Maybe short term... Looking long term, I'd much rather be at the bottom of Delta's seniority list right now than in the middle of a regional's seniority list. The chance of a bunch of DCI carriers going away is much higher than Delta mainline going away. Plus, if Delta mainline goes out of business, the DCI carriers are screwed anyway!

So, Joemerchant... how long have you been at ASA and what equipment are you on?

He has been there 15 or so years and just went to the CRJ from the ATR.

Having Duane Woerth there didn't help NWA pilots in the least. We are fooling ourselves if we think having Moak there would help DAL pilots.

Aspiring to ALPA Prez is only ostensibly about helping pilots - it's a political springboard to consulting, politics, and other business ventures. Have we ever seen an ALPA Prez come back to the line? The position constitutes conflicting interests in it's nature.

Joe,

Your pinning your future and your hopes on maintaining what you've currently got, with marginal increases in pay along the way. What you fail or ignore to realize is that you don't have any control over your destiny. That's what being a contractor means.

I rode the cockpit jumpseat on a CMR CRJ900 from work the other day (the flight was full, imagine that). The captain had 18 years seniority and could only hold 11 days off per month.

Before you argue that you're ASA and not CMR, remember that 10 years ago, CMR pilots were living in high cotton. I would bet that if you asked this captain 10 years ago that his pay would be frozen and his schedule would go down the drain, he would have laughed.

Short term, you're more secure than I am as a junior guy at DAL. No question. But long term, I'll be better off. And to fill in the picture, I'm 39 years old, have been flying since 1988 and did my time at XJT. Unless you're significantly older than I am, you've still got a long time to be looking over your shoulder, wondering if one day DAL (management, not the pilots) is going to be giving you the big FU, just like United did to ACA. Remember, you're one bankcruptcy judge's decision away from have NO job at all. I may get furloughed, I may take a pay cut like my more senior coleauges did a few years ago, but as long as DAL sticks around, I'll have a job here.

And yes, I will do whatever I can to protect the job I have, just as you must do whatever to protect your job.

I wish you all the best. You've made your decision and it I hope works out for you. I sincerely mean that. But don't disparage someone for going another route and doing what it takes to protect that investement.

Very good post!!

Moak is another version of Prater. Given that Prater has run the place into the ditch and the finances are a wreck (Air Safety Week is now a bi-annual event because of cost, they just cancelled a worldwide cargo meeting in Europe and senior staff has resumes out all over Washington), why stay? DAL has the mass to go it alone and not let anyone have any of their money.

ALPA's "influence" is declining too. Yes, they still get invited to speak, but Prater is viewed as a joke on Capitol Hill. That's one of the reasons ALPA's chief lobbyist quit last year.

What will be really interesting will be Moak's explanation to his pilots about how the DAL SMRA account got hit for the $400K that NWA went overbudget in the merger...and "Chuckwagon" Helling made it go away...to DAL's balance sheet.

Your assertions are simply ridiculous. Bourne gets invited to talk to low-level lawmakers while Prater gets invited to the White House. Yeah, declining influence. :rolleyes:

The senior staff is as dedicated to the Association as they've always been, if not more so. Some of them have been down here in Atlanta doing road shows for us every week.

As for DAL SMRA, I hear that they have the biggest SMRA in the entire Association, so I don't think it will be an issue.

oh no! not you. didnt they ban you on flightinfo?

Everything I've highlighted in bold is pure and utter speculation on your part. Yet you post it as if it is common knowledge. You wouldn't have any idea of anything you assert. No single person could.

Carl

Not unless someone has spent many years working with the staff:) I'll stand by it because it was told to me by those who are involved.

As to the 400K overbudget, ask the NWA MEC about the vote that was taken at the BOD to specifically exclude the Merger Committee expenditures from the NWA MEC's financial committee oversight. It passed with Helling in attendance, stating he would make it go away. Or someone can just ask to see the CONCUR expenses that were submitted.

And who knew Prater's biggest supporter, PCL_128 would show up carrying the bosses water yet again? I'd bet the DAL boys would not be too happy to find out 400K got subtracted from the account. As to Bourne, yeah you're right as usual...he was requested by the Airways crew and Prater was specifically not allowed. Same with the White House meetings with Biden, Pelosi, Oberstar and the ranking committee members on the Hill. All low level folks no one has never heard of.

By the way, why don't you run back and ask why they cancelled the GCAP conference in Germany last month and why Air Safety Week is now only going to happen every two years? Guess Air Safety is only an off year event.

Like the kid in the movie said PCL_..."you funny GI!!"