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Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?

Old 09-20-2011 | 09:32 AM
  #75951  
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Originally Posted by freightguy
When I was a flight instructor, I worked two other jobs to supplement my income. When I did 135 freight, I freelanced on the side. When I flew at a regional, I ran a side business. I sacrificed a lot on the way to get this elusive 'major airline job', so I don't have to do $hit on the side anymore. However, now that I'm at DAL, I make $5000 a month after deductions/taxes...flying a widebody. Fkn pathetic. (70 rsv guarantee x $115 -25% taxes -other deduction (medical, dues etc).

I used to be proud to wear the DAL uniform and fly across the oceans in a widebody. But not anymore....I'm tired....my free time is spent running my business like many of you guys. $5000 a month does not make me proud nor pay my bills. I make more than DAL pay for way less responsibility and consequences. Don't get me wrong....I do the best job I can at Delta. But I have bills to pay and Delta is not my only calling anymore.

I have friends all over the world who are airlines pilots. Even pilots flying for some $hitty LCCs in Asia have a much higher living standard than us....especially looking at he cost of living and how much they make. (In most countries, pilots are paid at par with surgeons or even much much higher....PM me if you want proof). My airline pilot friends abroad are shocked to find out how much net salary I make, how much it costs to live and how much we are paid compared to other professional jobs. Hell, we make way less than SWA, Fedex, UPS etc in our own country. Many of them laugh at how much I take home.

This $hit got to stop. We should have more self respect in the upcoming contract. We should not have to work second jobs and businesses to provide for the family while working for the world's largest airline by passenger volume. We should not have to come in tired after working all day to flying airplanes across the continent/s for a net salary of $5000 / month for an FO or even twice for a CA seat. Not even close for 'One Great Airline'. We keep selling ourself short and senior management keeps it and shares among them nice million dollar bonunses. They will tell you and me all the reason why we they can't afford to pay us anymore while they all enjoy their multi-million salaries. Nobody should expect us to work second jobs/ side businesses to feed our families.

Doing a side business/ second job to satisfy ones luxurious habits or as a hobby is one thing. We should never be in a position where we have to do it to survive.

I really wanna see the opener ALPA comes up with. I will settle for nothing short of restoration of the loan I gave the company in 2000....neither should you. I (and you) saved the damn company and subsidized their poor management decisions for more than a decade. Enough! I hope we are ramping up our strike committee....
I am sure the management will threaten with furloughs etc when the negotiation time comes. Lets not fall for it. Let them furlough me. I wanna come back to a well paid decent job after a furlough than keep whoring away for $hit wages.

OK...I feel better now
Originally Posted by hockeypilot44
I agree with you 100 percent. I'm living pay check to pay check. I actually have to take money out of savings when bills like car insurance come due. I'm either going to have to get a second job or send my wife back to work. It's pathetic how little money we make.
Bingo.

I was able to coast for the last few years on the sale of a previous investment, but before I pi$$ it all away, I want to reinvest it. I agree, I make 5K a month net from this job sitting on reserve on the ER. (give or take) It is not enough to provide the quality education for my kids, nor can my wife be a stay at home Mommy, which is where she wants to be. We all have choices to make.

Reality is that those that are not paycheck to paycheck can hold out longer than those that are barely making it when the contract talks get ugly. I prefer to be in the position that I do not have to take what "may" be offered.

I too want this job to pay what it should. It would be nice to make a respectable living doing it. I know how I will vote, but I am one of 12K.

Having a small business is just plain smart. If you can run a bunch of expenses though the LLC and have it sustain you and your family, the money made here can be saved. With all of the extra flying we are doing in today's world, the long term effects on our health and the ability to maintain a class I medical have not been tested. The last thing I want is to lose my medical and not be able to provide for my family.
Old 09-20-2011 | 09:39 AM
  #75952  
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Originally Posted by freightguy
When I was a flight instructor, I worked two other jobs to supplement my income. When I did 135 freight, I freelanced on the side. When I flew at a regional, I ran a side business. I sacrificed a lot on the way to get this elusive 'major airline job', so I don't have to do $hit on the side anymore. However, now that I'm at DAL, I make $5000 a month after deductions/taxes...flying a widebody. Fkn pathetic. (70 rsv guarantee x $115 -25% taxes -other deduction (medical, dues etc).

I used to be proud to wear the DAL uniform and fly across the oceans in a widebody. But not anymore....I'm tired....my free time is spent running my business like many of you guys. $5000 a month does not make me proud nor pay my bills. I make more than DAL pay for way less responsibility and consequences. Don't get me wrong....I do the best job I can at Delta. But I have bills to pay and Delta is not my only calling anymore.

I have friends all over the world who are airlines pilots. Even pilots flying for some $hitty LCCs in Asia have a much higher living standard than us....especially looking at he cost of living and how much they make. (In most countries, pilots are paid at par with surgeons or even much much higher....PM me if you want proof). My airline pilot friends abroad are shocked to find out how much net salary I make, how much it costs to live and how much we are paid compared to other professional jobs. Hell, we make way less than SWA, Fedex, UPS etc in our own country. Many of them laugh at how much I take home.

This $hit got to stop. We should have more self respect in the upcoming contract. We should not have to work second jobs and businesses to provide for the family while working for the world's largest airline by passenger volume. We should not have to come in tired after working all day to flying airplanes across the continent/s for a net salary of $5000 / month for an FO or even twice for a CA seat. Not even close for 'One Great Airline'. We keep selling ourself short and senior management keeps it and shares among them nice million dollar bonunses. They will tell you and me all the reason why we they can't afford to pay us anymore while they all enjoy their multi-million salaries. Nobody should expect us to work second jobs/ side businesses to feed our families.

Doing a side business/ second job to satisfy ones luxurious habits or as a hobby is one thing. We should never be in a position where we have to do it to survive.

I really wanna see the opener ALPA comes up with. I will settle for nothing short of restoration of the loan I gave the company in 2000....neither should you. I (and you) saved the damn company and subsidized their poor management decisions for more than a decade. Enough! I hope we are ramping up our strike committee....
I am sure the management will threaten with furloughs etc when the negotiation time comes. Lets not fall for it. Let them furlough me. I wanna come back to a well paid decent job after a furlough than keep whoring away for $hit wages.

OK...I feel better now
+1! But as a Devil's advocate, I must say WE ARE COMPLETELY AT FAULT for giving it all up.

It is much easier to give up benefits than regain them. I know, its human nature to be timid and frightened when a "trained" manager/leader tells you that the sky is falling. Thus giving up the world.

At this point, "the sky is falling" again. As you can see, right in time for our regain or contract negotiations:

1) the flying is slowly dissipating or transferring to our partners
2) we are getting less aircraft
3) we are laying off other groups
4) we are not hiring pilots while it is apparent we should for the future, unless we are shrinking (RA likes less pilots)
5) we are reducing our footprint-->reduce to profitability

Folks, this is no coincidence. Our expectations are being formed and managed. They cant control the cost of OIL but they think they can offset their costs by lowering our pay because they know we, as pilots, can be weak and greedy.

Its time to make a stand. We help Delta be the best while Delta takes care of us.

TEN
Old 09-20-2011 | 09:46 AM
  #75953  
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Originally Posted by iaflyer
You mean stuff like Nashville to Boston (biz pax) or Tulsa to Orlando (vacationers, ala Alliegent)? Alliegent wins in those markets because they sell a lot of extra services with the flight, like car rentals and hotels. I think we've tried with CRJs, I know I saw a Nashville to Orlando flight in the past, but I think high oil killed it.
I actually mean GSO-GSP-ATL or ROC-ERI-DTW.

You could do the first with 88s and the second with 9s and still keep every frequency and at least in the first case with a few direct flights have a near wash in inventory.

Originally Posted by iaflyer
CRJs - a quick answer is how many companies do you see flying just CRJs? Ehh... zip. Indy Air tried it. Failed. ExpressJet tried it. Failed. I am pretty sure (but no data to back it up since no one will release the figures) that RJs are subsidized by mainline - can't see how they would still be around otherwise.
I hear ya.

The argument for CRJs and I guess if LM's quote was accurate, RJ's are good for Delta pilots because they give us reach into markets and those people connect on our larger jets to go elsewhere.
Why can't we do that connection flying? Sure CRJ900s may have the same if not better CASM than an 88 but why is having 2 airplanes do the same job better? I don't care about the CASM when it's so close as to not make up the total cost of having 2 jets fly from 2 cities rather than a SWA style 1 jet hitting 2 cities. After all 2 jets is 2 blips is 2 gates is 6 rampers is 2 $9/hr gate agents is another or maybe 2 contract airlines to manage is 4 pilots is... and so on.

And yes I get it, 2 jets is 4 pilots and 1 jet is 2 pilots. But that's when you're looking out for everyone but yourself. Right now it's 0 Delta pilots doing some of these routes and 4 RJ pilots. How about 2 Delta pilots and hire 2.5 RJ pilots?
And how is it better to have someone else do our primary core job? How is it better that passengers get off a jet that they thought was Delta, hence Delta Con, but was some regional airline they've never heard of and the FO is wearing a I LUV SOUTHWEST laynard as they say goodbye. What the hell is that?

And I get that story from someone who posted on here about their experience on a ASA flight btw, the "hometown" regional airline. But as long as they're not Delta employees they're not Delta employees and don't have to be if they don't want to be.

Originally Posted by acl65pilot
Bingo.

I was able to coast for the last few years on the sale of a previous investment, but before I pi$$ it all away, I want to reinvest it. I agree, I make 5K a month net from this job sitting on reserve on the ER. (give or take) It is not enough to provide the quality education for my kids, nor can my wife be a stay at home Mommy, which is where she wants to be. We all have choices to make.

Reality is that those that are not paycheck to paycheck can hold out longer than those that are barely making it when the contract talks get ugly. I prefer to be in the position that I do not have to take what "may" be offered.

I too want this job to pay what it should. It would be nice to make a respectable living doing it. I know how I will vote, but I am one of 12K.

Having a small business is just plain smart. If you can run a bunch of expenses though the LLC and have it sustain you and your family, the money made here can be saved. With all of the extra flying we are doing in today's world, the long term effects on our health and the ability to maintain a class I medical have not been tested. The last thing I want is to lose my medical and not be able to provide for my family.
I'm down 89% of my cash savings since taking this job. Stuff happens, kids happen. We're building it back up but this job is paycheck to paycheck and has been for almost two years now and that's significant budget cuts and a 11 year old truck and 6 year old van. I'm not back to the pay I had before I was hired here in 07 and started in 08... but, I'm so happy I'm here. Do not get me wrong. Very happy. Would do it again in a blink of an eye. Feel extremely lucky to be here because I see what's out there. And yes I bid down to reserve but most months I wouldn't have a choice but I complain to nobody. Not even here. Not going anywhere. Hope to fly jets for this airline for the full 35 years.

Just chiming in on what % I started with and where I am now.

Last edited by forgot to bid; 09-20-2011 at 09:59 AM.
Old 09-20-2011 | 10:02 AM
  #75954  
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You can say we had it taken from us, or that we sold it out, or that we helped save the company, and made it the resounding success it is today. None of that matters. The global economy is in meltdown, the US economy is sliding back into recession, and we are looking at a huge shift of wealth to a select few in our country. Things will seem bad for a long time to come for most people. But not to all.

The airline industry will continue to make money, be profitable, and sell tickets no matter what. We have stopped chasing the low margin passengers and instead focused on the money. The money is still there, it's just not with the plumbers and the steel workers any more. It's all shifted to the top %2 of the new economic class. We will survive into whatever the next phase is, because we market to them.

Will attorneys lower their rates due to the recession? No. Will your doctor charge you less? Your dentist? No. Will the Board of Directors at Delta vote to cut their pay? No. Will we allow ourselves to be lumped in with the bag throwers, fuelers and ticket takers who will see their salaries slump along with the rest of the middle class? Or will we use the leverage we have and DEMAND to be paid a respectable salary for our incomparably high responsibilities?

The company can afford huge pay raises for us. They will say they can't. They will say that while paying themselves millions in bonuses. They will make even more if we buy what they are selling. I am personally very close to a withdrawal of enthusiasm with respect to this job. If we don't have something very soon, the company will start getting what they are paying for. Half a pilot.
Old 09-20-2011 | 10:04 AM
  #75955  
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Delta Flight from Jacksonville to Atlanta Delayed Due to Threatening Note | firstcoastnews.com
Old 09-20-2011 | 10:14 AM
  #75956  
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Originally Posted by freightguy
When I was a flight instructor, I worked two other jobs to supplement my income. When I did 135 freight, I freelanced on the side. When I flew at a regional, I ran a side business. I sacrificed a lot on the way to get this elusive 'major airline job', so I don't have to do $hit on the side anymore. However, now that I'm at DAL, I make $5000 a month after deductions/taxes...flying a widebody. Fkn pathetic. (70 rsv guarantee x $115 -25% taxes -other deduction (medical, dues etc).

I used to be proud to wear the DAL uniform and fly across the oceans in a widebody. But not anymore....I'm tired....my free time is spent running my business like many of you guys. $5000 a month does not make me proud nor pay my bills. I make more than DAL pay for way less responsibility and consequences. Don't get me wrong....I do the best job I can at Delta. But I have bills to pay and Delta is not my only calling anymore.

I have friends all over the world who are airlines pilots. Even pilots flying for some $hitty LCCs in Asia have a much higher living standard than us....especially looking at he cost of living and how much they make. (In most countries, pilots are paid at par with surgeons or even much much higher....PM me if you want proof). My airline pilot friends abroad are shocked to find out how much net salary I make, how much it costs to live and how much we are paid compared to other professional jobs. Hell, we make way less than SWA, Fedex, UPS etc in our own country. Many of them laugh at how much I take home.

This $hit got to stop. We should have more self respect in the upcoming contract. We should not have to work second jobs and businesses to provide for the family while working for the world's largest airline by passenger volume. We should not have to come in tired after working all day to flying airplanes across the continent/s for a net salary of $5000 / month for an FO or even twice for a CA seat. Not even close for 'One Great Airline'. We keep selling ourself short and senior management keeps it and shares among them nice million dollar bonunses. They will tell you and me all the reason why we they can't afford to pay us anymore while they all enjoy their multi-million salaries. Nobody should expect us to work second jobs/ side businesses to feed our families.

Doing a side business/ second job to satisfy ones luxurious habits or as a hobby is one thing. We should never be in a position where we have to do it to survive.

I really wanna see the opener ALPA comes up with. I will settle for nothing short of restoration of the loan I gave the company in 2000....neither should you. I (and you) saved the damn company and subsidized their poor management decisions for more than a decade. Enough! I hope we are ramping up our strike committee....
I am sure the management will threaten with furloughs etc when the negotiation time comes. Lets not fall for it. Let them furlough me. I wanna come back to a well paid decent job after a furlough than keep whoring away for $hit wages.

OK...I feel better now
Excellent post, freightguy! Well said.

The problem is... try telling that to DALPA. They will tell you how good you have it... how great they've done for you. They'll tell you that times are tough and our company needs to have cost advantages in order to be competitive. And if you complain too much, they'll tell you that you're a "malcontent" and that if you're so unhappy you should find something else to do for a living.

They won't actually come out and say it in so many words... but what they are really telling you is to not expect too much. Restoration? Forget it! It's not even a consideration by this MEC.
Old 09-20-2011 | 10:42 AM
  #75957  
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Originally Posted by flyallnite
You can say we had it taken from us, or that we sold it out, or that we helped save the company, and made it the resounding success it is today. None of that matters. The global economy is in meltdown, the US economy is sliding back into recession, and we are looking at a huge shift of wealth to a select few in our country. Things will seem bad for a long time to come for most people. But not to all.

The airline industry will continue to make money, be profitable, and sell tickets no matter what. We have stopped chasing the low margin passengers and instead focused on the money. The money is still there, it's just not with the plumbers and the steel workers any more. It's all shifted to the top %2 of the new economic class. We will survive into whatever the next phase is, because we market to them.

Will attorneys lower their rates due to the recession? No. Will your doctor charge you less? Your dentist? No. Will the Board of Directors at Delta vote to cut their pay? No. Will we allow ourselves to be lumped in with the bag throwers, fuelers and ticket takers who will see their salaries slump along with the rest of the middle class? Or will we use the leverage we have and DEMAND to be paid a respectable salary for our incomparably high responsibilities?

The company can afford huge pay raises for us. They will say they can't. They will say that while paying themselves millions in bonuses. They will make even more if we buy what they are selling. I am personally very close to a withdrawal of enthusiasm with respect to this job. If we don't have something very soon, the company will start getting what they are paying for. Half a pilot.
I agree. Just wish my union would be rallying the troops now in this direction! But they come up with some stupid contract comparison that compares my contract to expired bankruptcy contracts at UAL AA CAL and UsAir.
Old 09-20-2011 | 10:47 AM
  #75958  
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Originally Posted by BigGuns
I agree. Just wish my union would be rallying the troops now in this direction! But they come up with some stupid contract comparison that compares my contract to expired bankruptcy contracts at UAL AA CAL and UsAir.
That's a really good point.
Old 09-20-2011 | 10:56 AM
  #75959  
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Originally Posted by BoyFromSouth
Not to change the subject, but has anyone stayed at the hotel in AUA lately. I think it's the ****** but I could be wrong. I have a trip there next month with 24 hrs to kill. Does anyone know if they offer a daily all inclusive package for the crews to purchase?

Thanks
BFS

BFS,

You probably had good intentions but please don't post our layover hotel info on this public forum. Thanks.
Old 09-20-2011 | 11:00 AM
  #75960  
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For chuck416 and Fedelta:

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