This is exactly where our collective heads need to be going. I have been saying this for a long time.

We do not care who owns, finances or leases the jet. We will be the pilots flying them. Period. It cannot get simpler than that for a union to understand. It is about pilots jobs. Jobs above you provide advancement and jobs below you provide security.

 

There he is ... and that's a completely logical explanation.

However, it is difficult to trust the South Reps after the Compass vote and in similar fashion, this sure appears aligned along pre-merger lines.

Will you discuss the notion of Delta pilots performing Delta flying off certificate if Delta needs to outsource the capex? Is this do'able? How do we build a contract so that it encourages Delta to grow organically with our own pilots?

 

Jv's are good, but lets realize that AF has the money and the benefit of the "Import-Export" bank. They are buying the big metal. Look at the order books of our Skyteam partners and then compare them to ours.

For anyone that flies in to CDG it becomes quickly apparent that they fly the big metal and we fly more block of smaller metal.

 

If trying to swap a trip over the same exact days for more flight time, is it true that it won't work if one of the reserve days is capped (even thought it's for more value or the same days)?

 

I completely agree. The 737 is very similar (probably worse) in comfort than the DC-9. At least in the 9 I could get in and out of my seat without seriously contorting my back. Not hating on the 73N as I like the trips and stage lengths, but it's by far the least comfortable of the 3.

Our Bus fleet has two types of pilot seats. The older 320's have an older, manual seat and it seems the lumbar supports aren't as good as the newer 320's and most/all of the 319's with the nice electric seats and lumbars that work. On the older seats I would actually have them completely collapse rolling down the runway when we applied takeoff power and started accelerating - and that's not because the Bus was a rocket, the old seats just weren't as sturdy as the newer ones.

Happy to be talking about something other than scope sales, contracts, and the other usual BS for at least one post.

 

The MD90s tie us over until the 320NEO becomes available and permit the parking of DC-9s and MD88s while keeping the fleet count constant.

I agree that a steady flow of new aircraft is essential to keeping the fleet efficient. In reality the MD90 buy does put us in company with Allegiant.

For now it seems prudent to withhold large capex and maintain status quo when it comes to aircraft.

C-Series: never at Delta, only at DCI if we sellout.
717: Ideal 110 seater 150+ in the world, sooner than you think.
A321: we'll see them 2013 with sharklets and CFMs to replace oldest 757 birds
A320neo: that will be our new narrowbody order with the PW GTF
777-300ER: right between 300 and 400 seats, will join the fleet
747-8i: remote chance if Boeing needs orders and part of reparations for the 787
787-900 will be a good bird for ULH 7ER and 764 replacement.
330 will be added as part of future non-organic growth
350XWB-1000 to replace the RR 777-200ER downrange.

YMMV

Cheers
George

 

Where is Glen Hauenstein?

 

Absolutely not!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't afford to, don't want to, and I have committed to a long term project for one of my clients. The mere thought of it makes my skin crawl.

 

NewK;

Its the green kryptonite in the cockpit paint on the -9.

Bid the 777. Comfy seats, nice bed, really old ranchers...sleep, sleep, sleep (tic).

 

JVs are not universally good. The AF/KLM is perhaps the best of the bunch.
Our smaller metal means more Delta pilots, that's a good thing across the Atlantic.

I'd like to see the new LOA for VAustralia. My fear is the ratio is already beyond the 50%-50% split in ASMs so that can't be good. In addition Alska does our feed in LAX so few Delta pilot feed jobs on this side of the Pacific, while VAustralia (formerly known as Virgin Blue) pilots get to fly Delta pax around Australia.

The big one coming is VAtlantic and I can't see how to spin "the upside" to the pilot group, this will have to be very creative (something like "West coast access to LHR")

Cheers
George