Originally Posted by NuGuy (Post 1155531)

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

I figured you guys were getting p'nked.

Nu

Originally Posted by sailingfun (Post 1155515)

I never said I support outsourcing. What I am trying to explain is that many on here seem to think that if tomorrow we could own all flying at Delta airlines we would keep every route. Nothing could be further from the truth. We would eventually lose every route that could not be operated at a competitive rate. To say otherwise is to argue that the airline industry is not intensely cost competitive. Good luck with that discussion. I believe the company over stepped the scope issue with the EM170/175. They should be operated at the mainline. I have been consistent in that on every post I have made since joining this forum.

Originally Posted by Scoop (Post 1155550)

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

Originally Posted by NuGuy (Post 1155531)

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

I figured you guys were getting p'nked.

Nu

Originally Posted by Scoop (Post 1155550)

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.

Originally Posted by 80ktsClamp (Post 1155576)

"We are not merging with Northwest Airlines."

Because if it's in an official email/statement, it must be true!

Originally Posted by capncrunch (Post 1155553)

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

Originally Posted by Wasatch Phantom (Post 1155633)

ACL,

I know it's speculation, but that's an absolute non-starter with me. We shouldn't have one 76 seat jet at DCI but thanks to Lee Moak's "proactive engagement strategy" we have up to 153 (IIRC) 76 seat jets and a hard cap of 255 70+ seat RJs.

Now you want to let the company have another 100 70+ seat RJ's so we can fix what ALPA's buffoon lawyers screwed up the first time and you want to trust those same idiots again???? NFW

I don't remember which forum member has as his tag line something like "Not one more pound, not one more seat, and not one more jet". That sums up my feelings very well.

Years ago Delta had a relatively small fleet of MD-11s which the company signed long term leases on. Maybe ten years later they decided it was cheaper to park the aircraft and pay the leases than continue to operate the airplanes at a loss, and they did exactly that.

If the contracts management entered into with various DCI carriers to operate 50 seat RJs (described as "self financing" by the infamous Fred Reid) are now money losers I'm not going to take it in the shorts to subsidize (once again) a poor decision on management's part.

Originally Posted by sailingfun (Post 1150055)

You have to attempt to view it from a management standpoint. They have spent five years in a reeducation campaign with the other employees that Delta will only be able to pay industry standard wages. They are correct in their cost assumptions to an extent. This is perhaps the most brutal industry around on companies that let costs get out of line.

A pilot contract that is viewed as above the abstract they have created with the other employees will lead to big problems. After our 2001 contract they had to follow up with a 17 percent raise to the mechanics when things started to get ugly there.

I suspect they will be willing to put forth a contract with some impressive numbers in the out years. They will not put out anything near what I or most pilots expect in the short term. The collapse of talks at UAL and the 1113 action at AMR will leave the company thinking and serious raises for the pilots will put their pilot costs way to high and that they will have other costs with non union employee fallout. The package they put forth will be back loaded while the package we want and deserve will have to be front loaded. I see the gap between the two as far to big to be bridged before we go to the NBM. The NMB has made it clear we can expect a very long process if we go that route.

Again this is going to be a long difficult contract with a lot of choices that have to be made. Don't start spending raises now. They may not come for 5 years.