Delta hiring

[Jet_Driver]

Forgive me, I haven't been on here for over a year so I really haven't keep up with the rumors at Delta/NWA since I interviewed for NWA 2 years ago, but I was talking to a Delta (formerly NWA) friend who thought he heard there might be a hiring window later this year. I didn't see any threads on here, so I'm guessing not. I am just curious if this is a possibility.

 

[PeanuckleCRJ]

The decision on hiring will be finalized in about 3 weeks.

 

[wings421]

Just to add onto that post, as far as I know they haven't offered recalls to those on bypass yet. I think there are 300ish of them so who knows how many will want to come back. Also, I believe Compass pilots get to go 20 a month before off the street hiring. Hopefully we'll hire, but I'm not counting on it just yet. I believe the execs have said that they will wait until the 2011 plan is drafted to make a decision (within a month or two from what I've read).

 

[andyd]

Even if they do pull the trigger on hiring there are 330 guys on furlough bypass currently to work through as well as upwards of a 100 Compass and Mesaba guys in line to flow up before anyone off the street. IMHO I don't see off street hiring here for a full year or even into 2012, our needs this next year will be met in house or flow ups.

 

[AvroGuy]

Even if they do pull the trigger on hiring there are 330 guys on furlough bypass currently to work through as well as upwards of a 100 Compass and Mesaba guys in line to flow up before anyone off the street. IMHO I don't see off street hiring here for a full year or even into 2012, our needs this next year will be met in house or flow ups.

I don't know about compass but isn't mesaba's flow like for ever two newhires one will be from mesaba? In short flowthroughs with off the street new hires in class. Or is this wrong?

 

[FBN0223]

Most of the flying at Delta is actually done by other carriers provided in the list below. Hard to believe that Delta would ever hire pilots again when much of Delta's flying is done by other carriers.

CODE-SHARED FLIGHTS: AIRLINE PROVIDING SERVICE:
DL 3001-3619 MESABA DBA DELTA C
DL 3650-4419 PINNACLE DBA DELTA
DL 4439-4935 SKYWEST DBA DELTA
DL 4939-5632 ASA DBA DELTA CONN
DL 5640-5884 COMPASS DBA DELTA
DL 5900-5991 SHUTTLE AMERICA DE
DL 6000-6094 CHAUTAUQUA DBA DEL
DL 6100-6214 FREEDOM DBA DELTA
DL 6225-6791 COMAIR DBA DELTA C
DL 7400-7467 AMERICAN EAGLE
DL 7470-7508 HORIZON AIRLINES U
DL 7509-7543 ALASKA AIRLINES IN
DL 7570-7659 HORIZON AIRLINES U
DL 7660-7688 ALASKA AIRLINES IN
DL 7689-7724 HORIZON AIRLINES U
DL 7755-7812 SKYWEST DBA DELTA

 

[twobits]

summer will be busy. Expect more fleet and base realignment this winter to take place, mitigating any need for Delta to hire.

 

[ACL65PILOT]

For Bypass guys to take recall there needs to be new hire classes. That is the quid.

TO make this happen they will flow CPS and Mesaba guys while offering recall. They have also stated that they want to develop a pool. They are saying 300-400 at a min. We shall see what happens going forward. They are very resistant to hire, and rightfully so on many levels.
DAL realizes that there will be another downturn and what they are trying sharp shoot is what the staffing number will be in the next downturn. That is the number they want to hire to and any extra would be out of extreme need as they do not want to furlough anyone. I give them credit and appreciation for their diligence. No one want to be furloughed.
That said, we are going to be so short this summer that they are expecting we may actually have to cancel flights. They do know we need bodies and a good bit of them for summer 2011. The summer 2011 block hrs will be firmed up by the end of next week. Marketing wants more international, and more domestic. To do that, they need pilots since we cannot be in two places at once.
This summer is going to be the land of double time flying.

The number I have been told is about 150 or so pilot have expressed an interest in coming off of bypass. Now this has been over the last few years, so when they do pull the trigger (probably fall sometime) these guys will get slotted in with the CPS and Mesaba pilots. The trick is that the hiring will take place over the end of one calendar year and the start of another so they will be able to flow as many as they want or need until probably mid 2012 if they so choose. I have been told to expect off the street hiring "shortly" (whatever that means: my guess is three to four months after the first CPS pilots flow) after we start bringing the pilots in.

If I were to "guess" I would bet we would see letters of intention going to all of the recall guys in mid to late summer as they are only required to give 30 days notice on intent. Even if we only get 30 pilots that want to return immediately, this number is a moving target as they can opt in at any time we are having classes. DAL will hire off the street and when that starts it will continue for a bid.
Like I said in the beginning, they do not want to hire too many and have to furlough in the next downturn. That is good for everyone.

 

[TNPILOT]

So ACL, should this happen do you see any positives for former NWA poolies with regard to interviews at the new DAL?

 

[ACL65PILOT]

I cannot answer that. That answer is up to the Delta in-house legal team alone. They have not rendered a ruling on that for obvious reasons. 1) They do not have to as there is no hiring yet, and 2) Doing so prior to resuming hiring is not legally prudent.

 

[TNPILOT]

I cannot answer that. That answer is up to the Delta in-house legal team alone. They have not rendered a ruling on that for obvious reasons. 1) They do not have to as there is no hiring yet, and 2) Doing so prior to resuming hiring is not legally prudent.

Fair enough. Is there an MEC position on it? Perhaps "position" is too strong of a word but for lack of a better term...

 

[ACL65PILOT]

I have head of no such position.

 

[ACL65PILOT]

My personal opinion is that at best it would be a option to re-interview, but given the competitiveness of these slots, that may be both good and bad for you guys. I know last time we had over 12,000 applicants and only about 2000 that they deemed competitive.

In the end you will now know until you get a letter stating that you are offered the option to reinterview, or no letter shows up. It will not be announced to the world.

 

[clippyrip]

Fair enough. Is there an MEC position on it? Perhaps "position" is too strong of a word but for lack of a better term...

This is just my opinion and may spark some anger but as a former NWA guy here at Delta, my guess is that our poolies will receive no special treatment. I am going off of how Delta and the MEC has handled most things former NWA. Lee Moak in my estimation does not care very much about FNWA issues and will not lift a finger for our poolies.

I'm sure this post will get a rebuttal but I will come back here when hiring starts and I am proven correct and say "I told you so".

 

[twobits]

AC,

Is this info from the same person who told you that JAL was a done deal? Hiring at Delta completely depends on retirements, which are really hard to forecast. They need retirements to 'right size' the airline in terms of optimal hub/fleet route composition. 747-400 is an old airplane, and will be replaced by 777's, and possibly the 747-8i. DC-9 has proven itself over the years, but will be history by the end of 2011 just like the 727, 737-200/300G and MD-11 were not so long ago. CVG is a goner. The wholly owned regionals might be brought in house to fly big RJ's, smaller RJ's will be shed to non-wholly owned carriers. All in all, the target number of mainline aircraft pilots is 10,200 by the middle of 2012. That includes all of the above. Do the math.


Interviews will start in 2012 at the earliest!