Dude, you must be a riot to fly with! Props!

 

This issue has come up quite a few times since then. The last time was just 4 years ago. It has taken a big lobbying effort and cash each time to beat it back. The current rule allows the exemption only for immediate family members. If you extend non rev passes to someone not meeting the IRS definition of immediate family then you have to pay the imputed value of the ticket in taxes. That is one reason for the charge on buddy passes. It avoids the imputed value tax. Some airlines don't charge for buddy type passes but in the end you pay about the same after taxes.

 

So do what Rocky states. Two people can be added to travel on the same priority as your parents. That way if it is two friends, they travel on your priority when they are traveling with you.

Other airlines around the world offer ID90 rates to parents, siblings, their spouses, nieces, nephews, in laws etc.

 

You got the 50 dollar fee unilaterally with no prior input from the pilots. They could also limit S2's or S3's etc currently with no prior input. If they keep pulling capacity and as a result there are too many non-revs clogging the system, you could currently see these benefits unilaterally changed.

 

Thanks for your concern. I'm sure I will do alright!

Like I said before tsquare; you are already a widebody captain. You won't gain much by leaving Delta. Even with the current payrates, schedules and qol, you will do better staying here.

But for junior folks like me who are First Officers, it is going to take 15 to 20 yrs to make it to an 7ER left seat (without further shrinkage) and 10+ years to a narrowbody left seat on reserve. So career progression wise alone, I would gain by leaving Delta today. I can walk directly into a left seat of several narrowbody jobs and even some widebody gigs with my experience.

I don't even have to head to the Middle East to achieve this. Middle East is not my cup of tea. There are currently some great opportunities in the Far East. In fact, several pre-merger NWA pilots lived in the Far East while working for NWA. With the significant lower cost of living, they were able to live a life of luxury down in some sunny island. I personally visited some of them... don't even get me started on those stories!

As I stated before, as a widebody reserve FO, I have been making reserve guarantee for the last few years (even with greenslips put on for the entire month). I make $7700 before taxes and around $5500 after all deduction and taxes. It is a far cry from luxury much less a decent income.

Currently I'm working a side-business to supplement my Delta income. It is pretty sad that I have to do it, while flying for 'One Great Airline'!

So with the career stagnation, low pay and high cost of living; leaving Delta would be a good move on my part. Without a great 2012 contract, the decision becomes much much easier. I and many other will not stay here and 'hope' for a better tomorrow. I am ambitious. I will play elsewhere.

Again, if they want to furlough as part of the negotiating scare tactics, bring it on! I just hope they hurry and and do it!

Delta is currently a second tier airline. Currently well behind Fedex, UPS and Southwest in the US alone. We must be aggressive to gain an industry leading contract in 2012. I would much rather be furloughed and return to a first tier airline with a great contract, than hang on and accept mediocrity. I am not mouthing off as some senior guy who is safe from a furlough. I will be included in the first wave, if they furlough!

 

This is classic!!! And true too!

 

With the opportunities you have at the moment I would make my move to a new career now. You reference 2012 many times in your post. It shows a lack of understanding about how the process works. There is not a chance we will see a contract in 2012 with anything close to what I will except much less the 40 percent you mention. The only way to get that type of contract will be after a release from the NMB. Contrary to what Carl thinks this is going to be a political contract. The NMB already recognizes it as a watershed contract in the industry. They have involved themselves in the process already which is highly unusual.
The normal time frame to get through the NMB is 4 years at the moment. Our contract will take longer. The earliest we can expect a release if ever is probably around 2017. The industry will have changed so much by then the opportunities you mention may be gone.
Even if we reach a negotiated settlement with the company the norm is about 18 months beyond the amendable date so you are still looking at 2014 mid year.
The one thing that could change all these timelines is another merger. Then all bets are off depending on what the company needs from us.

 

No offense, but you seem to speak as though you definitively know how section 6 negotiations will unfold over the next year.

Seeing as the survey results and "official" position of DALPA on certain issues is a mystery to the majority of the pilot group, I find it extremely arrogant for anyone, be it a supporter for DPA or DALPA, to establish the exact outcome over the next few years.

I may have misread your tone here, so if I did I apologize. Either way definitive assumptious predictions of section 6 will do nothing for anyone.

Some of us "Junior FOs", like Freightguy and myself, need to start seriously start thinking about our plan "B" since the reliability of the airlines are about as stable as a plate glass window.

Just saying...

 

All I can add is that RA has stated repeatedly that a long, drawn out contract negotiation is not in the best interest of the company. This does not mean that the company will not draw a line in the sand and use threat tactics to get what management wants. Just saying!

 

Wow. ... Coming from someone who is one of the best sources for information on this forum.

That's the same conclusion I've been reaching off and on, since the intent of the merger was announced along with a cessation of Delta's all too brief post bankruptcy growth spurt.

It is hard to pull the trigger without complete information. With our need for a 100 to 130 seat jet, our profitability, our much heralded network reach and older pilot population, there are a lot of speculative reasons to want to keep a Delta seniority number (despite the disappointing current results).

Delta Management (and ALPA) seemed to have changed their mind about Delta's future trajectory. Management's change of heart can be visibly seen in our declining capacity numbers and never ending quest for employee cost reduction. The ALPA side of the equation is impossible to quantify, but is signaled by an overall lack of interest in pursuing issues like restoration of our production balance within our Joint Venture with Air France. Several of us inquired to our Reps about a letter condemning Delta's outsourcing, this landed with a thud only rivaled by a cow patty dropped from Camel height.

The way I've decided to play this for now is to seek as long a leave of absence as the Company will allow and work elsewhere. As long as reserves are not being utilized getting paid by two, or three, jobs results in earnings about where a guy should be for this level of age, education and overall level of decrepitude ... When displaced, simply request the LOA for the day training starts... as long as Delta doesn't need me, I'm going to try not to need Delta. When Delta does need pilots, it might be nice to dust off this seniority number and go flying.

Many think a merger is in the winds and that now might be the time to bail out. IMHO that's really speculative, unless they have some real inside information (in which case, share with us, a lot of folks are in the process of making life time decisions here ... my wife's all for going to Dubai )