Actually, I AM a Delta Connection pilot. Sure I work for a contracted carrier, but my regional airline does not sell tickets. They are ALL sold by Delta. People book on Delta. They book a flight from Pittsburgh to Rome via Atlanta, and no one knows the PIT to ATL flight is on a RJ operated by Pinnacle. My airline operates 142 jets throughout the Delta system. Now that we've merged with another Delta Connection carrier, we operate 202 RJs for Delta.
"Self entitled prick"? Hey, I'm just trying to get to work. Sure, go ahead, let that retiree get to where he's going, while I'm left behind and then have to call in honest. One time, due to lack of staffing, my flights were actually cancelled then. Your retiree getting onboard just cost Delta passengers a couple cancellations. Sure, we don't staff properly, but it wouldn't have been an issue if a working pilot could have gone on before a retiree, even if it's a contracted carrier. Because here is the bottom line: Delta Connection makes up almost half of the domestic operations of Delta. For Delta's own operational benefit, we Delta Connection pilots do matter.
How about "any pass-privilieges you do get as a retiree is a gift." GM retirees got industry leading medical bennies even throughout retirement and were taken good care of by GM in a retirees golden years. That was years ago, and today, you get a middle finger when you retire. So why don't you consider yourself lucky. And during the time your father worked the 35 years at Delta, Delta did not have nearly 50% of their domestic ops being operated as Delta Connection. Today, they do.
Sure, why don't you hire first? I already heard about an internal Delta memo stating no planned hiring for 2012.