Northwest to shrink and get rid of more DC9's than planned?

[jke406]

I also read that Hilary Clinton is an alien.

But I guess that would explain why Bill is married to her.

Probably just as accurate as your rumor, 123.

 

[Capt. Caucasian]

Interesting numbers from the annual reports:

Delta fleet total: 453
Delta MX expense: $776,000,000

NWA fleet total: 356
NWA MX expense: $796,000,000

 

[PCL_128]

What do you expect when you've got a bunch of incompetent SCAB mechanics working on your airplanes?

 

[jke406]

not a PCL fan. but he's got a point there.

 

[Redmeat]

Interesting numbers from the annual reports:

Delta fleet total: 453
Delta MX expense: $776,000,000

NWA fleet total: 356
NWA MX expense: $796,000,000

Point taken, Delta doesn't maintain the fleet too well?

I see a lot of airstart carts hooked up to your 88/90's at dtw. I guess not maintaining the APU's is one way to save on MX costs?

 

[i fly boxes]

i will probably never get hired at NWA because i work at Pinnacle, but I wish the NWA guys the best of luck. I hope you pull through independent

 

[JoeMerchant]

What do you expect when you've got a bunch of incompetent SCAB mechanics working on your airplanes?

....and why didn't ALPA honor the mechanic strike?

 

[General Lee]

Well if NWA guys get furloughed when NWA aircraft are getting parked, isn't that fair?

Delta is still hiring to staff the 777's...quote]


I thought that I had read somewhere that DAL was going to stop hiring now, with the possibility of starting again next fall/winter. Isn't there a posibility of displacements DAL with the parking of the 20 mainline aircraft (md88's and 757's)

We supposedly will hire another 100 total for the next 3 classes, and then stop until Fall. A displacement probably won't happen, since it costs the company money to pay for moves (family moves). So, what they would probably do is have a normally scheduled bid and just not fill in for the people going to other planes. IF 20 MD88 Captains got bids to 767 Captain, they may only award 5 MD88 Captains as backfill.

We do have 6 777LRs coming in a 3 month span (Dec 31st to Mar 31st) and we crew those planes at 19 crews per plane. We crew an MD88 at 5.5 crews per plane. Those 777s cause a lot more hiring and movement upward.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[General Lee]

Point taken, Delta doesn't maintain the fleet too well?

I see a lot of airstart carts hooked up to your 88/90's at dtw. I guess not maintaining the APU's is one way to save on MX costs?

Compared to your DC9s? And maybe those are warm air carts for the cabin? How close are you getting to our MD88s and 90s? Security!!! Help!!

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[General Lee]

i will probably never get hired at NWA because i work at Pinnacle, but I wish the NWA guys the best of luck. I hope you pull through independent

If DL and NWA do merge, your job could be at risk. I can understand why you would want NWA to stay independent.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[123]

We supposedly will hire another 100 total for the next 3 classes, and then stop until Fall. A displacement probably won't happen, since it costs the company money to pay for moves (family moves). So, what they would probably do is have a normally scheduled bid and just not fill in for the people going to other planes. IF 20 MD88 Captains got bids to 767 Captain, they may only award 5 MD88 Captains as backfill.

We do have 6 777LRs coming in a 3 month span (Dec 31st to Mar 31st) and we crew those planes at 19 crews per plane. We crew an MD88 at 5.5 crews per plane. Those 777s cause a lot more hiring and movement upward.


Bye Bye--General Lee

Wow, 19 crews per 777, that is high. What are the work rules on that that cause the crewing to be so high (do you do a double crew on most/all of the trips?)

Thanks,

Thanks for the reasoned reply.

 

[patrickdc9]

Superpilot....

You going to be eating crow my friend. The numbers on the DC9's are astonishingly bad.

Just to put this argument to rest regarding the DC9's: First, a point worth clarifying regarding NWA scope is that when our narrow body floor is set next
month, the Co. can go 10 below the floor based on 90 76 seaters at Compass and Mesaba. Since they
are only ordering 72 76 seaters, NWA can go an additional 18 below the floor for a total of 28.
This allows NW to go below the 68 forecast for the end of 08' without penalty. We had 92 at the beginning of 08' minus 28 would put us at ~64 without having to start parking 76 seaters. So unless Northwest reopens the contract for negotiation, there isn't much room to park more DC9s.

Secondly, everyone thinks the DC9 is so fuel inefficient compared to more modern aircraft. The truth is that the DC9 has the same fuel efficiency on flights under 1 hr as an A319. It becomes much more ineffiencient on flights over 1 hour. Plus consider that they are paid for and the revenue/flight hr is not bad.

 

[i fly boxes]

I believe all regionals could be at risk, could pinnacle be at risk, yes. The only thing going for us is that we have 10 year contracts with both airlines. Those contracts could easily be thrown away in some way shape or form, but its a start. But back to the thread topic.....

 

[formerdal]

Wow, 19 crews per 777, that is high. What are the work rules on that that cause the crewing to be so high (do you do a double crew on most/all of the trips?)

Thanks,

Thanks for the reasoned reply.

All our beyond 12 hour flights are crewed at 2 Capt. and 2 FO's.

 

[General Lee]

Just to put this argument to rest regarding the DC9's: First, a point worth clarifying regarding NWA scope is that when our narrow body floor is set next
month, the Co. can go 10 below the floor based on 90 76 seaters at Compass and Mesaba. Since they
are only ordering 72 76 seaters, NWA can go an additional 18 below the floor for a total of 28.
This allows NW to go below the 68 forecast for the end of 08' without penalty. We had 92 at the beginning of 08' minus 28 would put us at ~64 without having to start parking 76 seaters. So unless Northwest reopens the contract for negotiation, there isn't much room to park more DC9s.

Secondly, everyone thinks the DC9 is so fuel inefficient compared to more modern aircraft. The truth is that the DC9 has the same fuel efficiency on flights under 1 hr as an A319. It becomes much more ineffiencient on flights over 1 hour. Plus consider that they are paid for and the revenue/flight hr is not bad.

Can the DC9s and A319s pay for their own fuel? Frontier is selling 2 A319s and 2 A318s to a Russian carrier, and getting larger A320s in the meantime (a previous order). Maybe those planes can't carry enough passengers to pay for the extra fuel costs. The MD88 can carry 142 pax supposedly, and maybe that is enough to help pay for fuel and fixed costs. I know we are parking some MD88s and a few older 757s, but maybe because they are coming up on their lease expirations. If you own the planes outright (like the DC9s) and they cannot pay for the fuel, then what would happen to them?


Bye Bye--General Lee