Delta AE is out

[dispatchguy]

For those of us who work in OCC, but not on the crew side, and are new to DL, what is Rolling Thunder?

Just please dont go UA AFA's CHAOS!

 

[~~~^~~~]

Nothing like that, the opposite actually.

Rolling Thunder is a strategy for a reserve pilot to increase their earnings by flying on their off days. If (big IF) they can get Green Slip trips on their off days at the beginning of the month, they can push these off days out in front of them. They then volunteer to fly on those off days and get more pay back days.

With a little bow wave of pay back and off days, the idea is to do all your flying on your off days and get credit for all this flying over and above your base 70 hours of pay.

Scheduling sort of likes it since Green Slips are their uber short call reserve, cover anything, guys.

With the new double pay for green slip flying, I expect green slip opportunities will go very senior and the rolling thunder opportunity will be diminished.

 

[JohnQ]

For those of us who work in OCC, but not on the crew side, and are new to DL, what is Rolling Thunder?

Just please dont go UA AFA's CHAOS!

First, what do you mean by "OCC, but not on the crew side?" Do mean DAL's OCC (Operational Control Center)?

Second, "rolling thunder" is not a grass-roots no-OT plan at all. It had to do with our reserve rules.

We have a premium pay system called a green slip. As a regular line holder, it involves flying on your days off for what was time and a half (last summer). Most regular pilots, myself included, determined that flying on your days off in the summer, for only 1 1/2 times pay, just wasn't worth it.

However, for reserve pilots the rules are quite a bit different. If you put in for a green slip on your reserve days off, you get paid for that trip ABOVE the reserve guarantee of 70 hours...and here is the "rolling thunder" kicker...AND you got the days off paid back at the end of the trip!

Insert typical summer flying schedule where the company is perpetually short of bodies, and you had reserves flying several of these a month, always getting the days off (known as x-days) paid back. I talked to several guys who fly 70 hours (no different than had they waited for scheduling to call them on their days on call) but got paid 130-150--all with no short calls!

Because of that, the company agreed to go back to how we used to do business: green slips for regular line holders are now back to double pay, so the incentive for regular line holders to fly on days off next summer is greater. That is why we predict that "rolling thunder" will be less of an issue.

But the beauty is that it wasn't any sort of grass-roots "movement"--just a bunch of pilots independently making the best economic decision. No one felt the slightest bit of pressure TO do or NOT TO do anything. Guys just flew what they wanted, and the company's own concessionary contract came back to bite them. Beautiful.

 

[ASA_DFW]

Don't guess about what is going to happen. Don't guess if I am X on a certain airplane and they do this, then I will be pay protected. Too many ifs for me. I like driving to work and and if possible having a schedule.

Make sure your displacement is involuntary. You do not want to get stuck on an A/C for two years. The bloodbath is not even close to being over.

Good luck in your decisions.

 

[ACL65PILOT]

Don't guess about what is going to happen. Don't guess if I am X on a certain airplane and they do this, then I will be pay protected. Too many ifs for me. I like driving to work and and if possible having a schedule.

Make sure your displacement is involuntary. You do not want to get stuck on an A/C for two years. The bloodbath is not even close to being over.

Good luck in your decisions.

Quite true, and you are correct, this is the first step.
I do not know about you but I look at it as an adventure.

 

[GogglesPisano]

So much uncertainty. I am MD'ing 777, ER, 767, then 737 in all applicable bases starting with NYC (easiest commute.)

At least if I do get displaced to the 88 I will get full pay protection.

That being said I don't think everyone hired in 07-08 will get the 88 as some here are saying. There are plenty of bubbas who will bid QOL in the 88 in ATL or westerners who will bid/stay 88 in SLC.

 

[General Lee]

So much uncertainty. I am MD'ing 777, ER, 767, then 737 in all applicable bases starting with NYC (easiest commute.)

At least if I do get displaced to the 88 I will get full pay protection.

That being said I don't think everyone hired in 07-08 will get the 88 as some here are saying. There are plenty of bubbas who will bid QOL in the 88 in ATL or westerners who will bid/stay 88 in SLC.

I think you are fairly safe in NYC. You might be bottom of the barrel on the 7ER, or maybe 73N, but I doubt you would get kicked out. You might even get bottom of the A330 if it is put out there. You never know. There will probably be a mass exodus out of DTW towards ATL by any FNWA guy who lives in the South. Any that live in the NorthEast will see their seniority increase at DTW, and probably stay there with better schedules than they had before. Some may go for NYC, but probably just as many DL guys who can't wait to go to DTW.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[123]

Now that the AE is out, when will everyone find out if they are going to be displaced? Just trying to figure out this AE process.

Our APA process allows a little more sharp shooting on positions, but alas, change is exactly what it is, change and I am just trying to understand the process.

Thanks

 

[General Lee]

Now that the AE is out, when will everyone find out if they are going to be displaced? Just trying to figure out this AE process.

Our APA process allows a little more sharp shooting on positions, but alas, change is exactly what it is, change and I am just trying to understand the process.

Thanks

We don't get very many of these AE's, maybe two a year max. I think it is due on the 15th, and everyone will know a couple days later. Then, you don't move until you are "converted", which could be a week after the bid, or months. (depending on your seniority in category and if the plane you displace to is really short on pilots or really fat on pilots)


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[another cfii]

I think it's safe to say after eavesdropping to many conversations in crew lounges, the closer we get to 15th, the more depressed the junior folks get...

Oh well, there's always playoff football, right?