Furloughs at Delta and Northwest

[Superpilot92]

Just curious, how do you know we have 300 to 400 guys on the fence about leaving?

HR rumor TIFWIW

 

[~~~^~~~]

Wild Guess Alert​

With the rush to get the SLI done and the timing of the fleet changes and the fact that an aircraft change would be an entire training cycle....​

IF it is true that Delta is delaying their hiring THEN my guess is that there will be displaced NWA pilots on a Delta advanced entitlement bid within the next five months.​

Makes more sense than hiring to furlough. Explains the urgency and I think would be approved by the FAA, even with separate certificates. Requires an airplane change & full training cycle.​

My theory could be shot down (or confirmed) fast by someone with intricate knowledge of the NWA transition agreement. Are the bidding requirements a minimum limit, or a maximum limit? Can they do bids faster than the transition agreement? Can management be in compliance faster than agreed? I bet the answer is yes.

This seems like something that is a "nice to have" that could go either way. ACL65's comment went over my head, but I think one reason for the cancellation of the displacement was that things are moving too fast to train up pilots when the bids are going to be overcome by events.

Occam, FDJ2 (where's he been) and others - am I nuts?​

 

[Fly4hire]

Again, if there are fences and they only park the DC9s, (and the DC9s are fenced), only NWA pilots or new hires after the DCC would be sent to compass.
Bye Bye--General Lee

GL,

Again not talking fences. With a single list your seniority number determines what you fly not your pre-merger aircraft. You may well have 737 F/O's junior to DC9 F/O's. If the DC9 gets parked the senior pilots go where their seniority will let them.

Sans a SOC does not mean that a former NWA DC9 pilot could not displace into a 737 F/O ahead of a SOC. All us former NWA'ers will have to go through a DAL indoc at some point, and full training would simply be indoc + aircraft.

I know you desperately want former NWA pilots to take all the hits, but bottom line is seniority will determine where a pilot goes.

And what would you do with the DC9 Captains - furlough 12+ year NWA pilots while yesterday's DAL new hire is safe. What about a 25 year 747-200 Captain? Don't think so, and a reason I'm guessing there will be no fences.

If we start furloughing out of seniority we open a Pandora's box of problems that would make USair look tame. Even though it's inconceivable to you right now, it could cut the other way as well - the MD-88's are only marginally more efficient than the DC-9-50. IF for some reason 88's were parked and DC9's were not would you be in favor of furloughing those pilots out of seniority, or rather have them be able to bump into a more junior position, even it's a DC9?

This also supports the no hiring in the fall rumor.....

 

[clippyrip]

Wild Guess Alert​

With the rush to get the SLI done and the timing of the fleet changes and the fact that an aircraft change would be an entire training cycle....​

IF it is true that Delta is delaying their hiring THEN my guess is that there will be displaced NWA pilots on a Delta advanced entitlement bid within the next five months.​

Makes more sense than hiring to furlough. Explains the urgency and I think would be approved by the FAA, even with separate certificates. Requires an airplane change & full training cycle.​

My theory could be shot down (or confirmed) fast by someone with intricate knowledge of the NWA transition agreement. Are the bidding requirements a minimum limit, or a maximum limit? Can they do bids faster than the transition agreement? Can management be in compliance faster than agreed? I bet the answer is yes.

This seems like something that is a "nice to have" that could go either way. ACL65's comment went over my head, but I think one reason for the cancellation of the displacement was that things are moving too fast to train up pilots when the bids are going to be overcome by events.

Occam, FDJ2 (where's he been) and others - am I nuts?​

Interesting thought, it makes sense(AND CENTS) to do it that way.

 

[clippyrip]

And what would you do with the DC9 Captains - furlough 12+ year NWA pilots while yesterday's DAL new hire is safe. What about a 25 year 747-200 Captain? Don't think so, and a reason I'm guessing there will be no fences.

Exactly!!

 

[Superpilot92]

we could talk Hypothetical situations all day long but as of right now there are no plans of furloughing anyone. Hypothetically i could win the lottery this week Both NWA and DAL are setting up plans to encourage senior guys to leave in the event any over staffing did occur. Also we both have new planes coming so any furlough would be short lived and mgmt knows this. You can be assured they are counting the beans right now and would prefer not to waste money on training.

 

[clippyrip]

Even though it's inconceivable to you right now, it could cut the other way as well - the MD-88's are only marginally more efficient than the DC-9-50. IF for some reason 88's were parked and DC9's were not would you be in favor of furloughing those pilots out of seniority, or rather have them be able to bump into a more junior position, even it's a DC9?

There you go using logic....

 

[General Lee]

GL,

Again not talking fences. With a single list your seniority number determines what you fly not your pre-merger aircraft. You may well have 737 F/O's junior to DC9 F/O's. If the DC9 gets parked the senior pilots go where their seniority will let them.

Sans a SOC does not mean that a former NWA DC9 pilot could not displace into a 737 F/O ahead of a SOC. All us former NWA'ers will have to go through a DAL indoc at some point, and full training would simply be indoc + aircraft.

I know you desperately want former NWA pilots to take all the hits, but bottom line is seniority will determine where a pilot goes.

And what would you do with the DC9 Captains - furlough 12+ year NWA pilots while yesterday's DAL new hire is safe. What about a 25 year 747-200 Captain? Don't think so, and a reason I'm guessing there will be no fences.

If we start furloughing out of seniority we open a Pandora's box of problems that would make USair look tame. Even though it's inconceivable to you right now, it could cut the other way as well - the MD-88's are only marginally more efficient than the DC-9-50. IF for some reason 88's were parked and DC9's were not would you be in favor of furloughing those pilots out of seniority, or rather have them be able to bump into a more junior position, even it's a DC9?

This also supports the no hiring in the fall rumor.....

Do you really think I would say 742 Captains would displace to Compass? Really? If what you say is true, and there are no fences, then the influx of new 744 Captain slots (thanks to the new ultra long haul rules going into effect--2 Capt/2 FOs over 12 hours) could have Deltoids flying them (assuming a relative seniority SLI like USAir's). That will be fantastic. No fences around the 744s. If you did get fences around them, then you can count on fences around the DC9s, and if they somehow go first, then people not flying them will not get furloughed. That is the point here, if something is fenced to only Ex NWA pilots, then only they are penalized. Those DC9 Captains would displace only ex-NWA equipment I guess. Yes, we will be one list, but IF there are any fences (including your 747s), then there will be some around the DC9s too. IF not, then that's the way it goes. That is my point. Even in my original post, I said if there were fences around the 744s then the DC9s could have them too.

And, I guess you have never been in an MD88 or an MD90. They are a heck of a lot nicer than your DC9s, have FMS and Autothrottles (saves more fuel), carry more pax so that equals a lower CASM, and still have low lease rates (not free like the DC9s though). We use them on trunk routes that used to have 757s on them (mostly up and down the East Coast to large cities---we "right sized" the planes to the routes). Your DC9s have no fuel saving cost measures (all manual, not precise), and are old and noisy. Have you ever heard one of our MD90s? You can't really, they are quiet and go into SNA all of the time.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Superpilot92]

do we need to argue this bs anymore? the sli and integration will happen regardless.

 

[General Lee]

do we need to argue this bs anymore? the sli and integration will happen regardless.

I hear ya man. I was just wondering if there were going to possibly be fences. If there are not, then a lot could be different.

Bye Bye--General Lee