I guess....

Talked to a CP last week and he commented that they had delayed the AE a few weeks so that they can get a better feel for the 2012 block hr requirements. (This is to be a 365 bid) That can change though and may right up to the time they publish it.

As for retirements:
I have heard of a PIRP rumor. It comes down to what is cheaper. PIRPS or fat staff jets to absorb the unknowns with pilot retirements. I know we are seeing more go than planned, and that there are a bunch getting very close to saying bye bye. That said, we probably need to preemptively hire. With fewer aircraft types in the mix, we have bottlenecks in our training pipeline. As a result our total new hire pilot output will be lower than it was in past decades. You either gamble that you will need to shrink and then can absorb the retirements, offer a PIRP or you hire early. That is something that, from what I can gather, is a moving target.

We will need bodies, and the number goes up as we move forward. I assume that once we start hiring it will be very hard to shut it down.

Mobile phone/tablet guys,

Any idea what browser will work to get into I-crew. I have a android powered Xoom and the last update to Firefox mobile messed up I-crew. I un-installed firefox, but I can't find the old version to re-install. What are you guys using?

Update: I just spoke with Delta IT, got the same old reply: we only support windows.

I don't think that is true. It's been pretty typical for many years that total "retirements" equals mandatory age based retirements plus about 1% of the pilot group/year for various other reasons. And we've been pretty much sticking to that rate.

Thanks for the info and sharing your opinion. Do you or anyone else on here know approximately what the max is that can be hired and trained per year? Just doing some spreadsheet work while I'm bored on reserve, if that number were hypothetically 600 (I thought I heard that number somewhere, but could be mistaken), Delta would need to start hiring at that max sometime before 2015 and continue for about ten years or so just to keep up. I found that using two formulas, 20% retiring at 62 and 80% at 65, and then 80 % retiring at 62 and 20 % at 65. (yes I am very bored on reserve sitting in a crashpad)

That's true for age 60, however, health problems accelerate and maintaing medicals is a bit different after 60. That and the job simply becomes physically and mentally harder as one ages.

I've been off a month waiting for OE. I have to tell you, its like being retired! LOVING IT! I still can't figure out why these 60+ guys are hanging around, especially the ones with pensions. Get the heck outta here! There are much better things in life than sitting in the left seat of a widebody until they have to haul you away in a long black Cadillac.

There are several layers of economic penalties that Delta would incur if they furloughed. Those penalties would only be worth taking if there was some dramatic 9/11 type event that mandated a very large furlough. If you want a different base or different jet, then you can worry about the AE, but if you are worried about furlough, put the computer down because that's is not in the works.

A compensation tidbit, with PG's new call sign redacted. :)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pineapple Guy http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/im...s/viewpost.gif
Fair enough. First I'll provide my...

OPINION: Our peer group should be those airlines who were similarly situated and went through bankruptcy about the same time we did. Meaning, UAL, USAir, NWA, and DAL.

But I'm sure you'd scoff at that. I already know....

YOUR OPINION: LUV and UPS (can't count FDX because they are an ALPA carrier and all ALPA carriers are bad, bad, bad...:rolleyes:)

So, let's turn to an independent 3rd party; one with no agenda and no axe to grind. Try this: Airline Pilot Central






OK ***** ****, lets do just that. We will:

1. Use an airline from your bankruptcy peer group. A little defeatest, but that is what I expect from folks that suffer from low self esteem.

2. We will use your independent 3rd party.

I submit to all reading this thread, Hawaiian Airlines.

They went through BK the same year Delta and Northwest did. They also fly the same equipment we do as well. In fact, they fly 767's that were recently on Delta's certificate. They also fly the 717 that holds 123 people in mixed seating in a leisure market with LCC competition.

Imagine that!!

To follow up, they have expanded recently and compete directly with Delta in the Hawaiian-Japan/Korea market.

Now. Is that a good enough comparison so far?

Here is where the similarities stop.

Lets begin peeling the layers of the 717 onion back first. We are not going to go with straight numbers from APC since they don't have 737's to compare directly with, we will put more thought into them than that:

717 holds 123 people. Captain at 12 years is paid $162.00

That equals $1.317 dollars per hour/per seat.

Delta's 737 hold 160 people. So for equivelent pay we have 160 seats * 1.317 multiplier = $210.72 per hour.

In order for a Delta 737 Captain to be paid at the same level of compensation that a Hawaiian 717 captain is, they would have to earn $210 an hour.

Now, we can compare the 767 straight across if you like.

Hawaiian: $191.00 per hour

Delta: $182.00 per hour

Since this is so enlightening.....lets keep going shall we?

Delta per diem domestic $2.00
Hawaiian domestic $2.50

Delta International p/d $2.50
Hawaiian OCONUS pay! Wow, what a great idea!

This is fun, let's explore.....retirement.

Delta 11% + 2% 401k company match.
Hawaiian 19.4% 401k plus 2.40 a/b (new hires get 15%)

And, here is the gonad cracker.

Take the above rates and multiplier and apply it to the Achilles heel in the DAL PWA.....

The monthly guarantee.

Delta. Line holders 65 hrs. Reserve 70 hrs.
Hawaiian Line holders 75hrs. Reserve 75 hrs.

Results in much larger W2's and retirement, and they are a peer. Even an ALPA peer.

My letters to my elected reps advise them to not believe the obvious BS that adding an additional 2 hours of duty time to a pilot's day will decrease pilot fatigue. I urge them to tell the feds to start over, because their current proposal is nothing but a recipe to add pilots to the list of aviation professionals that can't stay awake.

ALPA's position is once again wrong and weak.

Carl

Must be the same guy I spoke to, because he gave me the same reply. I advised him that he's really not doing a very good job of supporting Windows either.

Carl