scambo1

If you move your post to the DPA thread, I think we could have a more open discussion.

iaflyer

I wouldn't call it a negative AE - it had 42 more Captain openings than were displaced. True, the 777 and 747 were reduced, but the 747 displacements are because the planes are going through the lie-flat seat mod over the next year.

cards5

I guess it seems negative when you move backwards in category. Also, my seniority number decreases every month with no new hires on the horizon. It seems as if I'll remain the same number from the bottom until I'm 50% in the company.

Carl Spackler

Not a sinking ship...we are on a shrinking ship. Our management chooses to use Delta pilots to fly the Delta brand only as a last resort when all other options are unavailable. Our scope allows that choice. If our TA still gives management this choice, vote NO. Or you'll be talking about these kind of AE's for a very long time.

Carl

cards5

So there will be no hiring wave based on retirements. The hiring will be based on Delta's inability to outsource enough flying.

On a side note, my mother asked if I heard about the Delta pilot that locked himself in the airplane's lavatory. I told her it wasn't a Delta pilot, but she insisted "Delta" is what it said on the news. You can't build customer loyalty if your customers don't use your product.

capncrunch

Unfortunately, that is our product....RJs and other airlines. Our passengers riding on our metal is the rare commodity. The year of the customer is lip service.

I just rode on AK Air and it's clear why their customers are loyal. Someone needs to force RA to ride their airline and then ask him if he really feels we are the best.

forgot to bid

Did you not get the memo? Maybe not, the thing you need to remember is our core competency is not air travel and our core product is not the airline you know as Delta Air Lines.

Rather Delta's core competency as a corporation is network planning and our core product is Delta.com.

Our ancillary products you are familiar with, you can purchase them through Delta.com such as FF programs, skymiles free bags, first class, economy comfort, Delta Cargo, skyclubs and other similar extra's available for a fee.

The service and products you purchased will be delievered in a seamless fashion by any one of our 24 providers all of whom operate at the direction of our network planning:
So for Delta pilots, stop confusing your place in this world- you're one of 24.

And I'm not saying anyone has said that but if the walk is more important than the talk then the walk from all quadrants sure keeps telling us we're just one of 24 and get used to it.

chuck416

It's really hard to characterize this as a "negative bid" when so many new Captain positions opened in NYC. Particularly when the 7ER catagory went all the way down to #6800, or thereabouts. As was already pointed out, there were losses in some bases/catagories (ATL gets more senior as A/Es are posted), But clearly this bid, as well as earlier, show a positive net gain for us line pilots. Let's hope it continues for a very long time. I think the A/E process is going to get real sporty when the first of those 737-900ERs start arriving in about a year!
Regards to All. Much to be thankful for...
Chuck416

Columbia

Somehow, I think this better describes the situation regarding scope....(they do have mustaches and hats) In fact, I think Monty Python pretty much captures the "humor" over the past 10 years within the airline industry.

daldude

Cards,

Unfortuantly, I agree with you. there is really no end in site. With only 430 retirements between now and 2016 and the entire DC9 fleet going away and the 747-200s gone we have to many pilots. Not to mention reductions in flying and codes shares and such.

I am not sure what the future holds but I do know that the company is not concerned about the next 5 years with so few pilot retirements. After 2016 retirements pick up so maybe they will hire then.

As far as moving backwards LAX, SLC and ATL seem to be getting more and more senior. However, if you want to bid MSP, DTW or NY it might not be that bad as people flood out of those bases and the jr folks get displaced up to those bases.

Good Luck,
Been with the company 10 years and only 10 more to even get in the top half of the list.