Now T, I know you know this... but consider the following. Which one would you rather have?

1) $234,000 W2 with the company putting a 9% match into your 401k.

or

2) $156,000 W2 with the company putting a 14% contribution (no match required) into your 401k.

Let's think about this for a minute.

In #1 - You have $234,000 in gross income. Let's assume taxes are 30%. In in order to get the 9% match, you have to contribute 9% of your $234,000 to your 401k. So $234K - 21,060 (9%) = $212,940. Take home pay (after taxes) on that is $149,058. You get a total of $42,120 in your 401k (the $21,060 you contributed plus the company match in the same amount).

In #2 - You have $156,000 in gross income. (That's what I made last year as a narrowbody domestic Captain.) Again, assume taxes are 30%. No match required, but you probably want to contribute to your 401k... so let's say you contribute 9% just like your SWA buddy did. So $156K - 14,040 (9%) = $141,960. Take home pay (after taxes) on that is $99,372. You get a total of $35,880 in your 401k (the $14,040 you contributed plus the company's 14% contribution).

So, let's summarize what we are netting in these two examples.

1) - Take home pay is $149,058. Contribution into 401k is $42,120.

2) - Take home pay is $99,372. Contribution into 401k is $35,880.

I wasn't a finance major, but I think I can figure out which one of these is a better deal. :D

Bar, gotta side with slowplay on this one.

The merger has been beneficial to the current Delta pilots.

Let's go back to 2008, the company was willing to grease the skids to provide for a smooth merger. The stock options, incremental pay raises and no furloughs for 2 years were all benefits that have improved things for the pilots on the seniority list. None of that came for free and some items like incorporating the AS codeshare from the NWA contract are what we gave the company in return. Our cooperation was worth money and the company delivered.

The merger happened at a time when record fuel prices left most airlines pretty unprepared. Since then great strides have been made by Delta and others to reduce fuel price volatility and associated risk along with passing on some of the increased fuel cost to the pax.

Fast forward 4 years and the merger has been very successful for the company, both operationally and financial. The EF&A team predicted that 2012 would offer a much better financial environment for contract negotiations and thus warranted and extension.

All of the financial predictions have been spot on and Delta has had 2 consecutive years with full year profit exceeding $1B. What Delta has not delivered is the equivalent of shareholder value for the pilot group: seniority advancement. Because we have a Seniority based system that's an inherent promise and the frustration coming from the ranks is a direct result of the failure to deliver on seniority advancement.

I'm "happy to have a job", but I didn't sign up for a job, I signed up for a career at Delta.

If we can't turn 2 consecutive years of record profits during trying economic times into pay and seniority gains, then there is not much hope moving forward.

Cheers
George

Differences training + FMS + a Digital Flight Guidance System. And a lot of procedures that are different from the old "north" way to the way Delta operates the 88.

Not disagreeing with you. I suspect a lot of the DC-9 guys will go to the 88. Just pointing out that the transition is not quite as simple as differences training.

What's the opinion of others..legal or illegal?

Yes. Look at 3:44. It's a P-51, Cavalier build I'd guess from the tail profile.

Very short sighted thinking IMO. You'd walk away from SWAPA's scope because of a few percent differential between their DC and ours?

Hope you enjoy those few extra % points as you continue to go backwards due to outsourcing.

Carl

Okay, so I did a google search. P-51 at delta TOC.

Got this:

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...iPLVIFLkiXxfLI

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._1113500_n.jpg

I'll keep looking because we all know, I got the wrong Delta...

You got the wrong Delta, or you're at the wrong Delta? Big difference. :D

Bucking, I know you have been/are very much against the Nwa merger but let me ask you this, what would you have preferred? Had Nwa not merged with Dal we were going to merge with, most likely, continental. Nwa created Sky Team with KLM and then continental was brought in. If that merger would have happened then that would have left Dal with United and the Star alliance. If you say, staying alone is your choice then I would say that wasn't a choice on the table and even so look at how that has worked for AA. I know a couple of 98 hires (ten years ahead of you) at AA that would swap places with you in a heartbeat. In the end, what you are saying is that you preferred to have merged with United over Nwa. Continental wasn't an option for you guys as they didn't have the 52 bi-lateral rights out of Nrt and nor did you. That is why Anderson was specific in his quest for either Nwa or United. We've posted 3B in profit in the 24 months. Even the cargo carriers have turned their heads. As for pilot progression? Is there progression at United? USAir? American? For those of us that are pre 9/11 there has not been a pilot group that has gone through more since the advent of passenger flying. 9/11, Sars, two wars, BK, 40% + pay cuts, Pension termination, heavy taxes/fees, age 65 and a free for all in oil speculation that has energy prices looking like a sign wave. Through all this Delta is still standing, making a profit and potentially may grow if the economy turns around with the pilots getting a new contract. So, forgive me if when someone starts ranting about great things would have been at Delta or Northwest had the two companies not merged all I hear is blah, blah, blah. I'm sorry, did you say, "Blah?" Ask an AA pilot about career advancement. In aviation advancement is fluid and cyclical. It's just this cycle has been particularly harsh.

Found it!

Check it out, two bad a** airplanes sharing the Delta paint hangar: ;)

http://dw.squawk1200.net/app/webroot..._stripped2.jpg

Dixie Wing Home

And a thread...

Warbird Information Exchange • View topic - P-51D Paint Job... Am I seeing things or what?

And we painted their Dauntless

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._2309273_n.jpg