Being an ex-military pilot I'm not too familiar with all the work rules relating to the day to day operations of being a commercial pilot. I've been digging around other posts but haven't found quite what I'm looking for. My main focus are the differences between CAL and DAL other than pay, location, and upgrades that have been covered immensely on here. Here's an example...

Sign-in at 7:30, push at 8:30. Break at first destination. This delay lasts 6 hours. Do you hang out at the jet or do you get a hotel room? After the jet is fixed, the WX moves in to your next destination. You slide right in but the next leg outbound is CNX'd. You go to the hotel. After a 12 hr day you flew 2.7 hrs. The question is; do you get paid 2.7 hrs. or a guarantee of 5.25 hrs.?

This is just one example after asking a friend the same thing but I didn't get a straight answer. Any other differences or examples would be much appreciated!

 

You can probably find answers to some of your questions here....

http://airlinepilotcentral.com/optio...Itemid,85.html

 

Didn't see Delta there and what I saw would make the original question a dictionary answer.

To best explain what the diff is between Delta And CAL, I got these facts for you: We have NO scabs in Delta, people working for Delta like Delta, in Delta people are not saying it was better at the regional they left from. If upgrade is your number one priority, you live in CLE, or simply enjoy scabs - go CAL. Just my 2c worth...

 

Thanks for your opinions.

 

And that is about all he got out of you. 2 cents of BS.

Let me guess. You applied to several places and either CAL never interviewed you or you got turned down. Then you later got an offer from Delta. Good for you. Or you are simply just a blowhard hoping to get a real job one day.

Here is something to compare for the guy with a real question hoping for a real answer.

I made 160K last year and flew 82 days. 16 year B777 FO. Used 61 hours SLV.

This year B756 CA and will make 192K and work 146 days. Have used 49 hours SKLV. I'm 42 and have over 3000 pilots behind me on the list of 5000.

35 days of vacation per year and haven't worked Christmas, New Years, July 4, or Thanksgiving in 14 years. Have worked 7 Easters in 17 years.

Have NEVER missed a birthday of either of my kids.

How does that compare to Delta?

 

Your guess is all wrong but that is OK. Why the anger? That you have been there for a while and get that angry tells me only one thing with respect to my comparison and you prolly know what I'm talking about.

 

Come on, Viking - you said "or simply enjoy scabs - go CAL".

That would get anyone riled up.

How about covering a typical day at DAL for the guy asking the question?

Guys come here for honest info about life at different airlines. If anyone wants to get into a "My airline is better" contest, they can take it over to FI.

I suspect that kostick has job offers from both airlines and is trying to decide which will work best for him.

CALPilotToo provided some good info from a very senior guy - I'm guessing that input from some junior guys at CAL would be beneficial as well.

We were all there once - on the outside looking in. Sniping at each other now doesn't help the new guys make a decision.

 

I only know of a small group of pilots who have worked at both airlines and only the pilots who went from CAL to DAL. There may be some who went the other way. I apologize for those at DAL who mistake pride in a good company for a chance to say something bad about a competitor. I think it is enough to say that the new hire pilots around DAL are happy to be here and a few left CAL for DAL because of the rather severe conditions at CAL for their new hires (lower pay & no insurance). However, the seniority list is going to move faster due to retirements at CAL. Delta is growing, but the left seat is faster at CAL.

At each airline there are a variety of credits. Here are a few at Delta, (and I'm no expert, just trying to help):
Line guarantee 65 hours, reserve 70 hours
5:15 pay for each reserve period, fly, or not.
Suit up pay, 2.0 - if the trip cancels after you get to the airport as a reserve pilot.
Rotation Guarantee - generally you will not drop below the value of the rotation (trip) if it, or part of it, cancels. If you go over time, you get paid for the over block, if you go under, you still get paid for the original schedule.
Rotation Credit - 1 for 3&1/2; you get paid 1 hour for every 3 and a half hours you are on your rotation.
Hotel - generally, you will get a hotel (even in base) if the delay, or change, exceeds five hours.

So to your question:
[PHP]Sign-in at 7:30, push at 8:30. Break at first destination. This delay lasts 6 hours. Do you hang out at the jet or do you get a hotel room? After the jet is fixed, the WX moves in to your next destination. You slide right in but the next leg outbound is CNX'd. You go to the hotel. After a 12 hr day you flew 2.7 hrs. The question is; do you get paid 2.7 hrs. or a guarantee of 5.25 hrs.?[/PHP]
Your pay would be the highest of either the total scheduled block hours for the day, the amount you flew or the 1 for 3.5 credit of 3.43 hours at the very least. You would be in the hotel, if you wanted to go.

I do not know about CAL's reserve system, but DAL lets you get in the computer and pick your trips (not that I'm getting any I ask for) and make changes to your schedule while you are a reserve pilot. We just went fat on reserves this month, so it seems there is a good bit of flexibility in the system when the flying slows down in the off season. Delta has a lot of international growth coming up, if you want to fly big airplanes a long way from home. I hear a lot of complaining about Continental's bidding system and not as much about Delta's. Again, I'm poorly qualified to answer these questions comparing the two... FWIW.

 

Yeah, nobody is really going to be able to answer your question on this board...best you can get is some honest answers from both sides regarding specific questions, and good luck not getting a ridiculous argument going.

Contracts are entirely too intricate to just summarize them on the internet anyway. A junior guy's life on the MD88 could be different in the summer vs. winter, different than a 737-800 pilot, and different than a 767 international pilot. Each experience is different and its almost like different airlines within an airline.

With the airplanes we have on order, we'll have over 150 heavy aircraft by 2010...30% of our fleet. All of these airplanes require 3-4 pilots so nearly half of our pilots will be flying internationally. Between the Shuttle operation, international, and domestic there is something here for everyone and its a quality airline. The workrules combined with way the operation runs, its generally a very predictable lifestyle even on reserve.

Anyway, I would suggest asking specific questions, and not a convoluted rotation example...you'll just get us arguing amongst ourselves about how it pays! Because I'd have to disagree with BukingBar... at Delta your minimum for a qualifying duty period would be 5:15, assuming your example is a lineholder. Reserve would be slightly different.

Good luck!

 

I'd say Flare gave you about the best and most reasonable answer you can expect. Contracts are complicated and every airline is different. I am biased to both airlines though (I fly for CAL and my dad is a 22 year DAL pilot). Really it depends on what you are looking for and what is most important to you. Right now at CAL EWR guys are off of reserve in 1-2 months and a Captain upgrade is possible in 2-3 years (no idea if it will hold). From what I gather at DAL, their scheduling is better than ours. Reserve sucks anywhere in my opinion. As a long call reserve at CAL we have an agressive pickup window the day prior to your reserve days where you can pick up a trip before you get assigned one. From what Flare said it sounds like DAL has something similar. As he said your best bet is probably to ask specific questions and see what each group has to say about their respective airline.