NWA metal out of AMS was packed. I've nonrevved to & from Europe in the summer multiple times the last few years, and this was as full as any of the other times I've gone. Made it a bit more stressful coming back, but on the other hand I'm breathing a little easier in the job security department.... :)

Anectodal Debby Downer
 

Conversely, I just came back from a city in eastern Europe and there were about 100 seats open two days in a row.

The alternate city had even more seats open on the same two days. :eek:




In all seriousness the loads are higher than they were two months ago, for sure. Of course two months ago was February anyway so who knows.

Bored on a long Easter layover(ahh, the joys of being junior!) decided to recap the "Latest and Greatest at Delta"

1. MD-90's

• 3 from Boeing (via Hello Airlines)
• 25-30 MORE from China, subject to Chinese gov't. approval
• No longer a 1 for 1 swap, they are now growth A/C

2. DAL North "modern-era" widebodies

• 10 more A-330's on the table?
• 787 orders dropped/pushed back/converted??????

3. DAL North 747's

• 742's retirement? (ANC crgo volume is up, Gov't contract is in place in Dover though)
• 4 744's? Desert temporarily/paint shop/keep 'em ready just in case?

4. AE (advancement bid) Delta South

• in May or August
• Staff 2 more 777-200ER
• Backfill?
• 767-400 (765) base in NYC?
• 765 ATL pilot exodus due to loss of HNL/other domestic flying?
• NYC 7ER/765 shuffle? How will it affect NYC?

5. 2010.....HIRING?

• Understaffed on 88
• ALV can't stay high much longer
• How short is the DC-9 staffing?
• When the heck is BP5???

6. Aircraft and crew re-basing?

• BOS re-opening
• CVG gets 320's
• LAX gets 777's
• MSP gets MD's
• SLC gets 320's
• NYC gets 765's
• ATL gets DC-9s
• NYC gets 330's
• PDX gets 7ER's

8. DC-9 30/40 not on paint sched. 5500 series DAL 757's not on paint schedule.

9. 7ER winglet conversion ongoing.

10. GOGO internet on half of the MD fleet and quite a few 757's, when does DAL-N fleet start getting fitted?

11. DALPA and Compass. No change for now, MEC espouses "RJ's are good" for Delta pilots.

12. Delta is going to buy ALK within the next 5 years....

13. Loads are up, but not booked as far in advance.

This is not a complete list by any means, but just wanted to refresh some of the topics. Add what you will.

Happy Easter!

Yes, you have too much time. Go to Walmart, get some Easter candy and get a sugar high.

I hope you are wrong about DAL buying Alaska, they haven't hired in years and I don't need another 1400 people on top of me!

Ya... I was thinking the same thing!

:D

I'd prefer whiskey but I have to fly later today!

Nothing's open in a downtown on Easter anyway....:(

Exactly what I was thinking.

I don't even want to think about how THAT SLI would go......

Downtown PIT is pretty dead today too.

Happy Easter everyone.

Philly

I heard Greenpeace is worried about 777-300's being a threat to the species.