Since I just spent a half hour on the phone with DAL and NWA, and nobody seems to know anything (at all!). I am assuming furloughed people still can't fly NWA, but does anyone know if you can buy a ZED fare ticket on NWA? Website says to get it at ticket counter, just don't want to drive an hour each way for them to say I can't get one.

 

Don't think so. The last time I tried getting a ZED, the ticket agent looked me up and there's some note there saying I couldn't get one because I'm furloughed. Apparently MP is working on it.

 

I'm sure trying to get us furloughed guys non-rev bennies on NWA is the companies No. 1 priority right now. BTW, I want my merger money back!!!

 

I hope you know those leeches are not giving your money back. To me, that was one great scam they pulled. We'll see their real intentions once the merger goes thru an there's no need for "legal advice". Will they refund the hundreds of thousands of dollars they collected for "prepearenedss"?.

 

Anyone game for an "informational picket" outside their office? Perhaps we can rent a larger than life inflatable rat...

 

I still think it's to early to drop the merger business, IMHO. RA has said that he is going to bring flying back to mainline. There will still be a need for DCI with the 700 and 900 fleet and a smaler 200 fleet. I don't see them (Delta) renewing any contracts when they come up for renewal. CHQ and S5's days are numbered with the recent events. Freedom's days are also numbered whether it be bankruptcy, buyout, or change of ownership at MAG. With the smaller DCI fleet it makes sense to keep the wholly owned and merge Mesaba and Comair. Comair has three paths to follow for it's future: Merger, Sale, or Dissolved.

 

When you look at what management has done to us, I see us dissolving and Mesaba getting the hell grown out of it. What do you think Bubba?

 

When I look at it from a "managment" standpoint I see that Delta really has no other option than to do what it has done to Comair. Of course if I were managment, I would be more open as to why what's being done is being done.
You have 9 DCI operators with three of them being wholly owned. Delta needs to get reduce capacity system wide as well as shed 50 seat regional aircraft from DCI. Of course Delta wants to minimize capacity reduction at the mainline level since it has to protect it's merger synergies until it has it's SOC in hand and all operations are merged. Delta is also protecting it's employees well more the pilots since it will cost them quite a bit of dough to furlough and re-train those who elect to flow down to Compass!

You have contracts with 5 contractors who you can only reduce at a limited capacity due to contractual limits. Out of the three wholly owned regionals, one has pretty high operating costs. As Delta management I can reduce capacity, reduce operating costs and reduce 50 seat regional aircraft all at onece without having to deal with any legal issues or contractual limits. IMHO it's a no brainer!

I still see a merger with Mesaba. Yeah RA and Ng4 say that they went trough all the scenarious before the merger between DL and NWA was announced, but of course they're not going to tip their hand. Delta needs to get their merger completed first before they set all the secondary plans in motion. I have heard that the new holding company is already set up; up in MSP. Some of the back office support here at the GO will start shifting up there sometime next year. As of now it's just wait and see. After Delta gets it's SOC, things will start to unfold that us peons have no clue about or have only specualted on. That's what I'm getting from friends that work at DL and DCI.

 

To me, this makes a lot sense.

 

You know in those Zombie movies when the people are running from the zombie hordes? They go for a mall or police station and there's always one experienced tuff guy who brings up the rear to make sure everyone makes it? He'll kill a pile of the zombies but in the process he always gets a scratch on the back of his hand or a bite on the shoulder.

A couple hours later he's laying on the floor, skin turning gray, already room temperature, and he can't get up.

"Help me get up,", he says, "I've got a plan and I think we can still take these zombies." Then he wonders why all the other guys are circling around him with shotguns and hockey sticks.

Comair is that guy.