DAL CEO internal Q&A

[Pilotbob3]

There is NO way you can convince me that only by the pilots taking huge pay and benenfit cuts will Delta be saved....give me a break! Thanks Delta Pilots for holding up the bar! Hang in there...don't let the weak and spineless win!

 

[Medeco]

I dont believe that either.

But, if they dont they willl hold it back

 

[Ty Webb]

An interesting post indeed. Much better than Leo.

My only comments are:

1) Delta does have a very good product. I caught a ride home today on a MD88. Operationally, it went well, the new boarding seemed to work, the F/A's were friendly and productive, and the front end crew were quite hospitable to a poor pilot happy to catch a ride home on a busy weekend (Thanks, Guys!). I agree that Delta will definitely be around for the long haul (no pun intended).

2) Grinstien wants to raise revenues . . . . my suggestion is to quit fighting the LCC's for the bottom customers and stop gouging the markets where you have limited competition. Adopt a pricing strategy like AWA has, and I'll bet you increase revenue like they have.

3) As for the DAL pilots- rest assured that those of us working at LCC's hope that you guys keep the most money you can, and that Delta avoids BK. The worst thing that could happen to AirTran pilots is a Delta BK . . . . it would only cause our company to come after us for pay cuts, I am sure.

Keep up the good work, and good luck to all.

 

[IAHERJ]

I have to agree with my co-worker above. I think the doom and gloom of the industry as far as major airline pilot lifestyle goes will only be short term. Grinstein stated that there will only be 2 major carriers in the next 5 years operating a Pacific network, a Latin American network as well as a trans Atlantic network. He has stated in the past that American Airlines will be one of those carriers. I believe that he wants a combined Delta/Continental Airlines to be the second. Continental has the Pacific and Latin America and Delta has a strong Trans Atlantic presence as does CAL and the two carriers will have the largest RJ feed system in the world with Expressjet's 250 ERJ's and CMR and ASA's fleet of CRJ's. After what could be a decade of seniority merger problems and 2 year short term contracts, I strongly believe that the pilot compensation at this combined company could look like Delta's current pay and benefit structure at the least.

Looking long term, I see American and a Delta/Continental operating as this nation's flag carriers to destinations around the world while 3-4 LCC's provide mostly domestic and Canadian, Carribean type destinations. The highest paying pilot jobs will still be at those international carriers while the LCC's will be next in line followed by the 50-90 seat jet suppliers then followed by the 19-50 seat true regional carriers. That's just my opinion and of course it could be wrong.

IAHERJ
ATL 717