Delta to hire again?

[Superpilot92]

So far we only believe that your NWA 742s are getting the axe soon. We know that some MD88s and some 757/767s have been parked, but not to a large extent. It would be far more expensive to park the 742s after SOC, since those pilots would bump many more pilots at many more bases, causing a lot more training total. The only reason to keep the 742s right now is for the NRT slots, and they may be trying to get waivers to keep them, since very few airlines out there have the ability to expand there anyway. Every airline is pulling back, and most cargo carriers have parked their 742s already or are about to.

Bye Bye--General Lee

I don't disagree that it will be going away. I have been hearing "within 12 months". The good news is that is plenty of time for us to draw that back throughout the year as people move into other aircraft. we will be able to absorb those pilots into other aircraft easily with the increased staffing requirements that are coming for us. Lets just hope the economy stabilizes at least.

Also the 737's and 777's are coming which will help overall staffing also.

 

[Superpilot92]

We have to feed our INTL connections, and we still have to compete with Airtran and other LCCs. Look at Virgin America and Jetblue expanding on transcons (JB announced BOS/JFK to LAX today). We have to compete still with those guys. We may not have 7 or 8 flights a day on those types of routes, but we will have a presence. (I don't know if we will do BOS-LAX though--we used to) 100 RJs are gone, with more to come. I see fewer frequecies overall, with fewer RJs and more DC9s covering. That alone will unclog the airways and save us even more money.

Bye Bye--General Lee

agree 100%

 

[General Lee]

The current losses are due to past fuel prices that were hedged. It only gets better for us as time goes forward. Q1 will have another loss, no doubt. After that, even huge amounts of open seats will be ofset by lower gas prices. Yet, those times (Spring and Summer) are historically our best times, and the Rich and Famous who used to fly corporate jets everywhere may actually have to shame themselves on our first class seats to Europe or the Caribbean this year. RA stated a "solid" profit for 09 as a whole year, but the beginning will be a bit rough. Had he stated a possible major loss this year after our bad year last year, then I would think more people would be more nervous. We know a bad economy means lower fuel prices, which means lower fixed costs for us at the same time.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[JohnDoe]

Sept 1st, 2001. After the SLI, lots of DL 07 hires were merged in with FNWA guys hired before that date. The only time those guys wil be protected would be AFTER SOC--which DL is aiming for Jan 1st, 10 but more realistically sometime in the Q1 of 2010.

That touches on why I am asking the question.

Somebody stated that Dal could furlough down to near the 10500 pilot mark and not hit the scope trigger. I am a pre 9-01 hire, and they don't even have to hit less than roughly 11600 before they hit that date of hire and the resultant trigger.

If that trigger date of 09-01-01 applies to everbody, and it applies as of right now, then they are already -very- close to the trigger on the FNWA side.

So, to try and figure this out: If they furlough prior to SOC from the FNWA side, will that scope trigger apply?? As I stated, they are already very close to it.

 

[General Lee]

That touches on why I am asking the question.

Somebody stated that Dal could furlough down to near the 10500 pilot mark and not hit the scope trigger. I am a pre 9-01 hire, and they don't even have to hit less than roughly 11600 before they hit that date of hire and the resultant trigger.

If that trigger date of 09-01-01 applies to everbody, and it applies as of right now, then they are already -very- close to the trigger on the FNWA side.

So, to try and figure this out: If they furlough prior to SOC from the FNWA side, will that scope trigger apply?? As I stated, they are already very close to it.

You are correct. But, the only mass parkings we have heard about that could happen soon would be the 742 fleet, which of course is on the FNWA side. Pre SOC--that affects only the FNWA side. After SOC, then it would affect both sides, but then again the Scope limit would expose about 400 total pilots. The DL side is still getting new planes this year--5 or 6 777s and 4 or 5 737-700s also.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[ACL65PILOT]

You are correct Super. It makes a lot more sense to get rid of FDL guys first. Problem with getting rid of anyone pre-SOC is this. We will need to bring your staffing model up to ours by Bid Period 5. To do that you need to use the guys on the master list. Because of the way that this whole cookie crumbles, it makes furloughing more than a few hundred a real money loser.
In essence you could furlough them for about 12 months before you would need to bring a few back to get to this level. Now there are a few variables that have not yet to be determined. They could in essence get the NWA group to the required staffing by pulling back more flying than has been previously announced, this making the theorized furloughs pre SOC last a longer duration.
Like I said, there is a lot to play out. Problem with doing any sort of furlough pre SOC is this. The company does not have any clue where the staffing requirements will be for this summer much less post-SOC. They may be willing to read the tea leaves on any given day and make a best guess, but it may cost them a lot in training cost.

From the looks of how we are setting ourselves up for the summer flying, we could easily furlough from both sides with out much training cost this fall. Even you Super can admit that.
They do not have to pull any of the 757'd out of the desert if the loads to not improve.

 

[ACL65PILOT]

That touches on why I am asking the question.

Somebody stated that Dal could furlough down to near the 10500 pilot mark and not hit the scope trigger. I am a pre 9-01 hire, and they don't even have to hit less than roughly 11600 before they hit that date of hire and the resultant trigger.

If that trigger date of 09-01-01 applies to everbody, and it applies as of right now, then they are already -very- close to the trigger on the FNWA side.

So, to try and figure this out: If they furlough prior to SOC from the FNWA side, will that scope trigger apply?? As I stated, they are already very close to it.

True Pre-SOC not true Post-SOC. See they can furlough out of the master seniority list order before SOC. After SOC they are bound by the list and the order it is in. It would make sense to do a off the cuff furlough before SOC, but it may cost them more to do so. The loads and time will tell.

 

[ACL65PILOT]

Thats why scope is there is it not?

They will put 70 seats in the jets and bring them on line. Then they will ask the union for relief on the hull restriction. We say OK, they add six seats in each jet, they get what they want and we loose more mainline jets with out knowing what hit us.

 

[JohnDoe]

You are correct. But, the only mass parkings we have heard about that could happen soon would be the 742 fleet, which of course is on the FNWA side. Pre SOC--that affects only the FNWA side. After SOC, then it would affect both sides, but then again the Scope limit would expose about 400 total pilots.

I understand which pilots get the boot depending which side the aircraft are parked from pre SOC.

What I am trying to say is that, using your example of the 74-200: Prior to SOC, if FNWA furloughs a number of pilots equal to the number of pilots that will be displaced from that aircraft, they will already hit the trigger, and the resultant penalty associated with it. Is that correct?

Even after SOC, they only have to go roughly 500 pilots down the list to hit 09-01 hires.

 

[Superpilot92]

They will put 70 seats in the jets and bring them on line. Then they will ask the union for relief on the hull restriction. We say OK, they add six seats in each jet, they get what they want and we loose more mainline jets with out knowing what hit us.

the 70 and 76 seat limit is just about capped. Giving anything further on scope relief is ridiculous especially if their is a staffing issue on the mainline side. Hopefully the economy will keep the company on its toes. They haven't offered any leaves to pilots yet so thats a good sign. I personally think we have just as many reasons why not to furlough as we do to cut people so hopefully we dont get any more reasons to make the issue lopsided.