One last thing Bar,

You don't think NWA pilots are your equals or are you saying something else? :confused:

Excellent advice.

There are two sides to every story. I also remember the Comair strike - I remember paying into your strike fund out of my paychecks. I remember Delta pilots walking the picket lines with you guys. I also remember the very next year when your MEC wouldn't hire furloughed Delta pilots unless they resigned their Delta seniority number. I thought this was odd since ASA and Skywest did not seem to mind. I also remember a letter signed by JC Lawson saying he did not think it would be "safe" to have furloughed Delta pilots in a Comair cockpit. As far as getting together with one seniority list the only thing that I ever heard was that a deal could have been reached but your MEC wanted date of hire and that killed the deal. I have no idea if this is true or not, but that is what went around Delta at the time.
I have no doubt that the Pilots at Comair are pretty much the same as at all other airlines, 95% great guys and about 5% idiots. Its a shame the 95% stood by and watched as the Comair MEC gave furloughed Delta pilots the shaft.
Scoop

Yes, very true. How can the same union represent two distinct and opposite pilot groups? I don't understand. If someone can enlighten me, PLEASE do so.

NWA pilots are NWA pilots. I'm not comparing anyone's ability, or background. In fact, NWA pilots have done an excellent job under adverse circumstances.

More importantly, if this goes down the pilots of both airlines need unity within ALPA to negotiate with the deal makers. Furlough protections, claims, pay rates, scope, etc....

TheStreet.com:
Guy - I'm not giving you any crap about DAL pilots and do not wish to start a fight amongst the pilot groups. For new hires at either airline the pay scales make the job an investment. If the investment is not worth while you have to re-evaluate your options. Surely our employer is going re-evaluate staffing...they are not going to announce anything now and trigger political opposition, but any 07 hires that are not looking for their furlough jobs have a false sense of security IMHO.

Here you go for a little perspective:

http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=271399

Don't you like the part that says:

When I was at ASA, I was a big supporter of one list and still am. In fact, I've written my ALPA reps supporting one list with the wholly owneds in this merger - NWA already has a bilateral flow through, but one list is better for everyone involved.

Comair really muddied the water with the position that DAL pilots were not safe flying with Comair pilots. We had a few Delta pilots on board at ASA and they did a terrific job with a good attitude.

I doubt you could find a more humble or friendly group than the Delta pilots - although they admittedly have lost their balance when it comes to the Comair deal. Try to see the other side. Comair replaced many Delta pilots out of CVG, then said they were unsafe, it was a low blow.

Now is your turn to gloat if you choose to. Those who took a 50% or more pay cut from what you earn to interview and get on board at Delta or NorthWest now have the prospect of losing what they thought they had.

Again, I'm not being arrogant when I say I am done with 121 flying if this goes down the way I expect it to. Quite the opposite, I bet on "keep my Delta, my Delta" and may have really made a mistake when resigning from the top third of a seniority list. If I take my "furlough job" I'm not coming back - what's wrong with that?

Candidly it is good news to read folks defend NorthWest. Maybe NWA is not nearly as bad as my impression of the place is.

The merger is all about reducing redundancies. Depending on how "merger proof" SkyWest and Republic's contracts are, Comair could end up going for a wild ride (just like we are). I do not like this deal for any pilots.

The NWA guys bring up the excellent point about the youthful age of the Delta pilot group. This emphasizes the point that if this happens, it is time to re-eavluate employment decisions.

Someone wrote months ago that "airlines will hire until they furlough." If seniority was portable it would not be that big a deal, but when a new hire Delta pilot with a Master's and 5,000 hours of 121 jet PIC makes less than the 17 year old Manager of Captain D's in my neighborhood (true W2 comparison) the investment in these jobs is considerable.

I agree, if it's going to happen it would be in both group's best interests to have a united front. And as an NWA '07 hire I'm all for the furlough protection!

Latest, as of early this AM-

Delta and Northwest close to merger
By Justin Baer in New York

Published: February 6 2008 22:14 | Last updated: February 7 2008 01:19

Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines are closing in on an agreement to merge the two US carriers, people familiar with the discussions said.

The airlines may clinch the landmark accord as early as the middle of this month, the people said, though they cautioned that negotiations could still stall or even collapse.

Delta and Northwest have made some progress in selecting the combined company’s top managers. Richard Anderson, Delta chief executive, would keep that title following the proposed merger, while Doug Steenland, Northwest chief executive, would remain part of a senior team that would include executives from both airlines, the people said.
A deal between Delta and Northwest, two of the world’s largest carriers, would help squeeze excess capacity from an industry beset by record fuel costs and intense competition for passengers.

It could also spark a wave of consolidation throughout the industry, as rivals scramble to strike deals that help them eliminate unprofitable routes and weather a looming economic downturn.

The two airlines and their advisers still need to find common ground on the deal’s terms, including the ratio at which Northwest investors will exchange their shares for those in the new company.

There are also no assurances that any of the concessions either side have made will be part of a final agreement, should there be one, one person said.

Mindful of the scrutiny any airline merger will receive from regulators, politicians, organised labour and consumer advocates, both carriers are striving to structure a deal that would minimise job losses while still delivering the cost savings its shareholders crave.

It is a delicate balance and any agreement would merely mark the start of a lengthy process of winning the necessary approvals and then integrating complex operations into one company.

Northwest declined to comment on Wednesday. A Delta spokeswoman said: “Delta’s board is working with management to analyse strategic options, including potential consolidation transactions, to ensure Delta maintains its leadership position.”

Delta executives received approval from their board last month to pursue a merger with either Northwest or United Airlines, another legacy carrier. As January ended, and Delta’s talks with Northwest gained momentum, United in turn weighed reigniting negotiations with yet another airline, Continental.

Comair really muddied the water with the position that DAL pilots were not safe flying with Comair pilots. We had a few Delta pilots on board at ASA and they did a terrific job with a good attitude.

I remember going into the DAL strike center in CVG, which was upstairs from ours, and all the talk was about one list. And some of the guys were like we support you and even walked with us. With that said, heres the full story, the Delta guys that did walk with us would only carry their sign that talked about how under paid they were and really nothing about us, just trying to get their own pub. Then, DAL signed their deal, closed the strike center, and told us to get back to work. As far as not wanting DAL guys at Comair, that was company management, not the pilot group. Think about it, why hire a guy spend 40,000 bucks training him then having him leave a few yrs later.

I doubt you could find a more humble or friendly group than the Delta pilots - although they admittedly have lost their balance when it comes to the Comair deal. Try to see the other side. Comair replaced many Delta pilots out of CVG, then said they were unsafe, it was a low blow.

As far as DAL being humble, I don't think so. Everytime you see another pilot what do you do? Tip your hat, nod your head or wave. When I see a DAL guy 90% of the time the guy just walks by as if their SH%% doesn't stink. And I know they see us because the FA's that are there wave. Let it be known that I am going to class for NWA later this month and hope there is no merger, because I don't want anything to do with DAL.