Yep, and it will be my third MD too. Hate training, and hate commuting more, but the options are getting smaller and smaller that I may forced in to a commute. I really do not want to sit reserve on a NB jet and take that sort of pay cut. It may force me in to commuting from ATL, and that is just plain crazy, but I will do it.

Rough math is about a 35K-40K a year pay difference to be a line holder. With kids in school, taking a pay cut like that is a non starter. I will just put my card in and let the chips fall where they may. Probably NYC 73N.

Have you looked thru the bid package ACL? Lots of non commutable JFK trips. Tread lightly bro...

And that is just unacceptable. There's absolutely nothing more important than your family. In my other line of work, I'm frequently involved with other companies on an executive level. Occasionally there's a need to have a non-executive employee change offices as frequently as you've been forced to do. In ALL cases, there's a company paid move, reimbursement for any loss on your home, and help to settle your children into a good school. This is done for employees that have no contract. It is done because most modern companies understand that moving families is very stressful, and a productive employee who moves at the company's direction is "taking one for the team" not the other way around.

This is just another example of how incredibly bad our contract is. But it's an even worse example of our management's alleged care for employees and their families.

Carl

That cut in pay will allow Delta to hire two GoJet pilots.

I'm not talking about what the contract allows acl, I'm talking about the choices that our management make. Under our contract, they could CHOOSE us first and minimize DCI, and have the maximum allowable imbalances in the JV's tilted in our favor. But they don't. Instead, our management CHOOSES us only when there are no other options left open to them. They even choose higher priced options first (Air France). That's the sad realization. It's not about what we allow. It's about why our management chooses others first, and their own top shelf pilot group last.

Carl

There is no such thing as commutable trips in NYC anymore, unless you are in the upper 5% and it's declining steadily....

Carl,

A lot has to do with shifting costs off property. Our management is focused on reducing our debt which means not buying things, like airplanes. Air France has about 1/3 of our debt load and has their aircraft acquisitions subsidized. They have 76 wide body jets on order.

On the DCI side, SkyWest is the largest Bombardier customer on the planet and they get significant (was about 25%) off the lowest prices paid by competitors for parts and support. Then you got some operators like Republic and Trans States who are willing to make silly deals just to keep the growth going. Trans States (GoJets parent) uses alter ego creations to side step scope and destroy longevity, so it resets pilot costs every so often. Delta can't compete on those terms.

As Delta shrinks it has fewer operations to allocate costs to. Our metrics as measured by seat miles will increase in cost. Hence the law that "you can not shrink to profitability."

I agree with management's work to reduce debt. I understand they can maintain and grow their network without us. The answer I have proposed is that "Delta" pilots perform this flying, even if the operator is not "Delta Air Lines."

You now understand why I equate unity to power at the bargaining table. Management can make this place work without us. We need better, more effective, scope to turn this around.

I like the JV language, but the 36 month compliance window was, and is, too large.

It is all about the Company shifting the expense for NYC hotels to junior pilots and realigning hubs to increase per seat revenues from Memphis by constraining capacity and forcing it through larger hubs. Delta is keeping the Memphis flight attendant base.

IMHO a "we will buy your house" type relocation package like any other business has would solve arbitrary base realignments. My very good friend got $15,000 to move his kids' "free" cat to China (animal has to go through quarantine), his move package total had to be near $150,000 by the time you figure their purchase, fixing and re-marketing his home.

Anyone seen Anderson's relocation package? We need to slide that across the table during the opener.

Been looking at it for two years. I am at the point on the list where I could get commutable trips.

Carl,
I know I do not need to tell you this, but money is the driver, not paying us to be nice. DCI gets debt off the balance sheet, and allows lower rates, debt service etc on the existing debt. It is now all about money.