forgot to bid

What bothers me more than anything are the folks that don't get it... they don't want to fly 76 seaters at mainline. I think if there was a poll taken it would be a small minority, but still. Its beneath them to fly an airplane, such as the Ejet, the size of the DC-9-10 but about as smart as the 767 with better avionics.

That to me is an enormous problem.

HercDriver130

forgot.....thats certainly were it started. Hell the good ole boys at AA didnt want to fly the F100 which was a true 100 seat platform......

My point of view is NOT popular.. and I dont like it either... but I really believe that mainline MGT does not want a 100 seat or smaller platform at that level. They want to push the envelope at the JET carriers ( I hate the regional moniker... i flew to many MIA - ORD or ATL - DEN runs to be considered regional ) to encompass the 100 seat market and perhaps even bigger down the road...

LOOK at the huge expansion international that most US carriers have undertaken in the past 20 years AND they have cedded the much of the short haul and medium haul domestic market to contract and wholly owned carriers. They have been marching this way for decades. I think you either get ALL the flying back to mainline... ( and probably take the pilots too ) or eventually the BIG US carriers will be true international FLAG carriers with very little domestic flying done in house. Maybe it wont come to pass that way....but I believe thats were MGT wants to take the industry.

Pineapple Guy

Herc, you're 100% right on that. I've been hearing excuses from DAL management ever since they got rid of the DC-9s in 1992 about their lack of a replacement airplane. They've found a way to replace that flying, and ALPA has let them, at a fraction of the pilot costs. I'm further convinced, sadly, that next contract management will come to us with lots of good deals.........if we agree to allow the scope to relax to 90 seats. If we say, NO, I honestly believe they will take a strike and will break it by training all the regional guys to fly the entire fleet.

This has been the master plan for 15+ years; keep increasing the number of qualified airline pilots flying for regional rates until that number exceeds the number flying at legacy rates, and then any strike can be broken; given enough sim time. Probably take another trip through bankruptcy while you do it, but managements are patient.

Again, I hope I'm wrong.

PG

DeltaPaySoon

I don't think you are wrong at all. I agree that the plan has always been as you wrote.

They will make your contract just appealing enough to garner 51.1% of the voters and it will include relaxation language on scope.

Same $@#$, different contract.

acl65pilot

These facts make it very important to let our CNC guys that LOA-2006-10 is not for sale.

forgot to bid

I don't think thats really a problem. You can go create a thread on the regional forum how many pilots would cross a DAL picket line to fly a 747, 777, 757, 767, etc. You'd be surprised how many would say no even with the promise of a big jet. It would be 1982 CAL all over again and most know better. Besides, they'd execute you for flying at GoJets willingly.

Besides, they still have a ways to go to equal the number of pilots at ml DAL/NWA. They come within I think like 1500 pilots or so if you said all of Mesa pilots and all of Skywest pilots and Republic/Chaquitta/Shuttle pilots who are also doing other regional flying.

Now increasing flying to 90 seaters... that is a problem and easy to see how that could be done. Just promise a few more 747s. Or if this was CAL, $2 more an hour.

Equinox

Well, that presumes that the regional MEC does not observe the definitions of struck work that the striking mec establishes. I know the Mesaba mec and there is no way they will allow themselves to be used to break a strike at mainline....and, sympathy strikes may be legal, as well.
The strike committees will track past, present, and future flying under a strike, and prevent any increase in scope, frequency, or gauge during a strike

HercDriver130

As a prior pilot with at least two of the so called regionals... I dont see anyone crossing a picket line to fly struck mainline work. I do believe that most of the mainline companies out there want 90 seat aircraft in the mix i just think they want them flown for less than mainline wages.
IF mainline pilots are REALLY serious about scope... they should want it all back.. all of it... and if that means bring on board the pilots who come with the aircraft ..well ....i think that is better than the other alternative.....

jacksjj

As a regional guy, I PRAY for the day you majors "take it back."

Some of us, admittingly, have SJS and would love to fly your 7-6 for 31 bucks an hour. However, the majority of us - how soon you are to forget - are ONLY here so we can get there.

Take it back. Take it ALLLLLL back. It would be just that much faster for me to stop making 30 some dollars an hour, and actually be able to feed my kid. And dont give me that "You chose to go there." BS.... where else am I supposed to get my 1000PIC?

tsquare

Best post written in this or any other thread. Too bad it falls on deaf ears.