I've always been told you're not a real airline pilot until you've been furloughed at least once. I'm thinking the number is going to have to be bumped up to two furloughs...otherwise almost everybody will be a real airline pilot. Oh well, at least the pay is good...wait...crap

 

I hate Delta.

 

I was told it was a furlough (check), Strike (Just missed that one), and have had your company go out of business (not quite yet).

 

I've been furloughed from Mesaba... The warning signs are there for it to happen again though I'd be looking at displacement not furlough myself this time. If you want to play ostrich, fine. If it doesn't happen, outstanding. I'm just saying I've seen these things before and it doesn't lead to a good outcome for anyone especially anyone junior in their positions.

 

I couldn't imagine it cheaper to furlough rather than hold on to an extra 100 guys unless they plan on getting rid of some of the planes. Imagine ALL the training events going on and how expensive it is to train someone on a new plane. That sounds expensive. I wonder if they do furlough then the next step would be to lose airplanes. I hate Delta.

 

Well, I guess I am one of the lucky 'non airline pilots', so far . .. .. although if they furlough to me that would mean some scary times at XJ.

 

You all have a legitimate reason to feel insecure due to DAL management's erratic behavior, but my feeling on this is that if they needed to furlough they would have already. The facts are if by this summer, the load factor does not go up, DAL will probably have to furlough DAL pilots. That, however, does not mean XJ will have to furlough. One does not follow the other. XJ pilots are continually getting new Jepp charts for new destinations being added and with the new Saab service cities in FL, I am not sure if XJ even has enough Saabs to cover these new routes. In short, I suspect this overstaff situation is a management's creation. One scenario I can foresee is to service these new FL cities with Saabs, more Saabs will have to be transferred from DTW and MEM and to cover Saab trips in DTW and MEM, either more Saabs (I do not see this happening) or jets will be needed.

Predicting doom and gloom is a rumor too when there are no clear and subtantiating facts from the management to support that. More than a few NWA CAs I have talked to said chances are greater that junior NWA/DAL pilots will be furloughed before XJ would have the need to furlough any of its pilots simply because of the latest trend which has been the delegation of many of the former doemstic mainline DC9 and A 320 routes to RJs.

 

Assume this summer a 150 seat mainline aircraft consistantly flies at 50% load factor between Cities X and Y. There is an option to fly a regional 76 seat aircraft at 90+% load factor and half the fuel/labor costs. What would management do ?

 

It would depend on what positions are overstaffed and how long it's expected to stay that way. I think that's a big reason why we haven't furloughed and displaced. It would cost more than it would save for what is currently projected. Right now it's a waiting game.

 

Well i guess its good I got a part time job as a police officer to supplement my 200 FO position. I am only guessing here but for them to give a TOWOP request before the end of Februrary things must not be looking good because why not suffer a few less dollars for a few months till summer than asking people to leave for a month at a time. I am going to agree with avroman and say the writing is on the wall. Economy is tanking and people are flying less as compared to years past. Do really need 10 flights a day to CVG or 6 flights a day to RST or can we get by with 5 and 3. I only hope that my guessing is just that, guessing, because right now being on the streets is not to good. I see alot of things that are real bad and I dont wanna see any of our guys and gals get mixed in with it.