XJ, 9E, 9L travel benefits
 

do all three companies get the same flight privileges (buddy passes, family passes...etc) with all the same carriers? (Delta, United, Continental, US Airways) Seems like it would be a lot.

9E as of right now, only has benefits with Delta.

In short, the answer is you only get the pass travel benefits for the carrier you are affiliated with. If you are awarded a seat flying for Pinnacle, you will get the Delta pass travel benefits only.

Just to be clear on Delta pass travel: non-wholly owned regionals flying under the Delta Connection brand do not receive buddy passes (with the exception of Skywest). Parents travel at a yield fare, but are pretty much stuck to the bottom of the standby priority list.

You and your family will be able to also interline on other carriers using ZED fares if you need to. Sometimes these are restricted to being employed for at least 3, 6, or 12 months.

I fly on the US Airways side, and can only non rev on them. I have full access to Travelnet, but have been told by management not to use it to nonrev because Delta watches closely and will payroll deduct the full cost if caught.

Sad thing is I cannot non rev on a Mesaba flight if its under Delta.

it's sad that furloughs have better pass benefits than active regional pilots...

Its sad that Delta Retiree's get higher pass priority than current regional partners.

Let the retiree get on the flight, but I can't get to work to fly them to their final destination. GREAT thinking Delta.

And I didn't choose to commute, I was forced too. Thanks again Delta.

One last thing.

How can you sell more of something than you have? Great thinking!

How were you forced to commute? If I worked for XYZ company and they told me I had to relocate to ABC city and ABC city was not someplace I wanted to be than I would quit and find employment elsewhere. Sounds lke you choose to commute to me.

Its pretty unrealistic for you to assume that an individual doesn't have ties and commitments to where they live. Mortgage, kids, wife, friends, family, etc. Commuting is definitely a choice, he could quit, but get real. His job pays bills, he has time and money invested in his career. He got displaced and now has to commute. I totally agree with him that the non-rev bennies are a total joke and Delta should be made fun of. To think a retired employees spouse or dependent can have higher boarding priority than an active Delta system employee is pretty ignorant. No, we dont work for Delta, but we fly their pax and their planes. If I cant make it to my base to start my trip because I'm below wheel chair pushers and buddy pass riders with a higher boarding priority, it's only affecting their product and customers downline when my company cancels a flight b/c I missed my commute b/c of the non-rev situation. You username says it all, you're on the other side of this issue, take the time to look on travelnet some time and look where the regional pilots are on the stby list.

One of the most impressively inept comments I have seen.

Wheel Chair pushers don't get travel benefits, they are contracted. Don't your displaced pilots get moving benefits and a free full paid move? My only point was is that no one is forced to do anything. You can move, commute, change jobs, ect. To think that commuting pilots should get higher priority on someone elses airline just because they choose to commute doesn't have much merit. When I retire from Delta I think I will have earned the privledge to travel as a higher priority than people who never worked for Delta. It's not your company.

At Continental the food caterers had better benefits than we did :)

I have no problem with anyone at mainline, active or retired getting a seat before me. Mainline metal = mainline decides who gets on. I just want to be next in line behind mainline, then have travel buddies, and all of that crap.

What's the name of the carrier that signs your pay check? What was the name of the carrier that signed the retiree's pay check ?

And you think you have the right to be placed above someone who spent probably over 25 yrs at Delta and retired ................

You dont work for Delta! The company you fly for contracts out with Delta to fly DELTA"S passengers, period!

In fact, my parents should be in front of all other non Delta non-revs.

So according to your logic, I should be able to non rev in front of retirees from your company then.

What arrogance!

Arrogance + Entitlements. 2 qualities that blend so well together. If you want mainline travel beneffits than go to work for mainline. Otherwise, take your place inline behind my parents and buddy :cool:

...I'm not sure I share your views...

current employees regardless of company should get priority over retired employees...I don't believe you should get a benefit over a current employee, you already get to keep your flight priveledges, thats your benefit. An FO on his first day should get a seat from a 30 year retired delta captain, (he is retired now...his benefit is he keeps his flight priveledge) (this view may may change when I get to mainline one day)

but this view can be passed to any other job where current employees vs retired

I'm not gonna miss work b/c Phil the retired 777 capt wants to go to florida

I disagree. Mainline controls mainline seats. It's not up to u or me, and I'm fine with that as I don't work for mainline so I should have no say.

If you don't work for Delta you are not a current employee.

Ok I see your point...I'll change my view and say within company they shouldn't get priority. SO a regional FO can't bump a mainline retired anything. but within mainline or the regional no retired can bump any current employees

There are two things that come into play here...

1) Regional airline pilots are outsourced, contract labor.
2) You get only what you negotiate

Your regional airline hasn't chosen to negotiate with the mainline carrier a better benefit package for you. They're paid a fee for the service they provide and thats that. You're not a Delta employee, you're a service provider that works under a multitude of contracts, most of which you have no control over.

Mainline employees have been lucky enough to gain employment with the airline that provides the benefit. Lots of perks come with this, including the ability to directly negotiate with the company for things such as travel benefits. Part of this is the benefit for retired pilots... many of whom put in more years of service to the carrier than a lot of regional airline pilots have been alive.

Like it or not, mainline employees are a higher class. For the most part, they're more important, treated better, and have undergone tighter selection criteria and consequently enjoy greater benefits. Nonrevving is that, a benefit. It is a benefit that regional carriers do not have access to at the same level. Often, contractors do not get any benefit from the contracting company... so at least consider it nice that you're allowed to nonrev at all.

the wheel chair pushers in mem sure do, delta purchased them a few years back.

Well then good for them. As mainline Delta employees they get mainline travel benefits and go ahead of all non Delta employed non-revs.

THEN ON MY LITTLE PLANE, WE SHOULD COME BEFORE YOU. After all, your paycheck doesnt say Pinnacle...
Hows that for arrogance? You gave the scope away yourself... give it up dude!

Actually, if they're DAL Global Services, they're not really 'Delta employees'. They travel at yet a different priority. I think some of the sim instructors and charter coordinators fall under that as well. Don't see as much outrage about these functions being outsourced.

If mainline people want to pull the 'it's our flying' argument, then fine. Put your people on your airplanes first. But when it's our metal, don't whine when our people get on first. I'm fine with it, I know the score, I still don't like it. But I guess we are all equal, but some are more equal than others.

And on the subject of retirees getting on before we Express/Connection peons, well then; at least I have a decent commuter policy. Enjoying another night at home never felt so good.

Deleted…....

If you flew for Delta Connection, and a brand new Delta employee gave a buddy pass to that wheel chair pusher. He bumps your parents on a Delta flight, how do you think it would make you feel? This is why Delta benefits is a joke. With Northwest, never can a buddy pass rider bump a NWA or NWA Airlink's parents out of a NWA flight. So My point is my parents goes below ANY buddy pass on a Delta flight. I don't expect my parents to be up there with us or Delta parent but really? A Buddy pass rider who is a friend of a friend of a DAL employee can bump my parents.

Better yet, I'll turn it around for you... Your parents wants to board a Pinnacle operated flight. I gave a buddy pass to a wheel chair pusher, he bumps you parents. How would you feel now? Oh I know, you wouldn't ever know since we don't get buddy passes either, but some other DCA do. I don't feel us (DCA) should be up there behind DAL active, parents, or retirees, but do you think it's fair that Buddy passes bumps parents? I loved how they changed the rule earlier this year while my dad was in Tokyo, and 10 buddy passes who was suppose to be behind him got moved up in front.

I work for Deta Connection, I know where I stand and can accept it. I'm not saying I shold go above your paents or retirees, but what I have a problem is a BUDDY PASS who can be a friend or a friend of a friend of a friend, can bump my parents out of a Delta flight. Honestly do you think that's acceptable?

Acutally, about your last statement you DO go above our retirees on a Pinnacle operated flight. Since you will be S3 and our retirees are S3R. You can go above our retirees but we can't go above your retirees? Hummmm You can even go above me even with me being a Pinnacle employee on a Pinnacle operated flight. If you have a earlier hire date. Oh and if you select S2 option I can forget about going in front of you even if it's on the Pinnacle operated flight.

I'll give you the key point:

We (Pinnacle employees) cannot bump you, your parents, or retirees on a DELTA OPERATED flight, but YOU (Delta employees) ALWAYS bump, my parents, our retirees even sometimes ME on a PINNACLE OPERATED flight. The very same airplane that we fly, our MX service, and says our company's name and logo on it, you might have just bumped my wife or kids off. Think about it the next time you board a plane that says "Operated by ........"

I'll give you another story to think about. This is on a Pinnacle operated flight, that I worked from DTW - PIT. It was booked full, a Pinnacle and Delta guy shows up for the Jumpseat, ofcouse both are listed as a non-rev also. The jumpseat would have gone to the Pinnacle guy. Both pilots are listed as S3 in the back. The Delta guys is more senior by 2 months. The flight was weight critical, and we couldn't take any jumpseater, we tried everything possible, change route, move bags, front to back, back to front. change altitude. One seat opens up since the last PAX didn't show up. Guess who got the seat in the back? The Delta guy because he was hired 2 months earlier. The Delta guy got to go home to his family while the Pinnacle guy got to spend another night in DTW. All we got after that flight was a dirty look from the Delta guy when he walked off the plane.

Great point. ;) Guess what? You're still outsourced labor. Want priority? Get a job at mainline.

In fact, do we need to make an outsourced nonrev version of this form for you?

http://lafinjack.net/images/random/form.jpg

The simple solution to this problem is for mainline to stop contracting out "their" flying. Then one simple DOH based system is sufficient and this thread would not be needed.

Also, if you are commuting to work, in a pinch just call crew scheduling and they will put you at the top of the non-rev list if needed. I've never been hassled for doing that. Getting home, I can empathize, it is never fun watching a ramper or buddy pass rider take the last seat as your two days off just turned into one day off.

Agreed all around... this is the ideal solution, but will take quite a few years to fix. :(

Yes, how many times are you going to repeat this? Just to play devils advocate, your company would fall apart at the seams and cease to exist without outsourced labor unless there is a major change in the way this industry works. Also, how much worse do you think the pathetic pay at the Majors would be without Regional labor making it so you can be at the top of the food chain? That is the little dark secret of this industry, pilot pay at the top is subsidized by the bottom. You can be clever and call all the people working below you outsourced labor but we are all doing the same job - some people got lucky and got hired at the right place at the right time or knew someone who pulled some strings. You don't really think everyone at Delta has superior piloting skills or great personalities do you?

Didn't you use to work for a regional? If so, it's pathetic how you can look down on us when you get to the other side. How many times are you go to keep saying we are outsourced? did I say are not? Did I say we should be the same as Delta? Yes I want priority, on the ones we operate, the one our company fix when it's broken, the one that has our company name on it, the ones that take Delta's passenger where they need to go.

Every seat on that plane is owned by Delta. Delta pays for your mx costs. Delta's name is a lot bigger on it than your company's name.

Regionals are a discount workforce supplier to the major. You take a workforce, strip lots of things from them (such as travel benefits), supply them with planes and passengers, and you have a regional.

Regional pilots will never be on par with major pilots... that is what the entire premise of the industry is.

I sure did... I worked for 9E and, contrary to what you think, there was no stark change in viewpoint upon donning the russian sub commander uniform. My viewpoints on pass priority were the same then as now.

As outsourced metal, you should not have priority on the seats in the back, only on the jumpseat.

I highly doubt it wouldn't bother you having a Delta employee take the last seat on a Pinnacle flight, while you were trying to go home (while you were at Pinnacle).

Happened to me plenty of times (NW at that point in time). That's life. I knew the deal when I got into it, and it is logical. Suck it up, cupcake!

For all the whiners that complain they cant go somewhere on Delta (oh yeah, you dont work for Delta), dont forget.......... as an example .......... there were 5 A310/DC-9 flts between DTW -DFW. How many now .... 1 ... sometimes. The rest are Compass, Mesaba, or Pinnacle. Who is in front of who. When I go to see my dad, or he comes up to DTW ........... One guess who is in front of who. Not me or he........ the employee of that airline is.... as it should be.

I dont complain cause I know YOU have a flying job now, and someone who could be a Delta doesnt.

Want mainline benefits ........ get hired by one!

Dude!

Dude are you serious? Who do u work for? There is a good chance u are workin under a CPA. If that is the case then mainline should get on first as their company bought every seat. We need to keep as many perks as we can at mainline while we still can. Without mainline, we don't have jobs. I have no problem with a mainline employee getting a seat over me on my own metal if they own the seats. No more watering down any mainline benefits, as I'd like to work there one day. And please for the love of god let's scope our damn q 400s it's getting ridiculous!

U guys are special

Then you need to take it up with your management. If mainline employees are getting priority over you on your own metal, then it's your management that screwed you. They are the ones who negotiate the pass benefits. SkyWest, to include ASA and XJT, employees get priority on their metal over mainline. Guess this shows just what your managers think of you.

Just as long as we don't scope the niiiiiiiiiine hunnnnndooooooos! I wanna be a real pilot someday! ;)

You guys are so sweet. I hope you know that everybody that reads this thread thinks you are the biggest aviation dork on earth.