Comair/Delta question?

[wmuflyguy]

Why make a possible mistake that will rule the rest of your professional life if it is avoidable?

That is laughable. So what, Delta is jsut one airline, among many. UAL, NWA, CAL, SWA, JBLU, NJI they have no beef with Comair pilots. It won't rule his or anyone elses life. Heck, in 10-20 years all of the guys that have the problem will be retired or close to it. Not to mention the fact of a merger, which would change the structure of the company and possibly the people doing the hiring.

Personally I wasn't even at Comair when any of this went down. The fact that in 5 years some guy from Delta would look down on me about it is sad. If guys are that petty and want to have a vendetta agaisnt someone that had no input or say in the situation, i'm not sure it is a place I would enjoy working. It would speak volumes about the attitude and the culture there.

 

[johnsonrod]

Why would someone willingly go to Comair if its future status is questionable? Is Comair expanding? Is Comair competitive with lower-cost regionals? Is Comair gaining market share from other regionals? Does Comair have a definitive or understandable plan going forward? Does Comair have any relationships with non-Delta carriers? These are the critical questions you should be asking yourself...

Delta is farming out more and more feed to other more cost-competitive regionals. Who knows if Comair will even be around in 5 years - Delta might just shut it down or sell it. Sure, the regional business is full of question marks and nobody is safe... However, certain airlines have made changes and taken steps to diversify their risks (contracts with multiple majors). Those are the carriers I would look at closely - not for a career but for an opportunity to build jet time. That's the point. Nobody wants to stay at a regional for an entire career - or at least only a few people really aspire to do that.

I hate my regional but I am getting out soon. If I were you, I would look at regionals that have diversified their risk and those that offer good jet experience with "reasonably" fast upgrade potential (3-5 years most likely). Skywest, Republic/Shuttle America, COEX (we'll see if its Ontario experiment works - although it has recently been awarded a Delta contract out of LAX) come to mind. Personally, I would avoid Comair too - it doesn't seem to have a plan to counter its diminishing market share/feed and you might at least want the option of possibly working at Delta one day.

Good luck!

 

[bvt1151]

Ha Ha! ALPA acts like there's this big vendetta against one of its own ALPA carriers. They've even gone so far as to say they'll hire non-ALPA pilots over ALPA Comair pilots because they got their feelings hurt. Does anyone else see the utter rediculousness in this?

 

[Occam's Razor]

Ha Ha! ALPA acts like there's this big vendetta against one of its own ALPA carriers. They've even gone so far as to say they'll hire non-ALPA pilots over ALPA Comair pilots because they got their feelings hurt. Does anyone else see the utter rediculousness in this?

Hint: ALPA doesn't hire pilots.

 

[cmrflyer]

Ha Ha! ALPA acts like there's this big vendetta against one of its own ALPA carriers. They've even gone so far as to say they'll hire non-ALPA pilots over ALPA Comair pilots because they got their feelings hurt. Does anyone else see the utter rediculousness in this?

That shows how strong this "union" really is, and why management are able to shred contracts so easily. (Even though the comair one had to be shreded by a judge, unlike some others I could mention).

People like the general who go around saying they would rather see mainline flying farmed out to non alpa, non union carriers just shows you how sad this industry and the "union" is.

Why not farm out the flying to a Mexican regional, I'm sure they would be super cheap. Not as cheap as freedom, but cheap none the less.

 

[imacdog]

Why would someone willingly go to Comair if its future status is questionable? Is Comair expanding? Is Comair competitive with lower-cost regionals? Is Comair gaining market share from other regionals? Does Comair have a definitive or understandable plan going forward? Does Comair have any relationships with non-Delta carriers? These are the critical questions you should be asking yourself...

Delta is farming out more and more feed to other more cost-competitive regionals. Who knows if Comair will even be around in 5 years - Delta might just shut it down or sell it. Sure, the regional business is full of question marks and nobody is safe... However, certain airlines have made changes and taken steps to diversify their risks (contracts with multiple majors). Those are the carriers I would look at closely - not for a career but for an opportunity to build jet time. That's the point. Nobody wants to stay at a regional for an entire career - or at least only a few people really aspire to do that.

I hate my regional but I am getting out soon. If I were you, I would look at regionals that have diversified their risk and those that offer good jet experience with "reasonably" fast upgrade potential (3-5 years most likely). Skywest, Republic/Shuttle America, COEX (we'll see if its Ontario experiment works - although it has recently been awarded a Delta contract out of LAX) come to mind. Personally, I would avoid Comair too - it doesn't seem to have a plan to counter its diminishing market share/feed and you might at least want the option of possibly working at Delta one day.

Good luck!

Now that Comair is nearly done with restructuring (thanks to the help of the BK judge) you will see it is much more competitive than it used to be. Didn't Delta just modify the CHQ contract to remove all 135s from its operation?

 

[Otto]

Avoid Comair if you can - you should be able to get on with many other regionals that will at least give you a chance if Delta is your ultimate goal. Don't worry about the Comair guys out there - both Skybus and Virgin America will be hiring. Sad but true - they made their beds (with regard to harsh treatment of the Delta furloughees) and now they have to sleep in them

Work at Virgin America or Skybus where they will sit 2-3 years as an FO and then a Captain for 20 vs. being an FO/ gear handle puller at Delta for 20 years and a Captain for 2-3. Yeah those poor bastards.

 

[737 Pylt]

Work at Virgin America or Skybus where they will sit 2-3 years as an FO and then a Captain for 20 vs. being an FO/ gear handle puller at Delta for 20 years and a Captain for 2-3. Yeah those poor bastards.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news Otto, but the most jr. captain on the MD 88 in NYC is a late 98 hire!
Now I guess that would just shoot that theory of yours out the window, wouldn't it!?

737

 

[Ben Johnson]

Were does one drop off a resume for skybus and virgin america. Thats a whole number two i have to drop off...

 

[Nindiri]

If you work for Virgin America, can you upgrade to Virgin Galactic? No good layovers there, but the out and backs are excellent.

 

[Goose Egg]

Grassy knell

I think people make the mistake of assuming that since Comair is a subsidiary of Delta, that it actually is Delta. It's not. It's Comair, a separate company that is owned by Delta. Delta is in BK, and so technically Comair is too, but people forget that Comair by itself is really pretty profitable. Someone made a comment that Delta might close the doors of Comair. Given Comair's profitability, I think the possibility of that is extremely remote. And we see that in no part of the restructuring is Delta required to sell Comair, so I think that's pretty unlikely too.

As far as coming from Comair and trying get on with Delta, I think that by the time it becomes relevant for guys at my stage (and earlier), most of the people carrying the grudges (likely a vocal minority) will be retired. (And the only time it would be relevant for me is if my SWA, AirTran, JetBlue, NetJets and Continental, etc. etc. interviews all didn't work out. Some guys want to work for their "dream" carrier. I'm just looking to work for a relatively good company and not get furloughed.)

And it's "knell," not "knoll."

-Goose

 

[kc81900]

I too would suggest going to another carrier than comair because Dalpa is that petty!!

 

[johnsonrod]

I think people make the mistake of assuming that since Comair is a subsidiary of Delta, that it actually is Delta. It's not. It's Comair, a separate company that is owned by Delta. Delta is in BK, and so technically Comair is too, but people forget that Comair by itself is really pretty profitable. Someone made a comment that Delta might close the doors of Comair. Given Comair's profitability, I think the possibility of that is extremely remote. And we see that in no part of the restructuring is Delta required to sell Comair, so I think that's pretty unlikely too.

As far as coming from Comair and trying get on with Delta, I think that by the time it becomes relevant for guys at my stage (and earlier), most of the people carrying the grudges (likely a vocal minority) will be retired. (And the only time it would be relevant for me is if my SWA, AirTran, JetBlue, NetJets and Continental, etc. etc. interviews all didn't work out. Some guys want to work for their "dream" carrier. I'm just looking to work for a relatively good company and not get furloughed.)

And it's "knell," not "knoll."

-Goose

Yeah, and people have forgotten about the Eastern scabs...

Forget it - the Delta pilots will have a very long memory. Any airline that screws over Delta furloughees will not be forgotten - and that's a quote from a 45 year old Delta Captain I know. He'll be around for another 20 years if pilots are allowed to fly past age 60. Now, I have been told that ASA pilots are more than welcome to apply because of the way they treated Delta furloghees during their time of need. Get it? ASA yes, Comair no. Simple as that. If you want to work for United, JetBlue, American (if they ever hire again), Continental, AirTran, Fedex, UPS, Virgin America or Skybus someday in the distant future, by all means go to Comair and enjoy the ride. If you want to have Delta as an option, go to any other regional but Comair. I am simply repeating what I have heard from Delta pilots who understand the sentiment and the hiring situation. Go ahead, ask any Delta pilot for his/her opinion - they'll tell you what they think.

 

[DrewBlows]

What role do Delta pilots play in the hiring process at Delta?

 

[fried chickens]

So why don't the Delta guys like Comair guys? Didn't Delta support Comair during their strike? What caused the bad blood?

 

[Goose Egg]

ASA yes, Comair no. Simple as that. If you want to work for United, JetBlue, American (if they ever hire again), Continental, AirTran, Fedex, UPS, Virgin America or Skybus someday in the distant future, by all means go to Comair and enjoy the ride. If you want to have Delta as an option, go to any other regional but Comair.

You forgot SWA.

-Goose

 

[retired guy]

This thread has been twisted like a plate of spagetti noodles. Power ranger`s question went something like this: "I want to fly for Delta, should I avoid Comair?". I say again...Delta pilots have a big "hate on" for Comair pilots because of the Comair MECs stand against Delta pilot furloughed pilots retaining their Delta senority, and this after supporting Comair`s strike with strike assesments(read money). Now that`s a fact. Is it justified? Is it fair? Should newhire Comair pilots be punished because of the action of an MEC that acted long before the new hires were on the property? None of these things come in to play and they weren`t any part of Power Ranger`s question. Having spent about 30 years on the Delta senority list, I think that I can express an opinion as to the feelings of the Delta pilots general feelings on the above issue. Power Ranger should avoid Comair and build his time somewhere else. That sage of wisdom, Imacdog (the C 310 pilot) has called me a "loser" and then modified that to "idiot" because I stated my answer to Power Rangers question. I`m sure that he thinks that he knows the true feelings of the Delta pilots much better than I do. I never stated that these were or were not my feelings, only what I picked up in casual conversations with the younger guys there at Delta. These feelings run the length of the entire list, Most of the Delta pilots will be there a long, long time. Power Ranger you have been warned, do as you will. Good luck with your aviation career, I hope that yours will be as enjoyable and satisfying as mine was.

 

[DrewBlows]

Having spent about 30 years on the Delta senority list, I think that I can express an opinion as to the feelings of the Delta pilots general feelings on the above issue.

What are Delta pilot's "general feelings" about pilots who picked up open time while other pilots were furloughed? Having been furloughed. I know how I feel about pilots who picked up open time while I was on the street.

 

[DrewBlows]

What role do Delta pilots play in the hiring process at Delta?

anyone... anyone... Bueller...

 

[retired guy]

What are Delta pilot's "general feelings" about pilots who picked up open time while other pilots were furloughed? Having been furloughed. I know how I feel about pilots who picked up open time while I was on the street.

With a list of 6000 or so pilots, you are gonna have a few "Wh0res". Like you, I know how I feel about that issue also, but that`s for another thread.

As to your question about what part Delta pilots play in the hiring process, (1) For at least the past 50 years, pilots have had a big input into who gets hired or who gets the axe. Either as participants in the interview itself (usually one HR guy, one pilot interviewer) or one of the "higher ups" (chief pilot or a 4th floor type) (BTW, that`s a guy who is or works for the VP of Opns) that has veto priviledges. The name of the game is "Don`t rock the boat". The boat would be rocked plenty with Comair guys on the list, at least for awhile.