No Pilot hiring in 2013 at DAL?

[General Lee]

Just listening to Richard (good name) Anderson on the openeing of the safety video, well, it's just wrong. He sounds like Forrest, Forrest Guuuump.

I don't what's worse, listening to the Richard or looking at Smisek on the United videos, he looks like ultra weasel. Both of them make me throw up in my mouth a little bit.

Anyway Delta nice job getting 70 CRJ 900's that should go over well, I'm sure you'll be ordering more.

Oh, and good job on getting those 717's from AT. Now SWA can keep to their one aircraft type. Nothing says efficiency like a 1980's motor hung on a 1950's airframe.

Good job Richard!

Ummmm, noooo. First off, you of course don't understand what actually happened. The deal dumps over 200 50 seaters, but their routes remain. Who will now fly those? That would be current 70 and 76 seaters, trying to make more revenue than the 50 seaters could with high gas prices. Then, 88 717s swoop in and take over current 76 seat routes. That is a big win for mainline, taking back routes that were given up 10 years ago. (And 12 year Capt rate when they all arrive by 2015 will be $195 an hour). So, a lot fewer RJs overall, and recapturing old routes with planes that pay well. Over 1000 new jobs will be created by those 717s coming to mainline. Add 14 more MD90s next year too to replace current DC9 routes as they leave the fleet in 2014.

You haven't flown in a 717, have you? I jumped on one a couple years ago, and it was nice. Bye Richard!


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[ALGFLYR]

.....

 

[Flyer1015]

I don't think Delta was slated to hire many, if any, for 2013. So not really anything new.

Speaking of the 717. I just read an interview with the Southwest COO when he says Delta taking the 717 was a Godsend. They will be saving more than 300 million a year by not having them on the property. Sounds pretty close to a win-win for both companies.

Not a win-win for Airtran pilots, who were forced to vote yes to a SLI under threat of non-integration. Their whole deal was on the premise the 717s would be staying.

 

[General Lee]

Not a win-win for Airtran pilots, who were forced to vote yes to a SLI under threat of non-integration. Their whole deal was on the premise the 717s would be staying.

Ouch. How will Red respond to that?


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Flyer1015]

Ouch. How will Red respond to that?


Bye Bye---General Lee

It's an ouch, but it's the truth.

Did you know at one point, SWAPA even entertained bringing over Airtran guys with a probationary period? Hahahaa what's next? Forcing Airtran 737 pilots to retroactively paying for their own 737 type ratings?

 

[JustaNumber]

Word is the guy who gave DL the deal got "talked to sternly" by the honchos at your airline.

You make it sound like some intern quickly signed one of the largest fleet modification deals in Southwest's history while everyone was away at lunch. Give me a break! A contract of this magnitude is written and signed by the "honchos" who do the talking to. I'm not buying a word of it.

 

[180ToTheMarker]

Forcing Airtran 737 pilots to retroactively paying for their own 737 type ratings?

Shhh, don't give them any ideas.

 

[enuffalready]

You make it sound like some intern quickly signed one of the largest fleet modification deals in Southwest's history while everyone was away at lunch. Give me a break! A contract of this magnitude is written and signed by the "honchos" who do the talking to. I'm not buying a word of it.

no kidding....even though genital is on my ignore i get the displeasure of his comments by proxy.. goooood lord.. Did he really say the guy that wrote the SW deal got a "stern talking to" ..WTF?? Did that darn SMU grad student sign that deal while the 'honchos' were out painting SONG II over the SW logo? Does anyone take anything that guy says seriously? GL=TARD

 

[redflyer65]

Ouch. How will Red respond to that?


Bye Bye---General Lee

Easy. The company 'as a whole' will be much more financially stable with the 717 gone. Continue year after year of ONE fleet type, one parts list, one sim type, etc, etc, etc. Really a massive cost savings that alot of airlines don't enjoy.

The Airtran guys? The will be apart of that stable, profitable future. You guys want to talk about Company business moves like off loading the 717 at a profit, or the SLI? Both deals are inked and done.

Que the General's deadhorse. I bet he looks good up on that horse with the double breasted Riverboat jacket.

 

[Flyer1015]

Easy. The company 'as a whole' will be much more financially stable with the 717 gone. Continue year after year of ONE fleet type, one parts list, one sim type, etc, etc, etc. Really a massive cost savings that alot of airlines don't enjoy.

The Airtran guys? The will be apart of that stable, profitable future. You guys want to talk about Company business moves like off loading the 717 at a profit, or the SLI? Both deals are inked and done.

Que the General's deadhorse. I bet he looks good up on that horse with the double breasted Riverboat jacket.

And you just answered like a politician, sidestepping from the main question. Bottom line is your pilot group screwed the Airtran pilots hard. Of course the excuse I hear is that "they voted it in, we didn't force them." That's like telling a guy to punch himself in the face or be shot by this gun you're holding. Of course he'll punch himself in the face, and you'll say he gave himself a black eye by his own choice. Really? Wasn't really a choice. The real threat of non-integration was a career suicide for every single Airtran pilot. Way to go. Why don't you guys now petition to force Airtran pilots to retro-pay for their own 737 type ratings? You guys paid for it, it isn't fair Airtran gets to get away with that for free.

Go Southwest!

 

[redflyer65]

I screwed the Airtran pilots? How did I answer like a politician. I responded to our company making a good business decision with regard to the 717.

I understand the Airtran guys bid differently because they thought that plane was staying. I get that, they should at least get to rebid accordingly.

Getting rid of the 717 is a great move for SW AND it's employees....long term. For every employee.

Gary Kelly pretty much crafted the whole Airtran deal. Money, SLI list, the whole enchilada. Again, completely water under the bridge at this point. Done and over.

Guys like you and Genital get some joy out of telling us we did this and we did that, when most the times you guys have no dog in this fight. Which is bizzare that you even spend this much time worrying about OUR integration. That's beyond me. I don't obess about how USAir, or UAL/CAL, or DL/NW turned out. That's their deal, not mine. Our side was threatened time and time again with arbitration. Was their threat worse on the AAI side? Absolutely. What was I supposed to do about it?

You can look back on every post I've made about the subject, and you won't be able to find were I said 'you guys voted for it overwelmingly'. I'm not that obtuse. I've seen others say that, but I know they were twisted into it. I have said time and time again that it's time for both sides to pull together and I'd like them to be over here NOW. I look forward to flying with some of my friends from Airtran. It's pretty cool to run into them at the terminal now.

But I'm glad you decide to get on your high horse and tell ME what I did wrong. The facts are the facts on both sides. You'll find I don't try to spin things into some fantasy land scenerio like the General does. Good luck with Peter Hunt, your going to need it.

 

[General Lee]

Red,

Everyone can understand that your pilots were ready to fight for the SLI, that always happens. Normally it is in front of an arbitrator or group of them, not along side a boss. That is a problem in front of most people's eyes. Now your union still allows the pay difference on same equipment, a sort of B-Scale. That ain't good....and won't be forgotten. Try to spin that, Red.


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Flyer1015]

Our side was threatened time and time again with arbitration.

How is arbitration, with a neutral third party, a threat? DAL/NWA did that route. SWAPA knew they'd be screwed in arbitration, aka, some Airtran guys would actually make out pretty good on the final list. An arbitration isn't even a threat, and even if you consider it as one, it was nothing compared to the threat AAI pilots received.

 

[redflyer65]

I never was afraid of abitration, just telling you the union mantra at the time. They were trying to twist our arms off with the perceived 'threat' of arbitration. I never bought into it.

The Airtran guys will be over before the end of 2014, which is closing in fast and we will all be working together and they will be making more than the General.

You see, that's the real rub for him. He could constantly beat up those guys for running a small LCC in ATL because he was the mighty Delta Riverboat Pilot, and they were 'beneath him' for years. But talk about the irony of those guys jumping over him on pay and benefits....well, it really makes me laugh. The General? Not so much. That's why he's constantly on here trying to spew his anti-SW venom. Not only does the General hate the fact that Southwest just powered through an event like 9/11 (while Delta was teetering on the edge bankruptcy), but now his hometown archrivals will be making more than him, thanks to.....well, Southwest. The same company that pissed him off after the massive downturn.

Will there be some disenfranchised Airtran guys 10 years from now? Sure. Just like with any merger. What about the PanAm guys? or that sliver of Northwest guys that took it in the shorts? Yep. Does it make it right? Probably not, but what can anyone do about it when it's water under the bridge? NOTHING.

RF

 

[JumpersAway]

With the continued reductions in capacity, I wouldn't be suprised if it wasn't well into 2014 by the time DAL hires. With the flow throughs, the furlough bypassees, and such, I wouldn't be suprised if the average "off the street" pilot doesn't have a shot until 2015+.