Delta VS Continental ?

[FlyForFood_NOT]

If you had a choice to go to either, which one would you chose (serious ideas please)?

So far pilots hired: DL 400 / CAL 1300

Projected hiring a year: DL: 700 / CAL 250

Additional planes (not replacements): DL: 25 or so / CAL maybe 10 from all the orders

Retiring pilots per year: DL 60 / CAL 130 maybe?

Pay: short run DL wins, long run same at both

In the end, DL has more exciting flying (767 int'l), bit less stable (older planes being more gas hungry, and foreign lowcost competition starting int'l routes in future).
CAL: Smaller pay at first, no 767 flying for years, but more stable, have planes that can compete with lowcosts (unlike Delta's MDs), much more fuel conscious airline.

 

[Patriot328]

If you had a choice to go to either, which one would you chose (serious ideas please)?

So far pilots hired: DL 400 / CAL 1300

Projected hiring a year: DL: 700 / CAL 250

Additional planes (not replacements): DL: 25 or so / CAL maybe 10 from all the orders

Retiring pilots per year: DL 60 / CAL 130 maybe?

Pay: short run DL wins, long run same at both

In the end, DL has more exciting flying (767 int'l), bit less stable (older planes being more gas hungry, and foreign lowcost competition starting int'l routes in future).
CAL: Smaller pay at first, no 767 flying for years, but more stable, have planes that can compete with lowcosts (unlike Delta's MDs), much more fuel conscious airline.

Delta, just because of their growth right now, they will be hiring more pilots than CAL. CAL will probably still hire pilots over the next 5 years, but nowhere nearly as many as they were going to before the Age65 change.

A lot of your info is off, though. CAL is getting a lot of airplanes (growth and replacement airframes, 737NGs, 777s, and 787s) over the next 5 years.

The 756 EWR can be held right out of training if you aren't hired into it. That does nearly all international flying, similar to the 767 at DAL.


Where do you live? I think that would be the first item on your decision list. Don't chase an airplane or a type of flying when looking for a job. And remember, growth, at ANY airline, can come to a standstill overnight.....




On Edit: I think DAL has a better running operation than CAL. I did a stint as an intern at Delta back in the late 90s. CAL of today doesn't hold a candle to DAL's operation of the late 90s. DAL seems to have a much more professionally run operation than CAL, at least then. Delta has 757s and 767s like we have 737s. They have the ability to fly nearly anywhere they want. CAL has a severe limitation on widebody/international flying. We've maxed out the 757 and do not have the 767s to spare. We're waiting for the 787s, but until the, DAL has the metal to put on routes much more so than CAL.


If I were given the choice today to start at the bottom of either list, I would go to Delta and never look back.

 

[FlyForFood_NOT]

U won't fly 767 at CAL. 757 yes, and it doesn't seem nowhere near like at DL. It's mostly low end trips to England, Scotland where you spend lots of $ on overnights (you won't fly anywhere else for another year)...

Sure CAL is getting 60 737-9s next two years, and 25 787s in 2009, but MOST are replacements for 737-3-5 and 767s (maybe total of 10 are pure additions) No new 777s at all at CAL (and that comes from management)...

Delta - a merger in a few years is definite they way they are run (too much cash flows wasted there between fuel, older planes, crew pay efficiency, 1st class seats given to crews instead of revenue). Seems like they're thinking about now (blowing up int'l), but not about future. I don't see today's Delta 10 years from now, it's just impossible

... and that's what scares me about Delta

 

[Patriot328]

Well, come over to CAL then.. at least in 5 years, we'll be retiring a lot again!! We are picking up 2-4 777s (from management), but might be returning two.

Who knows.. Again, where do you live? Near any of the bases for either airline?

 

[Plug]

U won't fly 767 at CAL. 757 yes, and it doesn't seem nowhere near like at DL. It's mostly low end trips to England, Scotland where you spend lots of $ on overnights (you won't fly anywhere else for another year)...

Sure CAL is getting 60 737-9s next two years, and 25 787s in 2009, but MOST are replacements for 737-3-5 and 767s (maybe total of 10 are pure additions) No new 777s at all at CAL (and that comes from management)...

Delta - a merger in a few years is definite they way they are run (too much cash flows wasted there between fuel, older planes, crew pay efficiency, 1st class seats given to crews instead of revenue). Seems like they're thinking about now (blowing up int'l), but not about future. I don't see today's Delta 10 years from now, it's just impossible

... and that's what scares me about Delta

Don't know who your CAL source is but we aren't getting rid of any 767's. There was talk of it but that was it. We are phasing out the 735's but the -300's will be here until 2012. We will have an average net gain of 15 airframes per year for the foreseeable future plus several options. Age 65 will slow us, probably, but that remains to be seen.

 

[FlyForFood_NOT]

I know things change daily on how many planes, hires, etc (and I try not to spread flam. info). Last I heard (from L.K.) was that CALs 787 are mainly replacing 767 down the road (1st prob 2010 now).
Look at the number of 767 and 787s - both 26??
The 60 new 737-9s are mainly replacing 737s (15 500s that Russians are buying out this year and some 300s, similar in 2009) . One plane takes about 20 crews total. Why is CAL only hiring 200 if many are gonna retire anyways? Where is the growth hiring then?

Bases to me don't matter as much, as I live in NJ (close to EWR and JFK)...
BTW, I'm just trying to clear fact here and I appreciate all your inputs on this guys

 

[Bavarian Chef]

The only question that matters:

How do you look in a Michael J. Fox College Republican Double Breasted Blazer?

When you can answer that, you will find your kwan.

 

[FlyForFood_NOT]

1st idiot...
I can tell you've got a really high IQ

welcome to the forum dummy, now flip that gear

 

[Bavarian Chef]

1st idiot...
I can tell you've got a really high IQ

welcome to the forum dummy!

haaaaa. now that made me chuckle.

 

[PeanuckleCRJ]

1st idiot...
I can tell you've got a really high IQ

welcome to the forum dummy, now flip that gear

With that sense of humor, CO can have you. Nothing like spending 6 hours in the cockpit with someone who can't take a joke!

 

[FlyForFood_NOT]

I guess there is a reason for phrase 'JarHead'

once you put it in the jar, that's all they can ponder

you're perfect where you are man
just stay there, oh wait i guess no 121 on your profile already. wonder why...

nah, i can take a joke, but did I ask for smart responses (line 1)??

 

[Bavarian Chef]

On second thought, that no sense of humor thing you have goin' on will certainly fit in at Delta. Enjoy.

And lighten up, Francis! Some day you won't be so weight restricted...

edit:

My first defender was a Delta guy -- props, brutha! Maybe this jagnut needs to stay at Pinnacle.

 

[FlyForFood_NOT]

forget it... it's just a reminder why 1 dipstick can just throw off the whole thread in here with his 'joky joke'

ok, funny, haha, you got it man!

 

[FlyForFood_NOT]

forget it... it's just a reminder why 1 dipstick can just throw off the whole thread in here with his 'joky joke'

ok, funny, haha, you got it man!
U happy now?

 

[FlyForFood_NOT]

forget it... it's just a reminder why 1 dipstick can just throw off the whole thread in here with his 'joky joke'

ok, funny, haha, you got it man!
U happy now?