Nope, that is not what I was saying. I am saying that there is some bad news out there. As has been stated they cannot take furloughs off the table. He is connected and I know where this bad news came from. My next statement is that not everyone was privy to the other "good" information, hence his statement that the bad news will be on its way shortly.
The news that was leaked to come out, was not necessarily planned for the 15th. If you know DAL we will be happy to see it by the end of summer. Most are saying the end of the month, but the fact is that the deal is almost done, and it will be good for the pilots of Delta Air Line, Inc.
Does this mean that we will not furlough, NO!!!!!
I still think that long term DAL will shrink and we will see around a 11K pilot group. For you of those that are counting, that is about 1000 less than we will have after all of those retire. I do not think that they will furlough to get to this, if in fact that is their desire.
There are a few forks in the road ahead. If we choose one path, it will mean shrinking, but if we choose the other, it will be mean growth and hiring. Which one Delta chooses, all depends on the next 18 months and which players are left.
There is growth out there, but making that growth possible depends on who continues to limp along with a mortal wound.
As stated no furlough plans are immanent. Next fall maybe if we do not see any kind of recovery. The added benefit is that if the contractual layers remain, the penalties for the company furloughing make it very difficult to do so for under three if not four years. The dead break even with out cositng out the loss of six seats in each 76 seat jet is 22 months. If you add that to it, that number goes up greatly, as those seats make more money for DAL than what they pay each of those pilots. Hence the decision not to furlough.
