Hoser, anything noteworthy coming out of the meeting? With the exception of no beer?

 

A couple of good resolutions got passed, some failed, but overall a good meeting. C44 will probably send out a hotline with the passed ones later today or tomorrow.

Hoser, I was not just sitting there!

Quite sad though, only 20 or so pilots out of a council of 3800 showed up. It was reported that the ASA meeting had way more pilots attending.

There was a good scope/ JV/Code Share Brief by the respective Chair, a detailed explanation of ALPA expense reporting and what is actually entailed in the National Reports that are published, there was a good presentation by C44's Vice about the Base to Base Swap Issue, the Scope Report, and a few other items.

Of note of the food there, the pilots ate all of the cookies.

 

Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) and Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd. (VBA) won tentative U.S. approval to collaborate on U.S.-Australia flights, a reversal of an earlier decision, after they adjusted their proposal to include more passengers.

“The expansion and optimization of their joint network will make the alliance more competitive and allow it to deliver substantial benefits,” Susan Kurland, the Transportation Department’s assistant secretary for aviation and international affairs, wrote in an order today in Washington.

Delta, the world’s second-largest airline, and Virgin Blue first sought approval in July 2009 to collaborate on routes, share flight bookings and provide reciprocal lounge access to customers. The venture aims to boost earnings at both carriers, which compete with Qantas Airways Ltd. and United Continental Holdings Inc. on flights across the Pacific Ocean.

The Transportation Department said in its September decision rejecting the alliance that the stated benefits of the venture, including lower fares and efficient service, were “in doubt” and that the carriers had not shown the arrangement would bring “substantially more public benefits.”

In today’s decision, Kurland wrote that the carriers had made “substantial changes” to their plan. The airlines clarified that the Virgin Blue Group will operate with one management structure and unified reservation system compatible with Delta’s, according to the order.

The carriers also expanded the scope of their joint venture to include more destinations, Kurland wrote. The agency will review comments over the next 21 days before issuing a final decision.

Qantas, Australia’s largest carrier, on Jan. 14 announced plans for a similar tie-up with AMR Corp.’s American Airlines.

Virgin Blue, Australia’s second-largest airline, this year began an alliance with Etihad Airways for services to the Middle East and Europe, as Chief Executive Officer John Borghetti focuses on more profitable routes.

To contact the reporter on this story: John Hughes in Washington at [email protected]. Robert Fenner in Melbourne [email protected]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Bernard Kohn at [email protected] Neil Denslow at [email protected]

 

Thanks for the report. I was going to go to the C-20 meeting but taking an 0530 flight on my day off was simply a bridge too far to attend any meeting. With 12-13 resolutions planned, there should be an interesting report.

Any insight why we cancelled KBP?

 

Excellent Article!Note that none of these allegations is any different than Delta has treated itself (aka, it's Comair division). Shrinkage and diversification all over the route structure has driven up Comair's costs.Which is why ASA's operations management (aka SkyWest) and Chief Pilots have enforced policies which attempted to leave passengers overnight on planes during IROPs and diversions. This is why we have DOT3.Again, we see Delta's contracts obligating it to pay for NOT flying.

We've lost money, thrown billions down the rat hole of wholly owned, but separate, regionals, sold them, paid their new owners and done such a poor job of managing the whole mess that the Feds had to step in to stop the most egregious acts effecting Delta passengers. At some point, can't ALPA, or this Company, understand that we would be better off finding a way to perform our own work?

 

Amen!!! This! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Just to break my heart...

Not that I have been there in 2 years, but...

 

Bar, rants like that are pure gold.

 

That is what happens after he gets off the phone with me!

 

bullet points.. what passed/what didn't. It's not fair that you come on here and tease the rest of us..