Carl Spackler

That's exactly why so many mergers end up in p!ssing contests. NWA 787 orders turned in and used to buy 777's at a discounted rate, and you say they should go to Delta pilots. Of course you'd feel exactly the same if DAL were to decide to turn in some of their 777 orders and use them to buy 787's at a discounted rate...right? You would say: "I'd say NWA because they were getting the 787's anyway."

Carl

Winston Smith

Did I miss something? This is an acquisition, isn't it?

Let's keep that in mind.

DAL4EVER

I think you may be surprised at how many are kept following the merger. They are paid for, and in case someone forgot to look, the capital markets are in a meltdown. It's a lot easier to keep an airframe and pay extra gas than try to buy some when the finance doesn't exist.

satchip

1. 787s don't exist yet. They are yet to fly. Last I heard they haven't even had power applied. (last statement my be out of date. If so mea culpa.)

2. Once this merger was announced those early 787s were, according to public statements by Delta mgmt, never coming. They did not fit our combined business plan. 777s were preferred until the later version was online.

3. If the company gets their way on the SLI, then when the 777s come there will be an AE to fill them and all will be able to bid for those seats. So they will be flown by Delta pilots. But in about three months you guys with the blue suits and funny accents (except for the MEM guys, you talk right) will be Delta pilots too! Then we can all share in the fortunes of the Uber Airline as we rule the world!

satchip

I sure hope you are right. We could use the lift to take back some routes from the RJ world. I commute out of AUS and the one Delta flight ie ComAir is being canceled not because of low loads but because they are too high. The 900 is too small according to the gate agents supervisor there. They routinely have to pull people off for weight and balance. JFK to AUS is not a regional route. Let's take some of those old DC dames and let them fly to Texas like Winter Texans. Or better yet take some of those shiny new 737s or Busses and lets take back Texas from SWA, AMA, and CAL!!!

sailingfun

I don't believe the 9 has the range/payload to fly to Texas from JFK in the winter. Management at Delta has been very consistent that there would be a orderly shutdown on the DC-9 program. It mirrors what NWA had in its business plan so essentially there has been no change pre or post merger. They are parking 33 more nines this year which will bring the fleet from around 160 to about 62 this year. Aircraft will continue to be parked next year. The real question as I have posted several times is how do we recature this flying for the mainline. At the moment I don't think the plan by management will give us that flying. The small plane rumors all focus on the Bomardiar C series which wont be available until 2012 at the very earliest. Perhaps the MD-90 rumors will come true but if we wait much longer they will have rusted away in China!

tsquare

Why? They will never be delivered to Northwest Airlines, because when they are ready, that entity will no longer exist.

satchip

You are right Sailing, we have to capture that flying for mainline. As a new airline guy I come with a different frame of reference than you more senior guys. I think our scope focus on # of seats is completely wrong. I think we should focus on length of leg or population of city. There is no reason a Regional airline should fly from JFK to ATL. Those are two mainline hubs and not even close to the same region.

Our focus on seats will beget Comair or Compass flying Embs coast to coast. New RJs are much more efficient than older mainline jets. Our objective has to be either have those jets at the mother ship or we prevent them from being used to thier potential by scope. If subcontractors, and let's face it, that is what the regionals are, are limited to say 150 mile radius those new rjs will not be nearly as attractive. Let the regionals fly regional routes.

As for Texas and the 9, I hope our network geniouses can move some 88s to longer routes like NYC to AUS and let the 9s fly ATL to BHM. There is so much money to be made in Texas. Let's take it back!

Carl Spackler

Well, here we go again. Yes you did miss something. It is a merger, not an acquisition. It is a no cash - all stock deal. But even if it was a cash purchase or acquisition, you are apparently saying that NWA pilots are lucky to get anything at all? Exactly what are we supposed to keep in mind?

Carl

Winston Smith

Unfortunately, the only leverage we had (or will have for the next 4+ years) has come and gone in a flustered panic spurned by DALPA.

Now we're just along for the ride. We're not taking anything back, that's for sure.