Delta Bennies Questions

[Dr Pepper]

1. What type of family passes are you entitled? Are there restrictions for international?

2. What is the B-fund? Does it still exist?

3. How much is contributed by the company into your 401K? Do they do matching?

4. Who is Dental and Medical Insurance through? Are you happy with them? And are the rates good?

5. How many people were furloughed last time? (Not a benny, but curious.)

6. How much per diem do you estimate that you pocket, if any?

 

[General Lee]

1. What type of family passes are you entitled? Are there restrictions for international?

2. What is the B-fund? Does it still exist?

3. How much is contributed by the company into your 401K? Do they do matching?

4. Who is Dental and Medical Insurance through? Are you happy with them? And are the rates good?

5. How many people were furloughed last time? (Not a benny, but curious.)

6. How much per diem do you estimate that you pocket, if any?

If you are married, then your wife and children get unlimited S-3 passes, and a certain amount of S-2s which have higher priority. If you are not married, your parents have that ability. You can give buddy passes too.

Our B fund is a seperate Direct Contribution fund (DC fund) that the company contributes to each month, and it is in your name. The more you work, the more that goes into that fund each month, since 9% of whatever you make that month is contributed into it by the company. (United has a 15 or 16% fund, which we will be aiming for eventually). We also have a 401K that we contribute into ourselves, and the company gives a 2% match.


United Healthcare does our medical and I forgot the name of the dental plan, but they are good. The co-pays went up during BK, which is typical I guess. Overall I think it is good.

We had 1310 people furloughed the last time, which was more than any other time combined. We had about 400 furloughed after the first gulf war, which was a lot then too. Many people have told me that we really had too many pilots hired before 9-11, and that staffing formula has been reworked to better watch out for that. We also got rid of many fleet types all at once (727s, L1011s, MD11s) which also got rid of FEs (on the 727s and L10s), which increased the number of furloughed pilots. We now have brought down our lease costs on our remaining planes to unbelievable levels (some had a $200,000 a month savings per plane), so we feel more confident that whole fleets probably won't be dumped any time soon. You never know, though. Word is that we may be ordering quite a few planes coming up here, and continuing to grow. Hiring now is going full steam ahead, and it is better to be hired in the beginning of a wave rather than at the end.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[tbkane]

I agree it IS BETTER TO BE HIRED ON THE FRONT END OF THE WAVE the back end isn't much fun!!!! But things are going well come aboard...

 

[DallasGatr]

Actually there were app. 550 pilots furloughed after the first Gulf War at Delta. I'd probably still be at Delta if about 400 were cut.....

 

[Pat Fabin]

Just some followups,

Travel Bennies: you and your spouse get 6 S-2 passes a year, the S-3s are unlimited. 6 Buddy passes (S-5) which range in price depending on the destination. Also, I think your parents are limited to 6 Ocean crossing trips...not sure about that one. There is now a $50 yearly fee for pass benefits. I think employees get 20% off fare prices when buying a real ticket. Still one of the best travel packages out there, but nowadays in this business the flights on all airlines are pretty packed. Pilots can reserve a jumpseat on Delta flights too, which is almost like positive space travel...as long as the plane leaves! Now unlimited flowback jumpseat into the cabin, and flight attendant jumpseat use as well.

Healthcare/Insurance: There is also a medical option that our contract provides, and those costs are fixed. Presently I think its more expensive than the company option but its a good safeguard in case the company changes what it offers. The UHC plan is decent for most people, and I have Metlife for Dental which has been very good. We also have company paid disability, which pays 50% earnings should you be disabled. You have the option of paying into a private pilots-only fund that provides an additional 20% earnings so your take-home is very close to your normal after-tax net pay.

Starting in Jan 08, your spouse will be covered by a $500,000 survivorship benefit. This replaces what was available when we had a pension.

Flight physicals: Paid flat rate from the company, $100 for first class, $165 for First class w/EKG.

B-Fund/401k: Much as general described, except the 2% 401k contribution is NOT a match of YOUR contribution, but a 2% salary contribution by the company into your 401k account. You don't have to participate in the 401k to get this 2% either...in essence, the company contributes 11% of your salary in an account you can manage yourself, 9% into your Defined Contribution (b-fund) account and 2% into your 401k.

Company life insurance isn't bad, but I think ALPAs was cheaper so I went with that.

Hope it answers some questions.

 

[retired guy]

Buddy Passes are S4 not S5.

 

[Pat Fabin]

Thanks for the pass clarification, I knew I'd get something wrong!

:0

 

[Dr Pepper]

Pardon my ignorance, but to clarify, S2, S3, S4 are priority levels of standby? And no restictions against international for spouse?

About how much, on average estimate, soft money (international, per diem, extended trips, holiday pay if that exists) do people take home?

Also, how how many days a month does the average pilot work?

Thanks for all the pearls in the previous replys.

 

[propdog]

Is it true that parents can travel on "yield fare" costs after using up their international travel days? Also, are these yield fares upgradeable to business-first on space available basis OR are they coach only? Thank you.

 

[General Lee]

Pardon my ignorance, but to clarify, S2, S3, S4 are priority levels of standby? And no restictions against international for spouse?

About how much, on average estimate, soft money (international, per diem, extended trips, holiday pay if that exists) do people take home?

Also, how how many days a month does the average pilot work?

Thanks for all the pearls in the previous replys.

Per diem is $1.80 for domestic and I think $2.25 for INTL (?), and some INTL trips are three days, and others 4. (Every once and awhile there is a longer trip but that is in the slower Winter season, and they go senior because the wives come along usually...) There are some 6 day trips for INTL too, with routings like JFK--BRU--ATL--BRU--JFK, or JFK--FRA--CVG--FRA--JFK. It depends on the plane. Those 6 day trips are usually senior too. No holiday pay, and the INTL flying gives a $3 overide for FOs per flight hour, and $5 an hour for Captains.

Line holders will fly between 75-82 hours a month probably, while reserves will fly atleast 70. If your 4 day trips are 22 hours, then you will work 15-16, and INTL people fly about the same, although some trips are worth enough to do two trips total for the month (those 6 day trips can be worth 35-40 hours)--so that would give people 18 days off for those months. ATL--Tokyo on the 777 is a 28 hour 3 day. So, that would mean 21 days off a month for those pilots. We are starting ATL--Seoul nonstop, along with ATL to Dubai on the 777, so there will be more of those types of trips available, although not for newhires....

Delta gives you OPTIONS on what type of flying you want to do, and where to do it. You can do domestic all of your career, or you can throw in a few years on INTL, or do the Delta Shuttle and be home every night if you live in DC or BOS.


Bye Bye--General Lee