Delta sells 777s

[General Lee]

Fins,

I won't get into it with you on the RJDC lawsuit. I still think PCL is right---you guys have gained a lot more since 9-11, and probably will get even more here shortly.

As far as the MD-11 fleet---we still own most of the 14, and I believe we either sold three to World Airways or are sub-leasing them 3. The other 11 are still in the desert and we are still paying daily lease rates on them. I had heard a rumor that Fedex and UPS offered us a very low ball offer for them, and we refused. We still own an MD-11 sim, and I believe we still use it to train MD-11 pilots in ATL.

I haven't heard anything about replacing the MD-88s or MD-90s---I think we were going to replace them with new 738s--but we obviously sold 11 future orders, so that might take awhile. No news on selling them early...

And, I think our evil MEC was in favor of you guys merging your lists (Comair/ASA). That would save a lot of money in V.P. costs--but now with USAir low balling everyone on the 70 seat rates, I think management will want to hold off and try to low ball you guys.....I hope that doesn't happen.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[PCL_128]

Fins:

Unfortunately, I have to leave for a 4-day trip in a few minutes, so I won't be able to look at all that RJDC propaganda until next week. When I get back I'll be sure to look at all of the data and get back to you.

 

[typhoonpilot]

I think this demonstrates that Delta is being more proactive about building profits and not just "wasting" money. Delta is not like Emirates or Qatari Airlines where they can waste away the Governments' money (sorry Typhoonpilot - tell me if you don't agree) and provide overcapacity - definitely the case with Qatari with its upcoming A380s...

Sorry HeavySet I don't agree. The problem with airlines in the United States is that they have become too small minded. They fail to realize that revenue is the key to success. The more revenue you can get the better and the best way to optimize revenue is to fly big airplanes. Emirates can't get enough big airplanes to meet demand. They will report record profits this year and will pay a record profit share to the employees. Here are some loads for tomorrow, the 12th of February:

Dubai - London Heathrow 3 flights

Coach Business First

336/320 50/42 8/18
368/320 46/42 14/18
230/320 37/42 3/18

Dubai - Birmingham

264/251 27/27

Dubai - Bombay

212/183 40/42 11/18
368/320 45/42 18/18
377/320 43/42 8/18

Dubai - Cairo

275/236 54/49

Dubai - Hong Kong

351/304 48/49

Dubai - Tehran

278/251 27/27
274/251 32/27

So you can see that at what most would consider a slow time of year Emirates is flying with a better than 90% load factor. The smallest airplane they operate is an A330-200.

The other part of the equation is cargo and the big airplanes carry a lot of cargo which is a major portion of the airlines revenue. The 777 is a great airplane for cargo and smart airlines use it to optimize revenue on long haul routes with it's cargo capabilities.

The last time the government of the Dubai put money into Emirates was when it started in 1985, ever since then they have been on their own. They thrive in an environment of open skies with superior marketing ability, superior customer service, and a strategic geographical position.

I would agree that Qatar is throwing money at their airline because they are not near as successful as Emirates. But don't confuse the two. Emirates is a leader and Qatar is just a follower.

Typhoonpilot

 

[ILStoMinimums]

Well said Typhoonpilot!

What destinations do you fly to in the USA? I believe JFK and LAX are 2 of them?

 

[Heavy Set]

Typhoonpilot,

Yes, I knew EK would be a stretch - I will restrict my example to Qatari only next time... You are definitely lucky to be associated with a great airline like EK - plus you get to fly a 777 - not a bad gig...

 

[ProLine4]

Medflyer,

I have taken your advice, and I just took a chill pill---or a Xanax....

Ok, I went to the source (ATL Chief Pilot Office) and asked them (via the phone) what was up. They said that we do want to trim those expenses for 2005---probably our toughest year in the future for payments---and this was one way to ensure it. I also asked about future flying, and they said the 767-400 will do more INTL flying (a bid today offered 20 new Capt slots and 20 FO slots for the 765--or the INTL 767-400 in ATL--a new catoagory)---including replacing a 767-300 DOM on the ATL--Lima, Peru flight. They also may start some Europe flying in the Summer, plus nonstop ATL and CVG to HNL. They also said that the four 767-200s returning from the desert probably will replace some of that DOM 764 flying, and that some of the LAX 765 guys will do a little more DOM flying instead of only Hawaii. Do I wish that we still would get the 777s for future INTL flying? Sure I do---but our management must be thinking of something else, and so far RJs can't fly nonstop to Europe from ATL.

Bye Bye--General Lee

Hey General, a couple of questions for you:

1. The 764 domestic F cabin is clearly not on par with BizElite and would create marketing issues if put on Intl ops. Are they planning to reconfigure all 25 airplanes with the J class cabin, split the fleet between J and Domestic F, or just keep as is?

2. Given your comments that this summer's transatlantic loads are already looking promising, is DL ready with additional 767 frequencies out of ATL? This will be the first summer that DL has gone from having 23 270-seat category acft (8 777 and 15 M11) to just 8. With 2 of those always tied up for 055/056 to NRT, at least 1 out of JFK to CDG, this leaves only 5 777 for ATL. The loads to CDG/LGW/AMS/FRA have been very high in past summers when they were served with multiple M11/B777 (LGW was at one point 2x M11 1 777 1 763). Isn't DL leaving potential revenue on the table by flying undersized 763 on peak flights? Or is there a closet plan to possibly reactivate M11s?

3. Not flamebait....Do you think the B777 fleet changes are truly an attempt to reduce capital expenditures by the bookkeepers, or is it really just a casualty of the mgmt/DALPA fiasco? 300m is a huge savings for the accountants at the GO, but elimination of future additional $305-an-hour positions must have caught DALPA's attention in a big way.

Thanks. I'm hoping a successful summer will cause them to end up taking these aircraft in the future.

 

[General Lee]

Proline4,


Good questions.

1. No, the 764 first class seating is not the greatest, and before there would be any transatlantic flying, they would have to change it to the 767ER style or 777 style business class seating. I have nonreved first class to Hawaii on the 764 and was not really impressed---the seats weren't great. Right now the 764 (or 765 catagory---INTL 764) flying out of ATL will consist of ATL and CVG to HNL, and a Lima, Peru flight. There will still be some domestic 764 flying also out of ATL this Summer---to LAX, LAS, and FLA.

2. I think we are adding 767ER flights this Summer out of ATl--extra frequencies to LGW and MUC. We were using a domestic 767-300 on the Lima flights, so that will go back to DOM probably. As far as the 777s--I just looked it up on our Travel net and in July there will be two 777s daily to Paris, 1 to Milan, 1 to Frankfurt, and one doing the Shannon/Dublin routing---other than the Toyko flight. I bet another one will have some Orlando turns for extra landings for the pilots. As far as Delta leaving revenue on the table (like our VP of marketing said last year)---I don't know. We have MD-11s in the desert--and we are still paying for them EVERYDAY. I would like them to come out and atleast produce enough revenue to pay for those daily lease rates---but I am not in charge. Will they ever come out? Maybe.....

3. Yeah, I actually think they are trying to save a bit on the Capital expenditures---I saw a graph with our expenses, and that year had a lot. Could they be doing it also to convince us to negotiate more? Maybe....But, they may be looking at other aircraft--like some more 764s, or some 100 seaters...I don't know. I don't know what they will do with Song eventually....Good questions though..

Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[ILStoMinimums]

Typhoon, to fly for EK - you oviously have to live in Dubai, right? Hows life there? Expensive? Give me an idea of what its like, never been over in that area. Also, isn't it a little close to all the activity in the sand box?



General, are you guys paid by 70 hrs a month? Man, that $305 an hour sure adds up quick!

 

[ss278]

General,

Got to thinking about your 765 flying....

Did you say that currently the only base is LAX? If so, how do those CVG and ATL turns on the 765 work? What with only one LAX-HNL flight per day and other flights to SFO and SLC, how do they do the turns? A lot of deadheading?

Thanks.

 

[General Lee]

ILSto Minimums,

The most a Delta pilot can be paid is 75 hours a month, and anything over that goes into a rolling bow wave. (if you have a 74 hour line the next month, it will fill it to 75 hours until the bow wave is gone) But, you can be paid over the cap if you do greenslips (or double pay on your days off). You guys at Fedex have the same type of deal---signing up for extra trips.....Not popular with the junior or furloughed people here....


ss278,

We currently only have an LAX base for 765--or INTL 767-400, and all they do is Hawaii---(counted as INTL). The new ATL base for the 765 will do some Hawaii--from ATL and CVG---and Lima, Peru initially. (I hear good cargo loads out of Lima besides a lot of pax) They may start more INTL stuff--to Europe etc..--when they change the first class or business class seats. There really aren't any "turns" on the 764 or 765--especially Hawaii (from any of the cities---they used to have turns on the L1011-500s). All of the flights have layovers in Hawaii---HNL and OGG from LAX. But, on the long ATL-HNL flight, they were flying guys in from LAX to ATL (the Third pilot or second FO), laying him over, then having 3 pilots fly the 9 plus hours to HNL. So, there was some deadheading involved, but not much. This new base may bring some of the hours down from the LAX 765 base, but we are adding a second LAX--HNL nonstop back in April, and they also are adding some domestic flying to the LAX base (instead of having ATL 764 dom guys always overnighting in LA--just start and end the trip with LAX based guys and save on Hotel bills....) That is smart. Also, there are a lot of guys commuting to LAX from Dallas and other places to fly Hawaii--so some of them will probably bid ATL 765 since they enjoy the 6 day trips and HNL sun.



Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[TonyC]

You guys at Fedex have the same type of deal---signing up for extra trips.....Not popular with the junior or furloughed people here....

Bye Bye--General Lee

We have similar types of things.

No cap, no bow wave, you get paid for what you work, you don't get paid if you don't - - no mechanism for leveling lean months.

VOLUNTEER: Pilot asks to fly (kinda like your pink slips or green slips or some-color slips) on days off, pay 150%.

DRAFT: Crew scheduling asks pilot to fly (pilot still gets to say no, so it's also voluntary) on days off, still pays 150%.

Guys without a life can work extra days and brag about a W-2 that looks like a real airline pilot. Guys WITH a life grumble about sub-par rates and lean paychecks.

I kinda like some of the features of the cap and bank system. Seems to me it would tend to average out the bragging and the grumbling. Then maybe we'd get some folks a little more motivated to work on our rates and rules.

OH - - almost forgot the reason I bothered to post in the first place. Contract says there will be no VOLUNTEER while anyone is furloughed. They can still DRAFT, but it's still voluntary, if you know what I mean.

 

[typhoonpilot]

What destinations do you fly to in the USA? I believe JFK and LAX are 2 of them?

None yet, New York is scheduled for a June start with the A340-500 and something on the west coast later in the year. It wouldn't surprise me to see the New York service switch to the 777-300ER when we start getting them next year.

Yes, I knew EK would be a stretch - I will restrict my example to Qatari only next time...

No worries, EK gets those kind of comments all the time. I'm amazed myself how they do it. The only time I saw low load factors was during the start of the Gulf War and the SARs crisis and even then it was route specific. Our flying to the Indian sub-Continent is overbooked every day of the year regardless of what is going on in the world.

In regards to Delta, I can't believe they are starting to make stupid decisions in regards to downsizing equipment. That is the one thing that always impressed me about them. When I was flying a 737-400 from LGA to Florida Delta was doing the same with the 767-400. Who do you think was making more profit on those routes ? Even this past fall I rode Delta from Gatwick to Atlanta on a 777 and it was full, on the way back it was a 767-300 and it too was full. That during a relatively slow time of year.

Typhoonpilot

 

[P38JLightning]

"partners"

Just check out the Pacific (VERY high growth potential market, short and long term) route map, there's 75th anneversary Delta with one flight a day. But wait, who'se doing the VAST majority of "Delta system" flying? Its Korean Air.

In the meantime, Delta is downsizing 777 orders (a plane they've had good sucess with) while KE just ordered around a dozen or so. Look at the AF "partnership" and it makes you wonder why in every trans Atlantic DL-AF mutual city pair, AF has either more flights or bigger planes. AF does MANY city pairs DL doesn't do, but DL only does one city pair AF doesn't do, but that's only 3 or 4 times a week.

I know Delta is adding some intl capacity, but that just so happens to coincide with the DL pilot grievance related to excessive intl block hour limits being exceeded.

Make no mistake, "Just Call Me Jerry" might talk a good game about restoring this noble airline to its old school mainline glory, but he's no different than Leo. Taking this airline apart piece by piece, selling it off to the lowest bidder and turning "Ma Delta" into a soft widget symbol that goes on the ticket of 50 different airlines is his true goal.

Its the Delta pilot contract that is the only thing holding the true company "Delta Air Lines" together.

Expect to see generous intl block hour give backs as well as RJ give backs in any "deal" with Jerry's signature at the bottom.

 

[N2264J]

I have yet to have an RJDC supporter explain to me with facts and figures about how their career has been adversely affected by DALPA...Unfortunately, I have to leave for a 4-day trip in a few minutes, so I won't be able to look at all that RJDC propaganda until next week.

So you complain that the RJDC isn't explaining the facts to you about careers adversly affected by predatory scope and then call the RJDC's submission to the Bilateral Scope Impact Committee propaganda?

Well, if you read the document at all, at least you're doing so with an open mind. Your avatar is ample confirmation of that. Are you employed by Pinnacle?