After years of lurking in the shadows I’ll weigh into this one.

I’ll say this very slowly and clearly, Compass pilots will NEVER be stabled to the bottom of the Delta seniority list.

I don’t care how much foot stomping about “main line should fly this or that size aircraft Delta management will Never allow it. Period. They have about six million reasons why, the rough amount their payroll would increase in a year if they raised E175 pay to even Jet Blue E190 pay. If it was raised to USAir E190 pay, it would increase the payroll about 3.5 million.

Management has no incentive to do this at all. None, and they would be the one’s who would pull the trigger on this. Duh. They relish their little “regional” and the corresponding payroll that comes with it. They, ok NWA, paid a princely sum for the old ACA / Indy certificate, spent precious treasure to set it up and love the pay structure. There is absolutely no incentive ALPA could dangle in front of Delta management that would move the company to pull out the stapler.

Flow through, up / down agreements, sure whatever may or may not be negotiated with the new Delta but the staple doesn’t have to exist for a Delta pilot to flow down should Delta furlough.

Now could some other combination occur with their myriad regional feed, Comair+Compass, now there’s a stapling situation, with the Eagle like seniority of Comair compared to puerile Compass, (hey that’d be like a mini USAir-Cactus combination with Comair’s furloughed pilots) why would Delta want the management overhead of two wholly owned feeders? There could be something there, just back yard conjecture who knows, there sure are many regional’s jostling for position at the Delta trough now. But Compass in one form or another will be at the trough with the rest.

 

People far more informed about the situation than you have given lots of thought about it and they are going to make an attempt anyway.

They have already considered everything you have written and much more.

We will all see what happens. Regardless of the outcome, what you've written here has been discussed already and it is not some epiphany.

 

What would be some of the advantages from management's point of view were this to occur? I really can't think of too many. Payroll would go up, training costs would increase (having to train new captains since none of the current CP captains would be able to hold it anymore). If I understand the DAL scope language correctly since it would increase the size of the mainline fleet mgmt could then put more Rjs at DCI. Without a major re-write of the scope language this doesn't do much for the pilot group at mainline or those hoping to make it on the list someday. We already have flow down rights to CP so having more job security isn't a valid argument (granted the pay would be better having those aircraft at DAL vs CP). If somehow mgmt would agree to modifying the scope language and putting these airplanes at mainline, great. That, however, doesn't seem to likely to happen.

 

Pure Speculation:
1. Banks not lending = no new airplanes for mainline
2. Delta can't furlough without consequence
3. Staple job for compass increases likely-hood that already trained pilots will return from furlough eventually.

In my opinion it has nothing to do with scope, I suspect that if this were to come about, DAL management would be looking to remove the no furlough clause. Also the scope restrictions that require removing seats would get the axe, which would cost more than the payroll increases if you think about it.

 

Presently it is just about keeping Compass on the DALPA MEC structure. Anything more is just about studying the situation. Section 6 is a long way off.

 

I agree with the original post.

Airlines are run by beancounters. Bottom line is, if it costs the company money, management will not do it.

I think the DAL pilots have greatly underestimated the sadistic NWA management that is now running DAL, and the ensuing labor strife coming down the pike. They are also greatly overestimating the power and testicular fortitude of Lee Moak.

Time will tell.

 

Contrails,
"Attempt" is the key word here, and all it will be met as comic relief in Atlanta, I can't imagine them even keeping a straight face during the pitch. Seriously. Then they will move onto much more pressing matters.
You can attempt to do anything you want. Doing it is a another matter entirely.

 

compass pilots have a better chance of being stapled to the RAH seniority list than the delta list. This whole deal just reaks of another mid atlantic debacle.

 

It's funny how people gripe that mainline pilots SOLD OUT on scope. Then when a pilot group is actually starting a campaign to recapture the said scope, we get scoffed at and told it'll never happen. Thanks for the support.

 

Mid Atlantic wasn't even an airline. Even if RAH buys Compass, We won't be stapled. I do agree though that there will be no staple for CP.