I respect you sir. But how come the message from your company isn't simply, we do this and your scope ends in, lets say 2020, with ALL flying of any seat jet by mainline Delta. Why isn't it that simple. Because, that IS NOT what they(company) are going to do.

 

I will apologize upfront. You guys asked for "other" feedback. I don't work for Delta. And I am really not trying to insult you, but this almost sounds like management "calculus" to distract from the simple message of "hey, by this date ALL flying will be done by mainline Delta"

 

In 2001, it's my understanding Delta's scope read:

• DL Connection can also operate up to a total of 57 SJs certificated for up to 70 seats; this number can increase to max of 75 if Delta Air Lines growth exceeds block hour plan in PWA
• Limit stage length: At least 85% of Connection flights must be under 900 statute miles
• Limit hub bypass flying: At least 90% of Connection flight segments must operate to or from Delta
• Limit Connection Flying Between Delta Hubs: Maximum of 6% of Connection segments between Delta hubs
• Limit of Planned Delta Connection Block Hours as Percent of System Block Hours (Delta + Delta Connection):
  – 34%, 36%, 37% for years 2002, 2003, 2004 and after, respectively
• No domestic code sharing with large carriers.

As an outsider looking in, the cap seems to have gone from 75 70-seat aircraft to 255 70+ seat aircraft in less than 10 years, and now the proposal is to increase this to 325 70+ seat aircraft?!

Are some of these other protections still in place (stage length, hub bypass, block hour protections) from the 2001 CBA?

The "No domestic code sharing with large carriers" is also of concern. Why is there limited talk on the forum of this scope issue (Alaska), and just large RJ's? Delta pilots are losing flying to not only Delta Connection, but to Alaska and Air France too, no?

Without knowing all the details, its hard to say how I'd vote, but what I do see is hardly as simple as "another slam dunk for the Delta pilots".

 

[QUOTE=DelDah Capt;1196595]if mainline block hours fall, DCI hours would have to fall./QUOTE]

While that is definately some level of protection while the company is still in the process of growing the additional aircraft in the ultra large DCI 90 seater fleet (with 76 seats installed with a generous first class) once they get all 223/325 if they pull mainline back, how exactly are we going to enforce it?

How will we make them honor our contract by making them break other contracts when supposedly they can't get out of 50 seater contracts because they can't break RJ contracts unless they replace them with equal or more lucrative RJ contracts?

Is this even enforceable in real life?

 

The current JV with AF/KLM/Alitalia gives 50% of the flying to Delta pilots, and the other 50% is split among the remaining 3 pilot groups. The current TA further tightens joint ventures and code shares. It reduces the current Codeshare agreement with Alaska, and does not permit C Series jets to be operated in anyway(including Codeshare)by anyone but Alaska or Delta.

 

Can you please tell me how 80 fewer RJs total equals "more" outsourcing? Those are hard numbers. You can't just speculate on what may or may not be future fleet needs. Hopefully we get sonic cruisers!

 

Please tell me how you would staff the RJs if mainline flew them. Who would be the FA's? How about the mechanics? At what wages? Have you seen how the regionals are being whipsawed for razor thin margins? That's the reality now in the regionals. Nobody can beat those prices. 717s and A319s can't economically go to every RJ destination.

 

Using a game of chess as an analogy, we are capturing a bunch of rather useless pawns but lost more powerful bishops/knights or whatever you can think of. We are alowing the company the easy way out when things dont work out with their priced fleets of CRJs. What if in a few years, the 700s become uneconomical for whatever reason, what will we give up? How about the company retires all the 70 seaters and in exchange we let them fly, um, let say a fleet of 1 md88? Once you allow the scope ceiling to increase, there's no way to revert the damage. They will always dangle a carrot in front of us, either by new aircraft orders, financial gains, or threats of downsizing. These are all taught at the renowed business school of F. LORENZO!

DL mgmt WILL always want to farm out our flying, period. Do we even entertain this pathetic trade now, or do we hold the line?

DL can buy all the shiny rj they want, we just have to fly it, period. If our new hires can master the diesel 9 or the mighty MadDog, we can fly the barbie jets too.

 

Don't feed the troll....

 

We aren't. We are taking flying away. Lots of it. In a way it makes me sad because of what will happen downstream if this passes. Of course there will always be unlimited 50 seat flying for AMR or USAir or.... but not here.