Originally Posted by nwaf16dude

I would be interested in hearing DAL pilot's opinions on why your International flying does seem to go so junior. Obviously, if new hires are getting it, it's only because someone more senior doesn't want it. I understand the problems with commuting to JFK, of course, but what other things tend to keep it junior? What is your international over-ride/per diem? What are the trips like?

Originally Posted by NWA320pilot

Boy am I glad none of the guys I have flown with within the last 4 months have felt this way. Personally I am looking forward to working under better conditions, a management that wants to run an airline, and with all of the Delta employees.

Originally Posted by nwa757dtw

your mec is opposed to this merger. you need to support their decision. as much as you want to pretend. the dal pilots are not your friend. this merger can still be killed. they can be left with all their debt. i would rather get my 20,000. a year in the 401k (as i am sure you are getting). in our contract, all the 787 orders must come to us (including the options), you were here in 98, bring the cobra back.....

Originally Posted by NWA320pilot

Sorry but I don't agree. Our MEC is not God they are elected representatives, their job is to represent the views and desires of the NWA pilots. That is the reason I have emailed and spoken with all of the MEC reps as well as my LEC reps. My position is I am in favor of the merger and feel the combined entity will be a stronger healthier airline than either one as a stand alone.

Originally Posted by StripAlert

I don't know where you guys are getting this information from. If it's your MEC, I wonder what other lies they're spreading...



Of the top 500 at Delta, on the April seniority list, the median age is 54 years and the mean is 54.5. The number of Delta pilots in the top 500 who are younger than 50...wait for it...thirty-three. 'Round these parts, us good 'ole boys don't call that "the majority."



Remember, "buddy" is only half a word. Total pilots at Delta over age 50 as of today: 2,564. (I'm sure most of these have turned 50 since you talked to your buddy, though.)



I'm going to have to throw the flag on that one. I don't have a NWA seniority list, but I've got to presume that there are more than 8 pilots at NWA who are between 52 and 57 years old. If you are assuming that all of the NWA pilots are going to retire at 60, that's a non-starter. Unless it's the law, we're not buying it. So we'll move forward under the assumption that you'd retire #9 at age 65 if NWA stood alone, and so will everyone else, since there isn't another cutoff mandated anywhere.



According to APC, Northwest has 5,156 pilots, which puts you at "around" 9.7%. On a combined list by straight ratio, you'd be behind "around" 499 former-NWA pilots and "around" 710 existing Delta pilots, or 1,210/12,480 of the combined seniority list. (Number 710 at Delta is an 11/86 hire senior enough to hold ATL 777 captain, by the way, so no worries about getting bumped.)

Of those senior to you, you've indicated that all but 8 of the former-NWA pilots are older. Of the top 710 Delta pilots, 306 are 52 or younger, so in the worst case for you (assuming all 52-year-old Delta pilots are younger than you with no attrition), you'll retire at number 315. We don't know the size of the combined carrier in 13 years, but using today's numbers, you'd retire at 2.52% after the SLI vs. 0.175% at standalone NWA. Sure, percentage-wise, it's a significant difference, but not nearly as big as your initial post made it out to be, especially considering you're already a 744 captain.

I'll let the junior NWA guys chime in with their opinions on the raw deal you'll be getting, forced to spend the next 13 years plying the Pacific at the top of the payscale.

Originally Posted by Carl Spackler

I agree with you, but it may not matter if DALPA does not want to negotiate. If our guys don't want to negotiate, then they should be recalled. If DALPA doesn't want to negotiate, then they have other plans and nothing will stop them now until the end of the arbitration process. It will become clear fairly soon whether or not DALPA really wants this done quickly. It will also be clear if our guys are the ones stonewalling.

Originally Posted by Eric Stratton

are those numbers true!!!

that means only 404 pilots are going to retire in the next 13 years...if my math is correct (it wasn't yesturday so jay5150 or someone else should check) that's only 5% of the delta seniority list. that seems way to low.

If memory serves, I remember APC board saying that 50% of NWA was to retire in 15 years (10 years before age 65 past)

if these numbers are true that is a huge split. for some reason I have to believe StripAlert might have his numbers off or I completely missed something.

Originally Posted by sailingfun

Carl posted that Delta only have 100 pilots over age 50. Somebody has their facts wrong!