I've heard 80-100 quit in the last few months. That's what you get when you hire young and inexperienced in the industry. Being assigned NYC base is a deal-breaker for some and the illusions of 40 hour intl layovers when the reality is domestic ones causes this to happen. They're hiring again and invited some who were rejected several months ago to September training. I also hear they're adding to those numbers before the really big hiring (1,000-2,000 if the rumors are true).

If you look at what a regional Captain makes, take home after taxes, it is very comparable to what someone makes on a full welfare package. That said, I can never understand why anyone would want to take a job as a flight attendant, when welfare pays solidly more money, and you're home every night.

GMAFB, you guys voted in favor over 85% to make less

Yeah speak for yourself if you're a RJ CA making that sort of wage. Many do just fine on RJ Captain pay, not a killing but not what you make it out to be. Last year my buddies and I (similar seniority) were making anywhere from the mid 80's to around 100k.

Originally Posted by 701EV
Richard Dick Anderson is Scumbag!!!

My vote goes to Jerry Grinstein and Anderson comes second. Then you really have to go back decades to find another good one.

I'll second Buzz. RA is the smartest, most effective CEO that we've had in decades. I'm a very skeptical person, but he does things consistently that treat Delta employees and customers right.

I can't say that he treats DCI or DGS necessarily the same, but that's a choice for the people who work for those companies. He drives a hard bargain.

For all intents and purposes he is the leader of DCI. Those (DCI)are front line employees that represent the brand as much as a mainline crewmembers. He effectively drives down his bottom 1/3 employees to help prop up the rest. It would be genius if only that bottom 1/3 gave a crap. At this point they don't and it hurts the brand.

Elvis/Buzz,

RA may be the best CEO in the industry - I hope so and time will tell, but I agree that DAL deserves a very low score in any "brand" survey." But then again so do all legacy carriers.

My logic follows starting with a pretty generic definition of "Brand" off of Wikipedia.

Brand is the "name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's product distinct from those of other sellers"[1]

How can Deltas product be "distinct" when a DAL ticket may result in flying on any number of subcontractors all chosen primarily on cost?

Delta Air Lines reliance on subcontractors is the antithesis of branding.

Hopefully RA can improve the brand image of Delta. I don't know if we deserve to be last but we definitely have plenty of room for improvement.

Scoop

If I had my druthers, DCI would say Skywest, Expressjet, etc. as a codeshare like we do with Alaska Airlines, because that's really what it is. DCI has contracts with other majors as well; they're all independent companies.

If I truly had my way, we wouldn't have any DCI and you'd be a Delta Seniority List pilot.

The only way scores will increase is if fares drop and baggage fees go away.

THAT'S the bottom line for most customers. Brand matters to some, not all. I'm increasingly liking our brand...thanks to RA. If you ask the bowling team from Cleveland, they'll pay rock bottom rates and connect three times on SWA or Spirit. They don't give a crap about brand.

I do agree with Scoop and Elvis. We have, perhaps, the best CEO in the biz. Time will tell if the Delta brand is created and maintained by Delta employees or is farmed out to a myriad of other companies who don't share our culture.

FA rumors are even less dependable than pilot rumors, if that's possible. ;)

Wow, so many insults in such a short span of time. You guys do have the corner market on ego. That will probably carry into the business world.

Perhaps, but in the charter world if you really want to know what's going on you have to talk to a mechanic or GSR. Those guys know EVERYTHING. :D

Soooo, you must work for either SWA or Spirit. Insults? Like what? People will pay $5 less for a ticket and have to connect multiple times? That's not an insult. That's reality. Shall I pull up some coast to coast flights on your airline? I'd be happy too.

All they really know is the free food they're going to get. ;)

Yes, served with a smile by yours truly. :)

What insults? :confused:

This, in my opinion, is the problem with Delta's "brand." 701EV is not the problem. His airline's code was acquired, but he was not merged. Delta then reallocated his airline's code to it's competitors. Some of those competitors negotiated concessions to take more of "his" flying and now management seeks concessions from him to buy back what his employer once owned. He's not gotten stock, or any other compensation for the transactions. Meanwhile, many of his managers have gotten million dollar bonuses for their very short term and mostly failed efforts ... such is not an environment which motivates people to go the extra mile, although if 701EV is who I think he is, his character and good upbringing result in his service being well above what is expected.

Observations, while not scientific, can be pretty accurate. Surprisingly the Mesaba / Pinnacle / Endeavor folks seem to be as happy as I've ever seen them. Their express counterparts at other carriers are not. Last week I saw Delta's premium passengers in the Sky Priority line pushed aside by a group of ASA/Expressjet crewmembers who, after the Gate Agent asked them to board by zone, insisted on pre-boarding and who then filled the First Class and forward cabin with their 4 and 5 carry on bags. One Expressjet FA had her bag stuffed to overflowing with Delta paraphernalia from FC blankets to food. A man standing beside me was proud of having reached his elite status on Delta and was showing me luggage Delta had sent him ... he asked "what's the deal with those pilots?"

I made some excuse about them probably being scheduled tight to operate a flight, although I knew these were Atlanta folks headed home (or to Dallas via ATL). Our proud newly minted million miler was disappointed that his perk of pre-boarding and bag storage was pirated away by a pack of inconsiderate offline deadhead folks.

As long as we draw lines which separate and marginalize employees in Delta service our brand is going to suffer. Delta can do a GREAT job, but if the connecting flight shows a lack of consideration then the whole operation has failed to impress.

Why is Delta Wall Street?s Least Respected Brand?: Video - Bloomberg

Listening to the video, its a lot to do about nothing.

Take aways:

• A brand is a "promise delivered."
• A brand is only as strong as it's weakest link. The Company must consistently perform.

Have you seen Delta's new Safety Videos yet? That might have something to do with their rankings:

Airline Safety Video FUNNY!!! MAD TV - YouTube

There's that, and our simulator training is very good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE1rE2vxUyM