There has been talk with the Delta Connection Pilot Alliance to equalize all conx carriers with equal pas bennies, I'm curious to see if this will ever truly happen. I'm unable to comprehend why front line employees who fly for connection carriers and represent the Delta brand are not given somewhat comparable benefits to mainline in the pass travel department. I know that the same benefits mainline employees recieve are not fully capable of being recieved at conx carriers because we are not flying mainline aircraft, but nonetheless.

I'm also interested in seeing interest on adding a code at the end of our standby priority for those that commute to recieve a higher priority than those using their passes purely for vacation or joyriding. It's a debateable argument, curious as to everyone's thoughts.

 

Good luck with that Derek.

 

The exact benefits are negotiated between DL and the individual DCI carrier's management. There is minimal input and probably zero participation from DCI employees so you have to look at who at the negotiating table has something to gain...

DL management doesn't have much to gain or lose.

- Increased nonrev fees help the bottom line but only a tiny bit. They will probably be inclined to raise fees if the DCI companies don't complain much (the companies, not the employees)

- Increased priority for mainline employees might generate a little bit of goodwill, but that will soon be forgotten by labor anyway. It's more likely that they would hold out increased priority as negotiating capital with mainline labor.

Regional (DCI) managers might have something to gain...

- If they can negotiate slightly more favorable feed contract terms in exchange for throwing their employees under the priority bus they will do that willingly and eagerly. Also most will not expend any effort at all to improve employee benefits even if it doesn't cost them any money.

- Certain DCI's may be limited by labor contract terms although unless you are wholly-owned that's a stretch since mainline is not bound by regional labor contracts.

- Some regionals (ie SKW) will stand up for their employees because they rely on a certain amount of labor goodwill. Since it doesn't cost them much or anything to stand up to DL, they will do that.

The problem here is that this a benefit for some (commuters) which comes at the expense of others (non-commuters). There might be a slight benefit for non-commuters in that they could more easily return to work from vacation or weekend travel excursions. The folks who would bear the brunt of this would be non-crew employees who would get bumped while trying to take their once-a-year family vacation.

Since it would benefit mostly crew, it would probably have to be done at the negotiating table at significant cost. The non-commuters would probably not give up pay for a deal like this.

Also it wouldn't help as much as you might think...if the flight is sold out you are in the jumpseat anyway. This really only helps on the rare occasion when there a seats available for nonrevs, there are a lot of nonrevs, and the JS(s) is already occupied.

The JS, not nonrev priority, is what makes commuting feasible for most of us.

 

Mainline has something to gain--I currently do NOTHING--absolutely NOTHING to help out any non-pilot mainline employee...there is a lot you can do on a CRJ-200 to make or break those extra 3-4 nonrevs...if there are mainline/retirees sitting around the gate area, I will never do anything like upping taxi fuel, lowering cruise alt, or requesting ballast--ever...never...

On the other hand, when we had NWA pass benefits, with buddy passes (in our contract, btw), I frigging did whatever I had to to help out...

When we have a DAL mainline pilot, I do whatever I can to get that person on...but as for retirees/families of pilots/buddies of pilots, etc.--I care ZERO whether they get on my DCI plane or not--my family and buddies can't ride, so why would I care if their families and buddies get on my aircraft???

 

And btw--9E MANAGEMENT does have buddy passes--numerous reports and printouts of travelnet screens showing "9E and BUDDY"--usually when asked, the person ends up being a management buddy (even frontline managers--like Mx station managers, etc.)....

In short--the frontline employees don't get squat--but the managers and higher ups do...eyes rolling--this is America folks--the America our gutted unions and "free market capitalist" decade has left us to deal with...

 

Mainline has nothing to gain...they don't care about their own employees either.

 

In a separate thread, I posted what would be nice to see happen for DCI employees and use of their non-rev benefits:

Example and wishful thinking:
SA1: Company Business; Emergency travel
SA2: Still remain - everyone receives 6/year
SA3: Ordinary travel for all ACTIVE, to include DCI, regardless of affiliation. DoH for everyone.
S3B: Retirees and Parents
SA4: Companion Pass Riders
SA5: OAL / others
or

SA3: Ordinary travel for all ACTIVE mainline
S3B: Active DCI, regardless of affiliation.
S3C: Retirees and Parents.

and
Unlimited t/o travel (ie: Regional Elite Employees)

 

Comair had parity with Delta on all Delta and Comair flights until last year. When Delta inherited Mesaba and Compass, Delta decided that they couldn't keep everyone at the same level. You know, too many regional guys trying to get to work in too many Delta hubs.

So Comair flight bennies were reduced to that of Compass and Mesaba (who, as I recall, got improvements from their NW days). We lost our 6 S2 passes, lost all priority on Delta, and only keep DOH on our own metal.

Now that Compass and Mesaba are sold, and Comair has been reduced from 6500 to 2500 employees, you'd think Delta would be able to return us to our 2008 pass benefits.

You can take one guess how that's going...

 

DCI carriers will never get the pass benefits of mainline and their wholly owned carriers. Many DCI contractors also feed for other airlines aside from Delta, eg. Skywest. That would flood Delta mainline with tens of thousands of newly added peoplw who would become elligible for mainline pass privledges. It's a waste of time even considering this adgenda as Delta would never sign off on it. There is nothing in it for Delta, in fact, it would cost them money in the end.

 

Doesn't Skywest get the same benefits (just at a lower priority)? All the contract Regional Elite employees also get the same benefits I believe (again at a lower priority). Only getting one International trip a year is a huge slap in the face to the pilots and FAs of carriers that work so hard to give Delta customers a good experience (and by all the surveys a lot of the carriers are providing a consistently better experience than mainline).

I don't think this agenda is a waste of time, I have heard that there have been talks and that there exists a possibility for changes this upcoming year.