DEC Questions
 

Considering 9E for a DEC position. I have a interview this week. Has anyone done the interview lately and what should I expect? Im 3000TT and 1300 121 time. Looking for PIC time as LCC are not viable option any more.

• What's the junior bases
• How flexible are the schedules
• How is the Training programs
• Anyone have nay materials that helped you in the training program
• How much credit are DEC doing on average a month

TIA

DEC Answers
 

There I was , back in the day on the 727 at my old airline and this is how we did it 😵‍💫😵‍💫.. Of course in the old days they really did expect one to put the airplane back together on the oral , lol .

You'd probably get hired at the big 3 with your time . You'll get used and abused on reserve in NY as a DEC

A year ago perhaps, but it's below the average numbers for a legacy now. Regardless I wouldn't bail from an LCC to a regional.

Not at all. I know multiple sub 2000 hour pilots in legacy new hire classes right now.

"Below average numbers". Some indeed fall below, but the average is higher. It's hard to know what will happen with everybody reducing hiring numbers due to aircraft delivery delays.

UA is still doing classes of 60 every Tuesday (minus a few holiday weeks) until the end of the year 2024. There is no "reduction" of hiring. Can't speak on DL but I know AA hasn't slowed down either.

Fairly certain United has already backed off of the original 2,500, due to Max delays.

Most of the reduction is LCCs cutting hiring significantly. Then you probably have more current LCC folks now looking to make a shift where they previously might not.

haven't heard anything about slowing down hiring at UA.

Flow or preferential interview?
 

Has the Delta preferential interview become an actual flow? Maybe not in the 24 months advertised but still, once your number comes up, you're in at Delta??
I'm seeing conflicting info on this.

Also, I'm guessing the interview at Endeavor is pretty intense, if you're essentially interviewing at Delta, right??
How close are 9E non-rev benefits to Delta's? Of course not equal, but somewhere close (as opposed to Mesa where you're last on the list no matter what LOL)

There has been a flow here since 2021. The DGI has been over since that time too.

No the benefits are not the same. No profit sharing, no 18 percent 401K contributions, no reroute pay , and health benefits are not the same . They had the pathetic Kilroy DGI some years back , but when COVID struck they switched to the flow . They tried to do some type of EDV to Delta rubbish some years ago in which a new hire basically would interview at Endeavor and that counted as their Delta interview and then they cut in front of everyone on the 9E seniority list to Delta after about a year but ALPA put the Kabosh on that program. Propel is kinda similar so it's still a slap to all current 9E pilots and not sure why ALPA allows it unless everyone gets a seniority number . It's interesting though that Delta employees that do the propel pilot program and then are sent to Endeavor to get their hours get to keep their Delta benefits and profit sharing I believe which is ridunkulous in my opinion. Of course they don't offer propel program to Endeavor employees. But the current 9E interview is not made to be harder than usual even though all will eventually flow or go to Delta on the CAP program . The old DGI was stupid at best . Some HR lady in Atlanta would always give a no to pilots even though they were already flying Delta metal /passengers and then if one got the "double" no they were banned for life . What a joke. At least some that got the double no got some type of just payback and got to flow in eventually and I'm sure are doing just fine at Delta, no better or worse than anyone that got in on an "interview" , LOL.

Considering 9E as an option vs Sun Country. I can go DEC with 6 years 121 time. Still got 2 years left on the degree. Just curious what can I expect on the average 4 day? 3-4-4-5? Debating slogging it out with better pay while i finish the degree, or go with Sun country and get a more relaxed day with better overnights for less pay. Anyone's cynical two cents is appreciated.

Depends where you live. I’m assuming MSP? If you live in NYC and can drive to LGA or JFK within the call out window for reserve come to endeavor.
If you are in MSP, go to sun country. Commuting to NYC for a crap schedule isn’t worth your sanity.

You're usually pretty close on predictions. Any thoughts on more retention or seniority for 9E ?

No to more retention and no to seniority.

You gotta remember, Delta is a reactive company. Not proactive. 9E only lost 30 something pilots last month. And the months prior have been about the same. This is manageable attrition to the company.

Don’t forget, 9E was the last to get pay raises and retention. Again. Reactive and not proactive.

If we start seeing attrition numbers close to 100 a month, that’s when management might come to the table.

Hiring at LCC’s has basically stopped. United is slowing for a couple months. Delta is rumored to either stop hiring for a couple months or slow drastically. There is nowhere to go unless you get on with a major.