Originally Posted by Desperado (Post 1082540)

Wasn't it PG who was making a big deal about pilots who "choose" to commute. I'm thinking that the MEM based guys didn't get to make that "choice".

Originally Posted by ilinipilot (Post 1082613)

I think this bid and subsequent ones present the company and ALPA with a unique opportunity to help all us line pilots out who commute. I plan on asking JG tomorrow to form a committee to deal with commuting issues. I know its my choice to commute blah blah blah but some of us cannot live in base. For example military people, kids issues, babysitting issues, medical issues, cost issues all are reasons why guys cannot commute. So this is a time for the company, alpa, marketing, and scheduling to get together so show they care about the pilots.
Some ideas I have
1. survey the pilots again and the top bases with the most commuters make the lines 50% commutable.
2. provide free hotel rooms a night for pilots
3. find out where the most pilots commute to from that base and assign overnights in those cities to that base. ie a lot of ATL commuters will be from MEM so assign 320 trips with MEM overnights.
I know this will never happen but i believe it is in the best interest of the company to make commuting as painless as possible.
Dont forget just in time for summer the company is pulling seats out to put in econo comfort.
I for one am getting tired of hearing marketing drives this airline. There is no reason they cannot make our lives easier by swapping out fleets. in most of our cities we can interchange a 737, m88/90 and an airbus and we need to start doing that so our commuters are taken care of.
I

Originally Posted by iaflyer (Post 1082615)

My guess? The company isn't sure about the economy. Although there are lots of issues right now (just check out the debate to hear a few), I think the price of oil is a biggy for airlines. Everytime there is a hint of the economy is doing better or we're getting out of the recession, oil jumps 20%. That makes air travel more expensive, airlines raise prices, less people travel. Rinse, repeat.

But you are correct, now is the time to interview if you want pilots to be in place for early summer 2012. I think I read somewhere that Delta wasn't expecting any growth for 2012, or actually a slight decrease in pilot hours. Thus, no need to hire.

Originally Posted by One Taco (Post 1082511)

All the while I was dying to ask him just one question - why does Delta need CVG? Where does CVG fit into Delta's strategy? But, unfortunately in the course of his Q and A, he made it abundantly clear that he didn't know where the price of oil (and hence the state of our company) would be 6 months hence. So, the desire to ask my question naturally abated.

Originally Posted by ilinipilot (Post 1082613)

show they care about the pilots.
Some ideas I have
1. survey the pilots again and the top bases with the most commuters make the lines 50% commutable.
2. provide free hotel rooms a night for pilots
3. find out where the most pilots commute to from that base and assign overnights in those cities to that base. ie a lot of ATL commuters will be from MEM so assign 320 trips with MEM overnights.
I know this will never happen but i believe it is in the best interest of the company to make commuting as painless as possible.
Dont forget just in time for summer the company is pulling seats out to put in econo comfort.
I for one am getting tired of hearing marketing drives this airline. There is no reason they cannot make our lives easier by swapping out fleets. in most of our cities we can interchange a 737, m88/90 and an airbus and we need to start doing that so our commuters are taken care of.
I

Originally Posted by ilinipilot (Post 1082613)

I think this bid and subsequent ones present the company and ALPA with a unique opportunity to help all us line pilots out who commute. I plan on asking JG tomorrow to form a committee to deal with commuting issues. I know its my choice to commute blah blah blah but some of us cannot live in base. For example military people, kids issues, babysitting issues, medical issues, cost issues all are reasons why guys cannot commute. So this is a time for the company, alpa, marketing, and scheduling to get together so show they care about the pilots.
Some ideas I have
1. survey the pilots again and the top bases with the most commuters make the lines 50% commutable.
2. provide free hotel rooms a night for pilots
3. find out where the most pilots commute to from that base and assign overnights in those cities to that base. ie a lot of ATL commuters will be from MEM so assign 320 trips with MEM overnights.
I know this will never happen but i believe it is in the best interest of the company to make commuting as painless as possible.
Dont forget just in time for summer the company is pulling seats out to put in econo comfort.
I for one am getting tired of hearing marketing drives this airline. There is no reason they cannot make our lives easier by swapping out fleets. in most of our cities we can interchange a 737, m88/90 and an airbus and we need to start doing that so our commuters are taken care of.
I

Originally Posted by acl65pilot (Post 1082614)

TYG;
Think of the reasons why.

Possible reasons we can delay hiring:
-Shrinking
-Merger or Acquisition
-FT/DT will allow less pilots
-Productivity changes will make us more efficient
-Trip Parking, and yes, it is on the rise esp in the WB categories.
-No one retiring
-By not hiring, when they need to hire they will be able to claim duress and beg for scope relief. (We can't hire that many, we must outsource jobs to keep the network intact)

Just naming possibilities.

Originally Posted by iaflyer (Post 1082615)

My guess? The company isn't sure about the economy. Although there are lots of issues right now (just check out the debate to hear a few), I think the price of oil is a biggy for airlines. Everytime there is a hint of the economy is doing better or we're getting out of the recession, oil jumps 20%. That makes air travel more expensive, airlines raise prices, less people travel. Rinse, repeat.

But you are correct, now is the time to interview if you want pilots to be in place for early summer 2012. I think I read somewhere that Delta wasn't expecting any growth for 2012, or actually a slight decrease in pilot hours. Thus, no need to hire.

Originally Posted by Carl Spackler (Post 1082545)

And we'll know that how Bar?

Carl

Originally Posted by acl65pilot (Post 1082614)

TYG;
Think of the reasons why.

Possible reasons we can delay hiring:
-Shrinking
-Merger or Acquisition
-FT/DT will allow less pilots
-Productivity changes will make us more efficient
-Trip Parking, and yes, it is on the rise esp in the WB categories.
-No one retiring
-By not hiring, when they need to hire they will be able to claim duress and beg for scope relief. (We can't hire that many, we must outsource jobs to keep the network intact)

Just naming possibilities.

Originally Posted by iaflyer (Post 1082623)

I live in base, and choose not to commute to a base with better trips. What are you going to ask the company for those who aren't commuters?

Here are some ideas:
Maybe a cab service from my house so I don't have to make the 30 minute drive back and forth.
Free hotel room in base once in a while for a night on the town with the spouse, with per diem of course
Special crew room for non-commuters so commuters don't use up all the chairs sleeping from their commute.

But seriously, there are people at this airline who don't commute. I imagine you're frustrated but by asking for special treatment, you're taking stuff away from those who live in base.