Advice Please! AirTran vs. Delta?

[Charlie Brown]

I would probably go to DAL. Just work on a "plan B" in case things go South. Hell, I would work on a Plan B at da Tranny as well, or any other airline for that matter.

 

[Bill Nelson]

Seniority is not a matter of how many people are senior to you, but how many are Jr.

Don't worry about who is ahead of you, worry about how many the company will hire behind you.

 

[Murphy]

Disagree with not worrying about how many people are ahead of you. If no one above you is going out the door, you aren't going to get very senior and you won't have a very good quality of life. You want both to happen. People to leave above you and people to come in below you. That's the best of both worlds and that's how you get very senior.

 

[johnsonrod]

Keep the AirTran training date and go to the Delta interview. AirTran just posted their 8th consecutive profitable year. There management team has been in place the entire time, they've got a business plan that works, and they have aircraft orders on the books through the end of the decade.

Delta will live on in some form if they don't come out of bankruptcy as a stand alone. In terms of seniority, this would be the time to get on with them at the start of hiring wave. If they merge with someone, there may be some risk of being furloughed as a new hire if the new merged airline consolidates.

It also depends on what you'd like to fly long term. Delta would provide much greater variety with international flying, wide body aircraft, and multiple hubs. AirTran's only hub is Atlanta. They do west coast flying, but it's basically a super regional that qualifies as a major.

Delta has taken some severe cuts, but if you stacked the AirTran contract and benefits against the Delta contract and benefits I believe you'd would quickly realize why Delta is a legacy carrier and AirTran is a low cost carrier.

The wild card you have to consider is the financial solvency of Delta once they come out of bankruptcy. If they make it, I believe you would have much greater overall satisfaction at Delta. You've got to get the Delta job first.

Good luck.

I agree completely. Take the interview - at least you might have the option.

 

[737 Pylt]

Mr. 400ahole:

On 1/13/07 you wrote:

Thanks Whiskey! Lets hope this thing goes through sooner than later.

Then, onn 1/22/07 you wrote:

WD, for your sake and the rest of the America West and USAIr guys I hope this whole thing doesn't go thru.

I'll ask you again, since you seem to have your head buried in your man's lap....Which is it, do you want or not want this merger?

For those that don't know, ahole here is none other than chuck yogurt/lawman/einstein/sky fly/texas crotch rot, and countless other user names that have been BANNED!
Add that to the fact this little rump ranger has a picture of Doug Parker on his name, it kind of sums it all up!

I'll reply to this only because you are a pathetic little troll!

Where do you currently work and why do want to leave it for one of these two companies?

Why does it matter since your sorry company is about to be bought and dismantled by Air Tran.

Airtran is a bit of a wild card right now. Contract negotiations, Eastern Management and a bit of an unknown future. They really haven't had to compete with healthy leagacies but that is going to change in the future.

And with only a GED, you managed to come up with that one on your own, and didn't use the word "scab." I'm impressed!

Delta, well what can you say?

Take your man love out of your mouth and try!

They are going to have to merge with someone and that someone might be Pan Am, TWA or Eastern. If they don't find a partner it is likely they will be gone.

Chucky, sorry you didn't get hired, I'm glad to see that the interview process works. There will be plenty flight attendant openings later on, please try to re apply again in the near future.....Oh, and btw, the same was said about AAA and UAL moron!

It doesn't look like US Air but NWA is a possiblity.

I see that your mommy still reads you the headlines of the papers in the morning before your bottle, glad to see it helps!

Then where would you be?

Any place better than where you're working einstein/chuck!

On the street with a whole bunch of other folks. Plus your merging the volatile NWA pilot group with the Delta arrogance. I woudn't want to be in that mix.

Don't worry, you never will be....However your ass will be sodomized by the Air tran group. I can't wait til your put out on the street because of it too!

To sum it though, I would go with Airtran. Better odds of a future and stability.

I can't believe I just said that.

You might be right, but either way it doesn't matter flight attendant boy, you're on the outside looking in.

737

 

[atldc9]

I push the AirTran class, do the Delta interview, and then decide. I have a friend who was hired by Eastern when he was about 30, back in the early 60's. He told me he had offers form Delta, NW and Eastern. He went with Eastern because they were the biggest, most secure at the time. Who would have thought they would melt down 25 years later?

AirTran isn't perfect, but right now it's not bad. Delta is a wild card. You could make out like a bandit, or be on furlough if the merger goes thru.

Somebody else said it best, possibly descending into Europe, or a MCO turn. Where is my crystal ball...

 

[ACL65PILOT]

This is the same debate that I as well as many others are making that have interviews with DAL.
I chose to bypass a class somewhere else because of a few facts.
1) If DAL does merge with NWA which is an ALPA carrier it will be a DOH zipper with major fences put up.
2) It will probably take at least two years to merge the senority lists. In that time DAL will continue to hire and NWA will start. Both companies will have needs in the here and now. That will put many people below you.

It does in no way mean that you will not get a pink slip, but it will lessen your odds. Mergers take time. DAL is short on pilots and when they exit their hiring will pick up. With these facts I think that it is as safe as going anywhere but SWA, FEX, and UPS. It never hurst, and what looks good today will not look the same in five to ten years. Make your decisions on fact that are in front of you today. Not maybes. If we tried to do that we would all go nuts.

 

[737 Pylt]

This is the same debate that I as well as many others are making that have interviews with DAL.
I chose to bypass a class somewhere else because of a few facts.
1) If DAL does merge with NWA which is an ALPA carrier it will be a DOH zipper with major fences put up.
2) It will probably take at least two years to merge the senority lists. In that time DAL will continue to hire and NWA will start. Both companies will have needs in the here and now. That will put many people below you.

It does in no way mean that you will not get a pink slip, but it will lessen your odds. Mergers take time. DAL is short on pilots and when they exit their hiring will pick up. With these facts I think that it is as safe as going anywhere but SWA, FEX, and UPS. It never hurst, and what looks good today will not look the same in five to ten years. Make your decisions on fact that are in front of you today. Not maybes. If we tried to do that we would all go nuts.

ACL:
Great advice.
I once flew with this old captain who's advice was plain and simple....
You'll know if you made the right decision when you retire!

737

 

[ACL65PILOT]

You'll know if you made the right decision when you retire

Quite true.

I hope that I do get the nod and finally get to come on over. If I do not, I am OK with the decisions I have made to this point.

 

[CrewDog97]

Most of you guys are probably gonna call me nuts, but I've got a really good feeling about AirTran and I think they've got a bright future based on a solid past. I'm gonna have to go with my gut feeling on this one and see where this crazy ride takes me! Thanks for your inputs!