Yes the big shell game continues, but at least this bid gives us 42 more Captains.

 

Here you go, Waves:

 

I don't know the answer to that question but look at past practice - When there was an exodus of 777 Pilots the company screamed they needed relief and DALPA granted it, in the form of PeRPs. This may have been the least crappy option, and the right thing to do at the time........But DALPA appears not to have learned anything.

DALPA should be going on record now, today, yesterday, in print telling the company about the coming flood of retirements and proposing some mitigation strategies. And most importantly DALPA should make it 100% clear that there will be no relief granted in this regard period.

There is no mystery, this is all predictable and can and should be planned for. DAL can start the hiring earlier and get the cream of the crop or can be late to the game and get FDX, SWA, UCAL, JBLU UPS etc. leftovers and rejects.

Another thing - Every guy who retires from the top at 12th year pay with 5 weeks of vacation enables a first year pay new hire with minimal vacation and probably less sick leave medical issues. It is not a direct replacement because the 12th year maxed out guy will most likely be replaced by another 12th year maxed out guy but this will eventually require more new hires and may help mitigate any costs of a planned and structured retirement program.

IF DALPA and DAL really had their **** together they would come up with a planned retirement program - sweetening the retirement for say 200 guys a year enabling 200 new hires a year allowing us to ease into the hiring phase smoothly. It may not be cost neutral but at least it would show some strategic planning and thinking.

Or DAL can wait until we are going to be short and paint ourselves into a corner where our options are give relief (SCOPE/PEPRS/CODESHARE/JVs) or certain doom and parking aircraft etc. We have seen this show before.

Scoop

 

Why is our stock down 5% suddenly?

 

I agree that pre-hiring would not be cost neutral... it would very likely save us a significant amount of money over the next decade. Much like not furloughing produced a huge amount of profit while everyone else was playing catch up, this would very easily produce a similar effect.

 

Oil's up. I think it's gone up 25% in the last month or two.

 

Has anyone bothered to look at the demographics of the Mem Capts. IE: how many over 60, 55+. I'm too lazy. How about it some of you whipper snappers. ACL, FTB, 80Kts, FERD

 

Well, since I are one...

I'm 52. Currently the plug in the category. And after sitting reserve on this thing for the past 1 1/2 years, I'm learning to be lazy.

I don't know that many of the guys. There are only 26 of us. I know several are well into their 50's, maybe even 60ish. Some pretty senior guys that can probably hold the ER somewhere. There are also some fairly junior guys like myself. I think it's a pretty broad cross section of seniority. From what I've seen, a mix of commuters and Memphis residents. Of course, that's just off the top of my head. I'll bet one of the "whipper snappers" can come up with more precise data.

 

Market will eventually figure out that we are in a joint venture (meaning we pay the bills) for 50% of a lot of Air France and Alitalia flying. Air France is losing money and the majority shareholder of Alitalia is the Italian Government, which would not be so bad, but guess who underwrote Alitaila's bankruptcy exit financing ... . The market will try to figure out what the Italian default and possible break up of the Euro zone means to Delta's share of the joint venture (dare I call it a partnership).

As for oil prices ... the increase is a bit of good news / bad news. The good news is that whatever economic activity supports oil prices also supports the international commerce that is Delta Air Lines business. The good news is also that we are better hedged this year compared to our peers.

 

Most of the 320 Captains are senior and live local. I haven't flown with many, but most indicated they'd probably hop over to ATL, closet base and most flights to it.

Again, good luck to all the new commuters out there.