Delta Had A Great Quarter

[General Lee]

Nice quote changing GL. So here's a fact GL - I used to pay $70/month for family healthcare PPO at Delta before BK. It more than trippled before I quit and is probably more now. What is the monthly current monthly deduction for family heathcare at DAL GL? What's in store for 2008?My current deduction is $60/mo. at SWA.

There is more to the bottom line than hourly rates.

Hope it works out for you. Glad the debt is down is down to only $9B.

Gotta rest up for LBB

BD

And you used a quote from me out of context. No biggie.....Thank gawd you don't work here anymore. It sounds like you are having a lot more fun with multiple leg days and quick turns. Good for you. As far as pay goes, you know as well as I do that our pay won't stay low, and your pay may not stay high. You never know. With the domestic market the way it is, the LCCs will devour each other, while the legacies will find more revenue flying overseas. At least you have good management for now, and your stews are fun. In twenty years when you are wishing to see something different or have less legs per day, you can always tell your FOs there at Southwest that you "could be doing the Moon turn right now" instead of another El Paso airport layover. But, if you are happier now, good for you. I think things are getting a lot better here at Delta too. You point out that your healthcare costs are less at SWA, which is probably true. What can I do to offset that extra cost? Maybe move up to a larger aircraft? Moving to the 764 will be a $22 an hour increase with INTL override pay included. Could that pay for a healthcare increase? How about the 777 FO?(we are getting 12 more in the next 2 years) Yep. How about 73N Capt?(pretty close to that now). Can you move up to larger aircraft and pay for more? You can fly more, maybe. We have newhires now going to the ER and even the 767 domestic, and in 2 years and one day from DOH they will be making $95 or more per hour (with the 6% raise coming this Jan). People are moving up the ladder, and that helps cover extra healthcare costs. Not many are staying on lower paying equipment unless they are senior in category. Hopefully you will never regret your decision. Sounds like you got outta here just in the nick of time, just before an UPSWING. We have a huge bid coming in NOV, with lots of movement. Oh well. Happy trails and enjoy LBB.


Bye Bye--General Lee

PS--you seem to be on top of our current financials (with your $9 billion debt statement). Did you happen to listen or read our 3rd quarter conference call from Ed Bastian? It's all out there for anyone to read. Here is a summary:


-$160M allocated to profit sharing so far this year (171M was forecast for 2007)
-RASM compared to other network carriers at 96%. That will taken to par, then beyond, in 2008.
-Decision on Comair to come by year's end.
-Consolidation is a continuing evolution. Delta will look at opportunities if it's in "our" interest. Employee support "crucial".
-Operating Margin 8.7% in Q3, 3-5% expected Q4.
-Advance booking up YOY.
-Seoul exceeding expectations
-15 757ER's coming (rather than 13 as previously stated)
-Middle-East, Africa having "banner"year...Europe Strong
-Joint Venture with Air France to be announced tomorrow. Significant flying opportunities/revenue enhancement to be highlighted.
-LCC's getting hammered on fuel costs due to lack of foreign exposure and pricing power that comes with it. Expect to see fare hiking efforts on their part
-Currency valuations (cheaper greenback) drove 4% YOY increase in int'l revenue.
-Three separate entities (Acft engine mtc, DGS, Air Elite) to be run as independent companies within Delta. Greater accountability, effectiveness to result in $100M bottom-line add to balance sheet w/in 2-3 years

 

[~~~^~~~]

With $80 a barrell oil, there is no such thing as a "low cost carrier." It costs SWA $365 per pax to cross the country, about the same as it does AirTran, Delta, or Virgin. The difference is the quality of the product and the network connections. Delta's equipment flexibility works to their advantage in this market.

Delta's problem in the past was failing to get the same revenue others were getting. That problem seems to be getting fixed.

Delta had a decent quarter. There is still room for improvement on the revenue side.

 

[General Lee]

I don't get the SWA/DAL "mine's bigger" contest, but fact of the matter is that with $80 a barrell oil, there is no such thing as a "low cost carrier." It costs SWA $365 per pax to cross the country, about the same as it does AirTran, Delta, or Virgin. The difference is the quality of the product and the network connections. Delta's equipment flexibility works to their advantage in this market.

Delta's problem in the past was failing to get the same revenue others were getting. That problem seems to be getting fixed.

Delta had a decent quarter. There is still room for improvement on the revenue side.

I agree. I think our guys are working on it, and the revenue side will improve. Doing more INTL flying where there is less competition is a definite plus for us. The domestic LCC market is a mess right now, and even SWA is having problems at airports they almost "own" by themselves, like ISP. Here is an article pointing that out:

Southwest cuts flights at MacArthur
By Ambrose Clancy
Friday, October 12, 2007


Southwest Airlines plans to ax six flights from Long Island MacArthur Airport by the end of November, citing flagging demand. On the block: two daily runs from Baltimore, three Chicago flights and a Las Vegas nonstop.
The cutbacks come as the airline enters talks with MacArthur officials to find ways to better position the airport and market its ease of use and other amenities, according to Southwest spokeswoman Whitney Eichienger.
The talks are aimed at “getting to the bottom of why people are not choosing MacArthur,” she said.
Significant cutbacks by Southwest would be a disaster for the airport, which is owned by the Town of Islip and, until recently, netted as much as $1.5 million annually in profits.
More than 90 percent of MacArthur passengers arrive or depart via Southwest aircraft and only two other airlines, Delta and US Airways, have operations there.
In fact, attracting new carriers “should be a major focus of management,” according to a recently released study of the airport by a task force assembled by Islip Supervisor Phil Nolan.
The study was prompted by projections that the airport will eke out just $300,000 in profit this year. It also recommends better marketing, installing a wireless Internet system in the terminal and making better use of industrial land on the airport’s west side.
Al Werner, the airport’s longtime commissioner, recently announced plans to retire, and a national search is on for a successor.
Robert Mann, president of the Port Washington airline industry analyst firm RW Mann & Co., said big “hub and spoke” carriers have learned important lessons in recent years and become more cost competitive with Southwest, “sucking business back west to LaGuardia and Kennedy” with frills such as more non-stops and more destinations.
Mann also noted a “huge awareness deficit” about the fact that there’s an airport in Islip, but he questioned the potential success of marketing a hassle-free airport to business travelers willing to endure massive inconveniences in order to fly nonstop.
One potential way to boost traffic is to considering branding the airport with a stronger name, much in the way Westchester County Airport has been relabeled New York-White Plains, he said.
While a new “New York-MacArthur Airport” might be good for business, it would, for the first time, drop Long Island from the name. That’s not necessarily a problem for people like Nolan, who has complained that the airport has been used as a political valentine for elected officials. That’s an obvious reference to former supervisor Pete McGowan, for whom Southwest named its new wing at MacArthur. The name was changed following McGowan’s resignation amid charges of misusing political funds.
But Clara Datre, the Republican candidate for supervisor this November, put the blame squarely on Nolan and a cutback in airport marketing.
“Anyone with any business sense knows you have to market this airport,” Datre said.



Maybe if they added a LBB nonstop to ISP it would be a hit? Ben Dover can fly it.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Benjamin Dover]

And you used a quote from me out of context. No biggie.....Thank gawd you don't work here anymore. It sounds like you are having a lot more fun with multiple leg days and quick turns. Good for you. As far as pay goes, you know as well as I do that our pay won't stay low, and your pay may not stay high. You never know. With the domestic market the way it is, the LCCs will devour each other, while the legacies will find more revenue flying overseas. At least you have good management for now, and your stews are fun. In twenty years when you are wishing to see something different or have less legs per day, you can always tell your FOs there at Southwest that you "could be doing the Moon turn right now" instead of another El Paso airport layover. But, if you are happier now, good for you. I think things are getting a lot better here at Delta too. You point out that your healthcare costs are less at SWA, which is probably true. What can I do to offset that extra cost? Maybe move up to a larger aircraft? Moving to the 764 will be a $22 an hour increase with INTL override pay included. Could that pay for a healthcare increase? How about the 777 FO?(we are getting 12 more in the next 2 years) Yep. How about 73N Capt?(pretty close to that now). Can you move up to larger aircraft and pay for more? You can fly more, maybe. We have newhires now going to the ER and even the 767 domestic, and in 2 years and one day from DOH they will be making $95 or more per hour (with the 6% raise coming this Jan). People are moving up the ladder, and that helps cover extra healthcare costs. Not many are staying on lower paying equipment unless they are senior in category. Hopefully you will never regret your decision. Sounds like you got outta here just in the nick of time, just before an UPSWING. We have a huge bid coming in NOV, with lots of movement. Oh well. Happy trails and enjoy LBB.


Bye Bye--General Lee

PS--you seem to be on top of our current financials (with your $9 billion debt statement). Did you happen to listen or read our 3rd quarter conference call from Ed Bastian? It's all out there for anyone to read. Here is a summary:


-$160M allocated to profit sharing so far this year (171M was forecast for 2007)
-RASM compared to other network carriers at 96%. That will taken to par, then beyond, in 2008.
-Decision on Comair to come by year's end.
-Consolidation is a continuing evolution. Delta will look at opportunities if it's in "our" interest. Employee support "crucial".
-Operating Margin 8.7% in Q3, 3-5% expected Q4.
-Advance booking up YOY.
-Seoul exceeding expectations
-15 757ER's coming (rather than 13 as previously stated)
-Middle-East, Africa having "banner"year...Europe Strong
-Joint Venture with Air France to be announced tomorrow. Significant flying opportunities/revenue enhancement to be highlighted.
-LCC's getting hammered on fuel costs due to lack of foreign exposure and pricing power that comes with it. Expect to see fare hiking efforts on their part
-Currency valuations (cheaper greenback) drove 4% YOY increase in int'l revenue.
-Three separate entities (Acft engine mtc, DGS, Air Elite) to be run as independent companies within Delta. Greater accountability, effectiveness to result in $100M bottom-line add to balance sheet w/in 2-3 years

You got me - current debt actually $8.94 Billion

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ks?s=DAL

 

[PuffDriver]

With $80 a barrell oil, there is no such thing as a "low cost carrier." It costs SWA $365 per pax to cross the country, about the same as it does AirTran, Delta, or Virgin. The difference is the quality of the product and the network connections. Delta's equipment flexibility works to their advantage in this market.

Delta's problem in the past was failing to get the same revenue others were getting. That problem seems to be getting fixed.

Delta had a decent quarter. There is still room for improvement on the revenue side.

Agreed. In a way, some things got solved through BK. Delta Learned that customer service isn't the end all beat all. Technology and frills still matter. Flexibility is huge. I personally think that this is VASTLY underplayed. Delta is a long way towards having a different schedule every day. I envision a future where every flight can have a different piece of equipment every day in order to maximize revenue to cost. Speaking of which, didn't they comment that we were somewhere in the 96th percentile of industry revenue? That's WAY up from pre-BK, and they plan on being in the 100s percentile-wise in '08. That is also good news. Almost all the cylinders are firing. Now if we can just keep it that way AND adapt to the future offerings. Oh, and some reasonable pay.

Are you glad you made the jump, or is it same ole same ole?

 

[EdTeachLives!]

OK GL and Ben Dover, stop.

GL: Yes, it is apparent to anyone who follows the industry that DL has had a remarkable turn around. You don't need to haul your highliter out every day here and emphasize it and compare/contrast to LUV.

Ben Dover: You made a decision to change employers . You acted on it. You took a risk by doing it. I have to commend you on that because many in this industry would not even consider such risks.. Why then do you keep looking in the rear view mirror?

 

[General Lee]

OK GL and Ben Dover, stop.

GL: Yes, it is apparent to anyone who follows the industry that DL has had a remarkable turn around. You don't need to haul your highliter out every day here and emphasize it and compare/contrast to LUV.

Ben Dover: You made a decision to change employers . You acted on it. You took a risk by doing it. I have to commend you on that because many in this industry would not even consider such risks.. Why then do you keep looking in the rear view mirror?

Thanks Ed. I usually don't bring up the SWA comparisons unless prompted. I do appreciate your mediation, though. I wish Ben the best and hope he made the correct decision for him. Not everyone wants to fly for Southwest, and the same goes for Delta.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Hardcorr]

Im with you Benjamin. Seven years myself at Mother Delta. Almost two here now at SWA. I get a huge kick out of the two pilot groups bashing each other. There aren't a lot of us who can say they've been at both carriers. I'd say that makes us the experts on this bashing subject. Bottom line. My quality of life is much better here. Better pay. More time off. Cheaper health and dental. And the bottom line, a much nicer place to be. Did I mention a 7.3% 401k match.

 

[General Lee]

Im with you Benjamin. Seven years myself at Mother Delta. Almost two here now at SWA. I get a huge kick out of the two pilot groups bashing each other. There aren't a lot of us who can say they've been at both carriers. I'd say that makes us the experts on this bashing subject. Bottom line. My quality of life is much better here. Better pay. More time off. Cheaper health and dental. And the bottom line, a much nicer place to be. Did I mention a 7.3% 401k match.

Congrats on being happy. Some people like multiple leg days on one type of plane, forever. It was good that you flew for Delta, but at the same time your last 5 years here were "the worst of times" with BK and furloughs. Things seem to be getting better, and an upswing is in place. Have a great life and enjoy it.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[PuffDriver]

Im with you Benjamin. Seven years myself at Mother Delta. Almost two here now at SWA. I get a huge kick out of the two pilot groups bashing each other. There aren't a lot of us who can say they've been at both carriers. I'd say that makes us the experts on this bashing subject. Bottom line. My quality of life is much better here. Better pay. More time off. Cheaper health and dental. And the bottom line, a much nicer place to be. Did I mention a 7.3% 401k match.

Yeah, we only have the 2%. Of course, there's always the 9% DC. That more than pays for the difference between your and my health, and I doubt yours is going down anytime soon. I'll personally take the 20k and pay for my more expensive plan. Try again suckers. Maybe one of these days, you'll come up with something.