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My thoughts about Delta

Old 06-11-2008, 06:38 AM
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Default My thoughts about Delta

First off, I am dissapointed in Delta's decision to do this, business is business but I would like everyone to take a look at our NWA airlink numbers if you get a chance. Last month we operated 124 planes at a 99.5 completion factor and about 80% on time. The same airline sucked in ATL, but we were improving slowly. We were given 7 months to adapt to a new airplane (more maintenance wise than pilot wise) new airport, new airline partner, and new routes like stx, pls. We only had 8 of 16 planes delivered which we bought for delta, and now those are fuel efficient planes without a home. Meanwhile there are like 600 crj 200's flying around for Delta/NWA. Does that make any sense at all?
Now dont get me wrong, I agree that pinnacle should take some blame in this but when you have 30 minute hub turns with a 76 seat aircraft, flights that are blocked shorter than the actual flight time, a flight line with no spare aircraft, and the worlds busiest airport, its not going to work, and month after month delta kept ramming this schedule down our throats.

It seems to me that delta all of a sudden decided they have too many regionals (a problem they created themselves) and one by one they are just going to go after anything they can find to cancel a contract. It just seems very irresponsible to me.

I actually hope this merger fails, for more than the sake of pinnacle, I just hate to see the NWA pilots go through what they are about to go through and I will hate seeing the red tail go away for good when it has so much history.

Bash Away!
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Old 06-11-2008, 06:47 AM
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The goal of the merger is to make more money for everyone...pilots included. It will suck in the short run, whether at the regionals or at the mainline. Hopefully the pain now will result in a better company for all of us in the future.
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Old 06-11-2008, 06:53 AM
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I agree about the merger...and I hate the way everyone acts like it's a done deal...there are still some pretty big hurdles to overcome...it's an ELECTION YEAR for crying out loud, and it would make a great political attack for opponents of Michigan, Tenn., and Minnesota legislators (and even Pac NW legislators as well) if legislators from those states let a merger go through that costs NWA jobs. No one seems to be paying attention the fact that the chair of the house transportation cmte (Oberstar, D-MN) asked the DOJ to halt the merger proceedings. I don't think they'll get the merger through this year, and regardless of your political affiliation, we might end up with much much more labor-friendly pres than our current one.

I can totally see a post-merger company getting rid of the -9 pilots and putting all that flying on Compass, RAH, and Skywest 170s/900s and Mesaba 900s. It will result in less mainline jobs for sure...the only way I see that merger being good for pilots is if you're a Delta mainline pilot. Everyone else is going to lose something.
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Old 06-11-2008, 06:54 AM
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PinnacleFO,
While I can empathize with your feelings, you haven't been around the airline business long have you? There is no loyalty from management to their employees, and even less between mainline and their regional contractors. If you wish to survive in this industry, you need to realize that it doesn't matter what you do as a pilot or employee group, when there is some BOHICAing to be done, the smaller guy always gets it.
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Old 06-11-2008, 06:55 AM
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Originally Posted by Spaceman Spliff View Post
The goal of the merger is to make more money for everyone...pilots included. It will suck in the short run, whether at the regionals or at the mainline. Hopefully the pain now will result in a better company for all of us in the future.
Seeing as you're a DAL mainline pilot, I doubt YOU have anything to worry about, other than tax planning for the capital gains on your stake in the new company.
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Old 06-11-2008, 06:57 AM
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Originally Posted by nicholasblonde View Post
.

I can totally see a post-merger company getting rid of the -9 pilots and putting all that flying on Compass, RAH, and Skywest 170s/900s and Mesaba 900s. It will result in less mainline jobs for sure...the only way I see that merger being good for pilots is if you're a Delta mainline pilot. Everyone else is going to lose something.
I've heard that the -9s will be taking some RJ routes, and more RJs will be parked. I hope this is true, not just for NWA pilots' sake, but for the whole industry's sake.

The more flying we can recapture at the mainline, the more the mainline will hire. I don't think I need to explain why that's good for everyone.

Bottom line, no one knows exactly what's going to happen...especially you. Perhaps you should let it unfold before you start frothing at the mouth and insulting Delta guys.
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Old 06-11-2008, 06:58 AM
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Originally Posted by nicholasblonde View Post
I can totally see a post-merger company getting rid of the -9 pilots and putting all that flying on Compass, RAH, and Skywest 170s/900s and Mesaba 900s. It will result in less mainline jobs for sure...
And just how do you propose to get around the scope? Pre-merger NW and DL scope won't allow that now. Do you really think that post-merger the scope will be more lenient or tighter?
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Old 06-11-2008, 07:00 AM
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Originally Posted by nicholasblonde View Post
Seeing as you're a DAL mainline pilot, I doubt YOU have anything to worry about, other than tax planning for the capital gains on your stake in the new company.
You sound a little envious there in your post. The mainline guys suffered after 9/11 at the expense of the regionals, which grew and flourished. Now it's the turn of the regionals to undergo a contraction and downsizing. You just picked the wrong time to jump in the game. If you decide to stick around for a career, you better get used to this sort of thing happening on a regular basis.
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Old 06-11-2008, 07:00 AM
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You're trying to rationalize why, and I think you're successful.

Not sure who is next on the Delta chopping block, and I don't really buy into the idea that they want to replace mega cheap -900's with expensive diesel 9's. Quite simply, they're cleaning up shop for the merger, with whatever rational they want or need.

Our company wasn't successful in the contract that your company got (and we had/have the planes, pilots, and mx ready to go). I believe that we were underbid to the point that Jerry didn't think we'd make any money. Also, I know we lost the LAX Delta flying to XJT, in part, because they wouldn't pay to have two spare aircraft. I guess your company got zero.

Have you considered that this might come from your own company as a way to get out from under a looser of a contract ?

I'm confident that in a worse case scenario, those -900's won't just sit around and drag the company down. They are a hot commodity, and will be easy to unload at a premium.
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Old 06-11-2008, 07:06 AM
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Originally Posted by Spaceman Spliff View Post
I've heard that the -9s will be taking some RJ routes, and more RJs will be parked. I hope this is true, not just for NWA pilots' sake, but for the whole industry's sake.

The more flying we can recapture at the mainline, the more the mainline will hire. I don't think I need to explain why that's good for everyone.

Bottom line, no one knows exactly what's going to happen...especially you. Perhaps you should let it unfold before you start frothing at the mouth and insulting Delta guys.
though I agree, lets not forget that it was the MAINLINE PILOTS who gave away the farm on scope...................

If I hear one more mainline pilot preach to me how us "RJ KIDS" are ruining the industry I will go bananas.........

But like many, I am willing to "lose the battle, to win the war"
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