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Article About DELTA Cuts...NW furlough comment by Reader

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Voice Of Reason

Reading Is Fundamental !
Joined
Sep 21, 2004
Posts
1,369
See comment # 2 below article (likely from a DL pilot being wishful). Any comments from NW guys on accuracy (or lack thereof)?


Delta offers voluntary severance programs as it trims jobs ('12/15/2008 8:06 AM'));3h 45m ago | Comments 2 | http://javascript<b></b>:void('Recommend')

By Harry R. Weber, AP Airlines Writer
ATLANTA — Delta Air Lines, the world's biggest carrier, will offer voluntary severance payouts to a majority of the 75,000 employees at Delta and Northwest's mainline operations as part of a plan to cut an unspecified number of jobs, executives said Friday.
Chief Executive Richard Anderson and President Ed Bastian said in a memo to employees that the program is similar to one earlier this year that Delta used to trim about 4,000 jobs. Northwest previously trimmed jobs of its own before being acquired by Delta on Oct. 29.
The executives said the cuts are necessary because Delta will be reducing systemwide capacity in 2009 by 6% to 8% because the weak economy has eroded demand for seats on airplanes.
"These capacity reductions will reduce the number of people needed to operate the airline," the executives said. "Consistent with how we have managed headcount reductions in the past, we again will offer voluntary programs to Delta employees including those who have joined from Northwest."
While the company did not say how many jobs it is seeking to cut, it said its goal is to achieve all necessary reductions through attrition, limited hiring and the introduction of the voluntary severance programs. Spokeswoman Betsy Talton said the majority of mainline employees are eligible to apply for the severance payouts, though she could not provide a specific number.

Delta and Northwest's mainline operations include 75,000 employees. The entire company, including regional subsidiaries Comair, Mesaba and Compass, has about 85,000 employees. The 12,000 pilots of Delta and Northwest and certain management and administrative employees are not eligible for the voluntary severance programs.
The voluntary severance programs, to be offered in January, include one for employees with 10 or more completed years of service, whose completed years of age and service add up to at least 55. The second program is an early-out program that will be offered to those employees who do not qualify for the first program but who are frontline/contract ground and flight attendant employees with five or more years of service and merit/salaried employees hired before the first of next year.
Delta hinted Dec. 2 at an investor conference that more job cuts could be on the way as it disclosed its capacity reduction plans for 2009. Domestic capacity in 2009 will be reduced 8% to 10% compared to 2008, while international capacity will be reduced 3% to 5% next year compared to this year.
Shares of Delta added 53 cents, or 5.3%, to close at $10.50.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
Comments: (2)Showing: Newest first Oldest first


alexgkc wrote: 54m ago

Let's work together to solve the unemployment crisis.
We want to know what jobs you are looking for, and will then reach out to the relevant employers to provide the opportunities you are looking for.

JobsTAXI Saves Main Street: http://www.jobstaxi.com/savemainstreet

http://javascript<b></b>:void('Recommend')

FlyWaves wrote: 2h 6m ago
Waves: Delta has offered these types of voluntary severance packages twice before. Amazingly, they got more volunteers than they were asking for both times. I suspect they will get ample volunteers this time as well. Unfortunately, the pre-merger NWA’s pilot group will most likely be getting around 800 or more furlough notices in the near future. Prior to the merger, NWA’s permanently removed many mainline aircraft from service creating 300 to 500 excess NWA’s pilots. To avoid furloughs, each NWA’s pilot was flying a reduced schedule. Pilots sometimes call this the furlough mode and this generally last for several years until all pilots are eventually recalled. Delta has already announced an 11% to 15% seat capacity cut. Most of this will most likely come from the removal of the remaining old NWA’s DC-9 aircraft which will undoubtedly create hundreds of pre-merger NWA’s pilot furloughs. Delta has also indicated a possibility of cancelling all of the NWA’s 787 orders. These were aircraft that the NWA’s pilot group was hoping for to offset their increasingly overmanned dilemma. It’s not looking too good for the NWA’s pilot group, but in light of the current economic situation, this was inevitable, with or without the merger
 
I'd say a USAToday reader comment is less reliable than an airliners.net posting, which is less reliable than FlightInfo, which is...well, pretty much worthless!

There may well be furloughs (on both NW and DL side, actually) but I don't see this as being any sort of evidence in favor of the proposition.
 
Voice of whining:
You sound like a real princess sometimes!
Get a life!
I know you ASSume a lot, but it's obvious you don't know squat!
 
FlyWaves wrote: 2h 6m ago
Waves: Delta has offered these types of voluntary severance packages twice before. Amazingly, they got more volunteers than they were asking for both times. I suspect they will get ample volunteers this time as well. Unfortunately, the pre-merger NWA’s pilot group will most likely be getting around 800 or more furlough notices in the near future. Prior to the merger, NWA’s permanently removed many mainline aircraft from service creating 300 to 500 excess NWA’s pilots. To avoid furloughs, each NWA’s pilot was flying a reduced schedule. Pilots sometimes call this the furlough mode and this generally last for several years until all pilots are eventually recalled. Delta has already announced an 11% to 15% seat capacity cut. Most of this will most likely come from the removal of the remaining old NWA’s DC-9 aircraft which will undoubtedly create hundreds of pre-merger NWA’s pilot furloughs. Delta has also indicated a possibility of cancelling all of the NWA’s 787 orders. These were aircraft that the NWA’s pilot group was hoping for to offset their increasingly overmanned dilemma. It’s not looking too good for the NWA’s pilot group, but in light of the current economic situation, this was inevitable, with or without the merger[/quote]


Where do you get the 800 or so furlough idea and why would it just be the former NWA pilots? DC9 fleet?

Also, I do believe a portion of the 787 orders are being converted to 777 orders.

It also says the early out severance program is not available to the 12,000 pilots.

That might be a good sign, no?
 
From what I have been told that number is way out. Cut it in half and you have the number that we are overstaffed for both airlines.
Now, DAL does not want to furlough, and will do anything possible to avoid it. It is very costly. It would take about three years for them to break even on each furlough. (Cost of a Compass type, retrain an indoc and initial back here, plus any displacement training before the pilot left the company)
If we announce a greater pull down, then it is cheaper to furlough, but right not we have money on our side.
 
FlyWaves wrote: 2h 6m ago
Waves: Delta has offered these types of voluntary severance packages twice before. Amazingly, they got more volunteers than they were asking for both times. I suspect they will get ample volunteers this time as well. Unfortunately, the pre-merger NWA’s pilot group will most likely be getting around 800 or more furlough notices in the near future. Prior to the merger, NWA’s permanently removed many mainline aircraft from service creating 300 to 500 excess NWA’s pilots. To avoid furloughs, each NWA’s pilot was flying a reduced schedule. Pilots sometimes call this the furlough mode and this generally last for several years until all pilots are eventually recalled. Delta has already announced an 11% to 15% seat capacity cut. Most of this will most likely come from the removal of the remaining old NWA’s DC-9 aircraft which will undoubtedly create hundreds of pre-merger NWA’s pilot furloughs. Delta has also indicated a possibility of cancelling all of the NWA’s 787 orders. These were aircraft that the NWA’s pilot group was hoping for to offset their increasingly overmanned dilemma. It’s not looking too good for the NWA’s pilot group, but in light of the current economic situation, this was inevitable, with or without the merger[/quote]

Where do you get the 800 or so furlough idea and why would it just be the former NWA pilots? DC9 fleet?

Also, I do believe a portion of the 787 orders are being converted to 777 orders.

It also says the early out severance program is not available to the 12,000 pilots.

That might be a good sign, no?

The USAToday reader comment (in red) said that...I'm just asking if anyone knows the real scoop
 
I'd say a USAToday reader comment is less reliable than an airliners.net posting, which is less reliable than FlightInfo, which is...well, pretty much worthless!

There may well be furloughs (on both NW and DL side, actually) but I don't see this as being any sort of evidence in favor of the proposition.

I agree it seems like someone with an agenda...but since they seemed to add so many alleged details, thought I'd ask if anyone is hearing anything near that sort, or it's just some bitter monger...
 
Seriously, what drugs are you on? Do you work for NWA? (no). I'm asking the pilots a question. Back to your bridge.

I think you are the one on drugs. Here's what you wrote above. Perhaps you forgot, let me refresh your memory dumbass!

See comment # 2 below article (likely from a DL pilot being wishful). Any comments from NW guys on accuracy (or lack thereof)?

You have no basis for your comment. Now back to under your rock!
 
Ahhhh...you're the one everyone has on ignore...let me add you as well. I hate board clutter from flight sim'rs.

Board clutter? LMAO! Thanks. Maybe you could post more of your whining BS! It makes for entertainment. Now, about that rock?
 
I thought Delta was hiring as soon as the merger was done? Guess we cannot believe info on this site....wishful thinking at best.
 
Did you mean to say "not"?...
Or did you mean "now." ARE the pilots eligible for Early out program? I would think having that would be good?...


The article says the pilots are not eligible for the program.

I'm sure it can be argued both ways but what I took from the article is that they are trying to retain upper management and pilots. Offering severance packages for non returning positions.

There is a cost to furloughing and my feeling, after reading, is that they do not want to incur the cost.
It could easily go the other way - that's just my take on it.

What's your take on it?
 
We would have been hiring, but all of the banks decided that it would be good to come clean before the business friendly administration left office.
 
The cost to furlough with the CPZ flow down is quite great. Get rid of that and the cost to furlough the bottom few 100 becomes close to nil.
This flow, IMHO is the sole reason that we have not furloughed.
 
ACL65PILOT...can you explain this Compass flowthrough? Why would it be so expensive and why would management really care? Delta has always had a reactive mentality, so furloughing or incuring the cost of flowdown won't matter. They'll see 12,000 pilots on a list with shrinking domestic bookings. I was also wondering what your productivity at Delta looks like. Everyone that I know says they're hardly flying and sitting at home. Doesn't sound too productive to me. Anyhow, just looking for info, not flame baiting.
 
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ACL65PILOT...can you explain this Compass flowthrough? Why would it be so expensive and why would management really care? Delta has always had a reactive mentality, so furloughing or incuring the cost of flowdown won't matter. They'll see 12,000 pilots on a list with shrinking domestic bookings. I was also wondering what your productivity at Delta looks like. Everyone that I know says they're hardly flying and sitting at home. Doesn't sound too productive to me. Anyhow, just looking for info, not flame baiting.
Flying my azz off on the 88. Full almost everytime.
 

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