This is just the beginning of <<The Delta Treatment>>
A note to Northwest pilots:
1) You will be totally screwed by Delta
2) You will be totally screwed by Delta pilots
3) It will suck to be a "Delta pilot", because you won't really be a Delta pilot
4) It will suck to sit in the cockpit with a Delta pilot
How about a little truth...
1) Delta is the best place I've ever worked. Crew scheduling, Line Check Pilots, Management... will treat you with respect. The LCA's will correct you if you make a mistake, but everything is done with the goal of getting the job done right.
2) Delta pilots have come at this fairly and kept the door open even when a fair deal in February was responded to with "F_ Y_ Delta." We are working with the NWA pilots to try to make the best of this for everyone involved.
3) If you are on the Delta seniority list, you are a Delta pilot. I've not seen anyone treated with less than 100% courtesy and respect.
4) In my short time it has been an absolutely great time to fly with Delta pilots. As a civillian it is interesting to fly a trans con hearing stories about commanding a SR71 squadron, or a Carrier. Other guys have their RV6 projects. In every case, Delta's screening seems to work - they are all great guys to fly with.
I think the NWA guys and gals will love it at Delta.
Many of us anticipated a further draw down in NWA's fleet independent of the merger. A merger keeps more airplanes flying since we can feed each other's operations and DAL can use NWA's aircraft out of our markets that are growing. I am surprised that NWA is parking 757's, or AirBus, products and guess that they must need heavy maintenance, or leases are coming up for renegotiation. NWA's 757-300's are the most efficient jets in the fleet of either airline.
I expected the DC9's to go away and we need to be sure to work together to keep that flying on the list.
Does Occam, or anyone else know, if this NWA plan is different than the plan Delta management explained to the union last week. The joint letter did not suggest NWA was making cuts. Wonder if this was a surprise. Does anyone know?
Management is pushing to get this done sooner rather than later on the Delta side. If so, I anticipate no furloughs.