Quote:
Originally Posted by tcco94
So I'm a pretty young new hire, live in SLC. I'm 85 or so from bottom. Missed SLC by one or so, went with a dream bid of 7ER out of LAX and got it. Seems a lot of people complain about the flying as you said. I haven't flown in over 1 year, coming from junior line as a regional captain. What's the issue with the "ugly" flying as said? Is it the overnight length and red eyes? This will be my first airplane at Delta and from the trips I see this will be a huge QOL boost from my previous flying (pre-pandemic). But I don't know what I don't know. I do understand someones trash is another man's treasure and don't want to fall in the habits of a new pilot falling for the shiny jet syndrome and such. I guess I'll see but still the flying I've seen and expect doesn't seem too horrible to me. Not enough for me to regret my bid. Even with the dying fleet thing.... Unless we expect that to be a dramatic changing in 2 years, but based on the bid it feels like that's not the case.
And I'll be off the fleet and on the 320 back home in SLC before I see the end days or 7ER or dwindling days. Maybe my optimism on that? I've read this thread on the bad trips and looked them up in open time and such. I just still don't see some of the bad or ugly flying. But my perspective of commuting to NYC220 vs LAX7ER seems like a huge QOL improvement and furthermore excitement for trips/work.
Been on the ER for almost 3 years. I'm NYC. Was on the 88 before that in NYC/ATL.
I've seen the schedules over the last 3 years decline drastically. Pretty terrible stuff really. There are a few transcon to 24 hours to transcon trips. However, with optimizer 6.9 maybe 2/3 of those will go as planned. If you see an ATL sit for > 2 hours. You'll be rerouted. I've even been rerouted sitting in the cockpit 25 min from push on my original trip, first leg, and got pulled for another flight. On the domestic side you are never immune.
Most of our trips are uncommutable on both ends. Most intl'l are, most domestic are not unless you get a BOG or any rotation with a red eye return. I don't know anything about LAX ER flying, but I do run across the LAX crews at o dark thirty at MCO.
I don't know what the "4 corners" plan will bring to the fleet. My guess is senior LA flyers get the Hawaii stuff and the bottom feeders get the bottom of the crappy domestic trips. Not much asia happening with the ER. From what I've seen of the rotations in NYC, it is going to look a lot like some 88 flying mixed with some 737 stuff. We'll still have some int'l but that always goes pretty senior. Seems network is using us a "fill all" airframe. It is a very versatile, capable jet.
I was told this awhile ago by some pilot friends that have been at DAL for a good few years: No one cares whether you were a regional captain, or what F-teen fighter or heavy you flew. We are Delta pilots now. As for me, I was both a F-teen pilot and a regional puke. So I got both of that stink on me.
If you can stomach the crappy domestic 7ER stuff (which for you coming in new, you really don't have a bench mark) then enjoy the fleet. LAX has a really good pilot group on the ER, same as NYC. Probably my 2 favorite bases for the ER.
I think the future is bus. So my plan is to get some more seniority to bid the NB A side of it in NYC. WB B is appealing, but I commute, not totally sold on all int'l flying all the time. Also, to really rake in $$$$ on WB B it pays to live in base and GS.
The best thing about this place is choices. Be careful though, their plans change like the wind. Today's charm might be tomorrows trash and vice versa.