Sailing,

No offense meant, but when ALPA, or a in-the-know ALPA trusted agent (my phraseology for your status), says we have "bullet proof" contractual language that's a huge red flag (that phrase again) to me. IMHO based on 20+ years at Delta, DALPA's track record on contract language is not good. Partly that's because when they "sell" something to the pilots they make it sound one way, when in fact it may not be. Partly it's because ALPA's much touted legal experts agreed to (or wrote) lousy language. Either way I put the blame on DALPA/ALPA.

Similarly Delta's marketing department has a "less than stellar" record. I think highly of Hauenstein and Cortelyou, but prior to their tenure marketing was lousy. Example: For decades Delta's RASM was significantly above the industry average. Passengers were willing to pay a premium to fly on Delta. However in the late nineties that changed and by the time Delta went into chapter 11 our RASM was significantly less than industry average. Our product sucked and everyone knew it.

MANAGEMENT KEEPS SAYING THIS, NOT ALPA!!!

ALPA would love to help us all achieve 100% raises, the true limiting factor is how we convince the NMB to "release" us to a cooling off period without "parking us indefinitely".

No one has yet given a real plan on how to get the NMB to release us....

The AT MEC has just put out a email officially denying the 717 rumor.

I figured you guys were getting p'nked.

Nu

Reminds me of a conversation with a MadDog DGS instructor. When MD designed their jets, they think about how the pilots first, and make things easy for the guys when things get hairy. Boeing designs a plane to a spec, and that's it. If you jockeys can't figure it out when you have a dual flame, tough luck... Too bad Boeing can't learn from Airbus.

I say ALPA in part because folks like sailing tell us to go over to marketing and be educated on how we need multiple RJs on hundreds of routes. When anyone says that we need to eliminate them, we're told that we don't get it and would lose millions.

Interesting. It seems to me Douglas put a handle where ever the cable landed and could care less about whether the thing would remain rigged. Douglas expected Fate is the Hunter style techique and German test pilots on their fourth cup of coffee to fly their jets. Boeing designed airplanes so mere pilots could fly them. Airbus designed the airplane so a ramper could fly it. But occasionally some systems snafu would really require a reach into your best work to have a successfuloutcome. jmho ... typed on all brands ..

My response to the DGS guy would have been something like "Oh you mean how they mounted the standby compass above the F/Os head and gave you mirrors that won't stay put to so you could see it. Yeah that's really well designed."

I'm impressed you have the brass...

Sailing,

You often post very good and accurate information on here - even better, often not what the mob wants to hear. Kudos for a fresh well informed perspective.

But at times it appears that you eagerly try to make managements point. Case in point - you say management will only run the most cost efficient jet on any route. What about LGA? Do you think that LGA-DFW, LGA-ORD and others can be run more efficiently with RJ's?


Or is the company running RJs on some routes because the geniuses running the company a few years back went ape-**** and signed contracts with numerous lowest cost providers and is now forced to live within this constraint.

I agree that costs are probably the primary factor concerning aircraft routes, but it appears that the long term lift contracts may also play a part. I guess it is what it is.

Scoop

This is the third or fourth time this scenario has come about. Still waiting....