FIT59,
If you were looking for stability then you made a brilliant move by not coming to Delta. DAL has its pros and cons like any other legacy, but stable is not a word that comes to mind when I think about employment at Delta.;)
Scoop

Most of my friends fly for Delta and were the ones that encouraged the switch to cargo flying. I think Dept. 31 at Delta is the best job in the world, but I really do enjoy flying around the world in my PJ's! All the best, I have family at Delta and I want to see their careers flourish.

Your very right about dept 31 at Delta. It really is the best flying around. I don't think anyone can beat the variety and scope of the flying available out of both NYC and JFK. You can pick from 2 day to 10 day trips and layover almost anywhere you want. To Paraphrase Rosco McMillan a former Delta Chief pilot and crew rest advocate "The worst trip in terminal E is better then the best trip in terminal A". E is international and A is domestic.

I'm a new hire at NetJets and loving it,but if I stayed airline Delta would have been my first choice, you have picked up the gauntlet at JFK laid down by PanAm and TWA,please don't follow their path. I grew up in the shadow of the Canarsie Approach, its nice to see all those widgets over Brooklyn,and Queens, bound for foreign shores. Godspeed !

So..... I guess the old "hiring slowing down" thing is false? Just looks like 100-80 or so pilots less this year? Is that the latest from the school house?

MARTY!!

Oil and Gold Prices Continue to Fall Sharply

The New York Times

By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM
Published: March 20, 2008

The plummeting price of oil and gold on Thursday raised hopes that consumer prices could start to moderate, even as some investors wondered whether one of the last safe spots in a tumultuous market was beginning to collapse.



http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/bu...rssnyt&emc=rss

Marty,
The latest that I heard was continued hiring though May, take a breather over the summer and resume again in the fall. Of course our 5 year plan changes every six months. 100-80 less is probably accurate as of now - what the plan will be tomorrow is anybodies guess. I guess the whole parking aircraft thing was really blown out of proportion. On the DAL boards they are saying we will park 12-15 specific mainline airframes that need heavy maintenance checks or have lease issues. Guys are saying these mainline aircraft will slowly be parked starting in the fall. This could be a way to force better lease deals but I personally think we will park some mainline aircraft. Parking aircraft is never good but at least we are not deferring any of our 2008-2009 aircraft orders - that totally bites. I remember following 911 all we did was defer mainline aircraft while buying a lot of RJ's - hopefully the company finally figured out RJ's are money losers with the high cost of fuel. I will continue to hope for the best as I plan for the worst.
Scoop

Any idea/rumors on which mainline A/C DAL will park?

http://www.delta.com/about_delta/inv...asts/index.jsp

Listen around min 15:00-17:30 mainly at 17:05 DAL is well aware of this.

http://www.delta.com/about_delta/inv...asts/index.jsp

PS the above link is free.

Pres/CEO Ed Bastian told JPMorgan Aviation & Transportation Conference that DAL may have some potential buyers for some older 757 and some DOM 767-300's and 88's nothing solid just interest. (min 31:00)

I heard two classes in April and one in May. They will re-evaluate from there. We were told that during Indoc that DAL hires to fill their peak flying capacity and that is during the summer. The news stories quote DAL as cutting back 5% on domestic capacity around late August so that would be after peak. A May hire could hit the 88 line by August. Simple math seams to reason that if they cut 5% domestic capacity, and they were short 88 drivers to begin with, then they just don't need to hire as many. But still need to hire. Besides, we all agree that DAL is taking delivery of about 23 new/used A/C in the next 18 months and they will need to be staffed. Those numbers do not include the Chinese nine MD-90's or one or two used B-777's they are looking for if the price is right. Planners told us about the possible extra 777's.

10-15 MD88's and 5 757's.

Anyone care to guess what that chances of somebody interviewing week would have of getting the last April or the May class if they are successful?

I'm just guessing, but if they didn't need anyone else for the classes in April and May that they plan on running, they would probably have cancelled your interview. Hopefully it works out for you. I don't see how they won't pick hiring back up in the fall with the 700's and 777's that are coming. I've also heard rumblings that the number of 88's that we are parking will be equal to the 90's that they are still planning on getting, but we've been hearing the 90 rumor now for over a year.

Well, from what I've heard, the time frame from interview to class date has been around 30 days. My friend just got a class date (28 days from interview to class). I know of several others that were right around the 1 month mark as well. So, if you get hired, I'd say you have a good chance of getting on property before they stop classes.

Good to know! I'm really excited about the whole thing. I just hope it all works out.

Put it this way... Everything went really fast for me. I interviewed 3rd week of February and everything went perfectly. Got a call for the April 7 class early this week.