Is Delta still planning/looking to get down to 3 or 4 types of aircraft? I assume that means getting rid of the MD-80/83/90 fleet. All Boeing fleet? Also, any info. out there on plans for a 787 purchase? Love all the merger talks. Hope they make a big announcement soon! Great airline!

 

Why would you love the merger talks? Do you want them to merge, reduce overlapping capacity and furlough all the junior pilots?

 

Delta has 5 types

MD88/90
737
757/767
767-400
777

If, IF, they do the avionics package on the 757/767 the differences will be reduced further with the 767-400 and there was some talk of a combined 767-400/777 category. Delta has reduced the seat lock on the 767, 767ER transition to only 9 months.

 

I agree that merging would be a good thing.

The biggest problem with our industry is there is too much competition. This competition is the single biggest reason why airlines have no pricing power. Airline management is not scared of raising ticket prices because they will stop people from traveling, they are afraid of raising fares because they are afraid people will fly on other airlines with a cheaper fare (Southwest, Skybus, Virgin America,...). Thus they have no pricing power.

Any business has two ways to generate a profit (their goal). They can increase revenue or they can reduce costs (what airlines have primarily done since 9/11). Raising revenue is good for labor, cutting costs is terrible for labor (since labor is typically an airlines largest expense).

I feel that mergers can be accomplished with minimal job loss. How many jobs were lost when US Air/America West merged? Not very many at all. And zero pilot jobs were lost. This merger was both successful and unsuccessful. It was successful because there was minimal overlap (only on the hub to hub flights), so hardly any jobs/flights were were eliminated. This merger could only be considered unsuccessful because of the pilot seniority integration crisis. This problem occurred because US Air and America West had two completely different pilot groups. They were on two completely opposite ends of the spectrum. This will not happen if a legacy merges with a legacy, or a newer national carrier (Frontier, Jetblue, Spirit, Airtran) merge with each other. The lists at these airlines are not too much different, and whether the merger is DOH or percentage based integration, there is no one who can either gain big or loose big.

So if alike airlines merge, there will be minimal job/flying loss and minimal integration problems. Personally, I would like to see some combination of the following (especially for the national/LCC type carriers)
United/Continental
Delta/Northwest
Frontier/Jetblue/Spirit
Alaska/Southwest
Airtran/Midwest
I feel it only takes one of these mergers happening to set off a chain reaction.

So now that we have quelled the potential problems, lets look at the advantages.
More bases. How many CAL pilots would love it if they merged with United and could be based in Denver instead of having to commute. How about some pilots who live in another airlines domicile and that airline mergers with their airline. No more commuting. Perhaps the airline they merge with will have a much closer proximity base to theirs, making their commute easier. They will have double the access to online jumpseating and non-rev travel.

Less competition. This industry has been going downhill ever since deregulation because there is too much competition. Every time an airline tries to raise fares, the majority of other airlines will match the fare increase, but it only takes one for the whole bunch to need to rescind that increase. With fewer airlines, it becomes much easier to raise fares. There is no reason that airfare should be less than Greyhound/Amtrak tickets. Fewer airlines means higher fares, higher revenue, and more bargaining power for all labor unions.


I feel mergers can be a good thing. I am rooting for them. I think the mergers need to be similar type airlines with minimal overlapping route structures (like the 5 combinations listed above). I would be against any merger where the combined airline would plan on furloughing pilots, but I just don't think that will happen. Airlines would need to promise no major layoffs if a merger were to occur. If they meet these three criteria, I say let it happen, and lets reap the benefits.

Finally, I think the prospect of a merger among the majors is like the prospect of loosing RJ flying to the majors for regional guys. While it initially may seem like the regionals are loosing flying, and this could hurt their career progression slightly in the short term, the benefit of having more mainline aircraft with mainline pilots earning much better wages with better workrules is in the best interest of the overall industry. And it will eventually trickle back to them with increased attrition and eventually helping both their career progression and their career earnings/QOL.
Remember we are all on the same team...I just think that mergers (if done right), can be a good thing.

 

there is quite a bit of difference between 757/767; 767-400......the 400 is a completely different type rating.

 

How many jobs were lost when AA/TWA merged? A whole damn lot!!Mergers are a huge mess that I personally don't want to be a part of. And management/stock holders will not think about how many jobs will be lost when they pick that partner. They don't give a crap. They will only care about how much money the merge will make them.

 

Wow..........what a post! I certainly hope you're not in the airline industry, because if you are, you are way off base. Mergers have done nothing to help our industry. Someone always gets the short end of the stick. Would you be a happy camper to have that happen to you? Would you love to be a CA somewhere and find out you've just been tossed to the bottom of an FO list? I hardly doubt it.
How many CAL pilots would love to merge with UAL? Probably .005% if that many! Surprised? Why? UAL pilots/UAL did everything they could to try and snuff CAL out a few years back. CAL was considered the scourge of the industry. Why would we love anything about them? I have friends at UAL, but I'm certainly not clamoring to merge with them. NO WAY!! Who cares if we have another base or not? Yeah, the DEN commmuters might love it, but only if they could hold it, otherwise it's another PITA for everyone.

Less competition? Yeah right..................as soon as one airline shuts down, our gov't approves 2 or three more to take their place and all they do is try to undercut everyone and make the situation even more dire. How is that good?

As far as rooting for them...........go ahead. You might be sorry when you get what you ask for. If you don't have much seniority, you may find yourself without a job. Wouldn't that be poetic justice???

 

Minimal job loss is great as long as it's not your job. What a blatant management type phrase. Who cares about the folks that will be out of work, just as long as senior management gets their million dollar bonuses.

 

Nobody in their right mind WANTS to merge with anyone. If they do, the generally have a selfish agenda. I remember the USair guy on my jumpseat talking about how he'd love to fly our 777s out of ATL. Classy guy making A LOT of assumptions. Unfortunately every airline has 'em.

 

wrong. A 767 type is a 767 type. Only differences training is required to go from 757/767 to a 764. It's not a different type rating.