Yesterday, NWA announced that it needs 450 FAs to take an early out, this will balance staffing with fleet size. I am sure there is a ratio of FAs to aircraft and and there will be a related reduction on the pilot side.

 

That just goes to show you that all that talk about "No involuntary layoffs or furloughs" is a bunch of BS. There will be a lot of jobs lost as this merger comes to life.

For example: At airport "XYZ" there is Delta service and NWA service. There are both Delta and NW ticket counters, Delta and NW ground personnel. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that they will be trimming the fat at all these airports.

 

These are not involuntary layoffs. They are voluntary. NWA did this last year and the year before as well. They go very senior and there are always complaints that there aren't enough of them. There are plenty of FAs looking to be bought out. They are tired of the rat race and I predict there won't be any lack of takers on this "opportunity." Not necessarily a bad thing.

 

Exactly, I just wish the company could find the money to buy out pilots. Then this SLI might be a little easier to work out.

 

I only wish that our old FAs at DAL would take the bait. DAL is also offering buyout packages, but most of the ones taking it are the ones you wish would not! The ancient "I only fly to Milan on Monday" cat-ranchers aren't going anywhere...unfortunately.

 

Herk,

Just to show my ignorance...I would guess your "JFK-MXP on Monday" flights are money-making flights. Put in other terms, these European flights are your "bread and butter" flights.

Factor in 10 or so cat-ranchers who fly these flagship flights.

Some are sweating, some are wearing reebok sneakers, some are taking the appetizers off the first-class setups so they can give it to the hotel staff at the layover hotel, most have no problem yelling at any passenger that gets out of line, but have a hard time getting down the aisle without dislocating three people's shoulders, all of them are taking as much airplane booze off the plane for the layover, all of them are complaining how this is the worst flight they've flown in 35 years and doing so loud enough that even the air traffic controllers can hear them, some will get onto the interphone to the cockpit and demand to know how many A/C packs you have turned off because they cant breathe and then when you ask them where your crew meal is they say "Whoops, you dialed the wrong number, try back later".....sound familiar ?

Ahhh, I miss those days.

FF

 

Did you non-rev on my last trip?

 

I had one FA that ate her crew meal then the second half of the first class goodie tray,(she just assumed that the first class passengers wouldn't notice) then she ate all three of the pilot crew meals. I would like to see her bought out! By the pound she weighed about 350! They need FA buyouts.

 

Don't give up on that idea just yet. They might be willing to trade something of that nature for a fast and peaceful integration, but they won't "find the money" if they think they don't have to.

 

Yeah, I think they did it while they were hiring last year. Maybe right before.....

Those old F/A's never come to work. Just like those old pilots.