NWA Poolies and news

[Buford]

I have quite a few questions for anyone with info about NWA-

Is there any talk of recalls?
How much are reserve guys flying at the moment?
Does anyone know the status of people in the pool prior to Sept. 11th? I am (was) in the pool and have no idea what our status is (or isn't).
And finally, does anyone have Angie Graham in HR's phone number?

Thanks for any info. NWA never seems to get much press.....

 

[C-135 Backer]

I'm a NWA furloughed pilot. I'll help as best I can.

1.) Lots of talk about recalls--but nothing official. The consensus rumor for the start of recalls occurs in the Sep-Dec 02 timeframe. Some people have heard that the length of the recall will take another 12 - 15 months to exhaust the list. Others have been more optimistic. The only thing that the comapany has said is that there is a plan & they will give the union a 4 month "heads up." If that is true, it looks like Aug would be the earliest as no word yet.

2.) Reserves are apparently being used alot. 80 hours & up per month from what I have heard.

3.) I have heard nothing about the "poolies," but I can only assume with current info & projections (this is only my opinion) that all "poolies" will be required to interview again. I say this only because of the time from Sept 11th until any real new hiring takes place. I do think that NWA will call you all first, at least I hope so.

4.) Try this # for Angie Graham. 612-726-8831. It should get you someone who can get you the # for her.

Please pass along any info. Good luck!

 

[Rock]

Good to hear some news from someone on the inside (sort of). Do you really think it will take a year to complete the recall of the 590 furloughed guys? It looks like traffic is coming back fairly quickly, and with regular retirements and attrition, it would seem like there is going to be a rapidly growing hole that is going to need to be filled. How many guys can NWA put through training in a month?
In general, I think NWA has weathered the storm better than the other majors. I do think those in the pool will have to complete at least some of the interview process over again. But I don't imagine it hurts too bad to walk into an airline interview having already been hired once by that airline.

 

[Seeniner]

The number is 490 furloughed.

It could take a year. You have to take into account the furlough returns are not the only ones being trained, all those people moving up are also being trained. A major airline is a big machine, getting it going (or changed) quickly doesn't happen. Even furloughs didn't happen for about 3 months after Sept 11(except for the lucky new hire folks). The number of people that can be put through training each month is a mystery to me, but the typical new hire class was about 20, add in all the other training and...I don't know.

NWA seems to be a very conservatively run airline. In time like this that can be good...then again maybe this is a time for expansion.

Those of you hired that didn't start training will probably get another "interview" where they make sure you're still an OK person. My guess is it will be very low threat. You'll probably get another physical, too.

See

 

[OakRBust]

I think that one of the problems might be the retraining of all the DC-10 drivers. The Metro times says that all the DC-10's (21 of em..... Why did they just build a brand new 10 hangar?????) are going bye bye by June.

I bet after all those pilots are retrained, then things will start to heat up again.

Good Luck to all of you both on the street and in the pool!!

 

[C-135 Backer]

Agree with the previous posts. NWA will not recall until it hurts and they can't stand it anymore as pilots are there most expensive labor group. They also reached an agreement with the union over the use of more CRJs as long as they do not exceed 44 seats. These factors along with the elimination of the DC-10 will slow the start of the recall. The rate of the recall will have to compete with other existing training as people regain previous positions. My 12 - 15 month guestimate is based on the time it would take to train that many new hires. Classes have ranged from 6 - 20 per class starts so that equates to about 24 - 80 per month. I also think that the re-interviews for the poolies will be low threat. Pretty much just to make sure things have not changed as far as speeding tickets, criminal convictions, etc. I would highly suggest that the poolies keep flying currency to some degree. Good luck!

 

[barbarian4]

I was in the pool pre 9/11 also....I don't know how things have been at other carriers, but the DAL connection flights (mine anyway) have been very full. I was non-reving last weekend on mainline and had a tough time getting out because everything was full. Hopefully the majors will start adding capacity soon.

 

[MsFan]

One interesting (and helpful maybe) twist. What if you are on furlough for less than 12 months? I have heard that if you're out less than a year all you need for retraining is kind of an "SVT" type retraining, i.e. one day of academics, sim prep and sim check. Maybe three days total. That would significantly increase the number of people that NATCO could push through training each month, thus reducing the total time it takes to bring everyone back.
Now maybe I'm talking out my a$$ because I've never seen it written anywhere how much retraining is needed. Anybody out there with an ear to the ground at NATCO that could verify what the retraining rules are?
Best of luck, everyone. 1st QTR financial results weren't as bloody as Wall Street was predicting and we apparently made a profit in Mar. Hopefully that will translate into some recalls late this summer.

KC

 

[furloboy]

I hope that the carriers give us more than three days of training. After six months I'd be hard pressed to pick my aircraft type out of a lineup. I remember that it was old and dirty and I didn't get to sit up front with the other two guys. Heck, they didn't even let me fly when it should have been my turn. And I got yelled at a lot because it was too hot (or was it too cold?).

Guinness

 

[filejw]

Ms Fan , Less than 12 mo. you just get SVT.The FOM has a list of training given after being off an a/c, although you can ask for more.JW

 

[ex-dc9drvr]

First QTR Financial Results

A little info on NWA's 1st QTR financial results:

"Northwest Airlines Corp.

The Eagan, Minn.-based carrier reported a first-quarter loss of $171 million, enough to beat the lowered expectations of Wall Street analysts.

Northwest's loss of $2.01 per share for the first three months of 2002, was slightly better than the loss of $2.05 per share a year earlier, when the fourth-largest carrier also reported a net loss of $171 million. Last year's quarter included $48 million in nonrecurring charges.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial/First Call expected a loss of $2.46. Northwest shares were down 16 cents at $19.89 at the end of regular trading Thursday on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

Richard Anderson, Northwest's chief executive said he was encouraged that Northwest generated a profit in March, due partly to the early Easter holiday, but said current economic conditions are still unfavorable.

``We believe the best way to manage the airline in the near term is to remain fiscally disciplined by continuing to control costs and by adding capacity only when economically justified,'' Anderson said.

That could mean delaying delivery on some narrow-body jets Northwest is scheduled to take delivery on in 2003, said Mickey Foret, executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Foret also said Northwest expects to save about $100 million annually as a result of its decision to stop paying base commissions to travel agents for tickets issued in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Those commissions ended March 10.

Northwest, along with most other major airlines, cut back operations by about 20 percent following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Passenger capacity is now down only about 13 percent from a year earlier, but Northwest is flying with only 76 percent of the reduced number of seats filled.

The airline said revenue from higher-paying business travelers hasn't rebounded because of the slowed economy and the effects of Sept. 11 on air travel in general.

Northwest's first-quarter operating revenues totaled $2.18 billion, down 16.5 percent from $2.61 billion a year earlier."

Not what I was truly hoping for.

ex-dc9drvr, i.e., furloughed DC9 Driver

 

[barbarian4]

I read somewhere a while ago that NWA was going to restore a bunch of later departing flights out of Memphis this summer. Is that true and any ideas what effect that might have? I've also heard reserves are getting flown quite a bit.

 

[Seeniner]

The fourth bank, evening flights, is going to be restored this summer at Memphis.

Clarification: NWA is retiring the DC-10-40's, not the DC-10-30's. The -40's are a MX nightmare so much so that NWA flies them only in the US.

 

[Daysoff]

addition to the clarification:

The parking of the DC10-40's was previously scheduled to happen, it has just been accelerated and is only 5 more a/c than originally planned.

Also, the agreement on the CRJ's was that the 44 seaters could never be converted to 50 seaters. The scope provisions always allowed for unlimited numbers of 44 seaters to be flown by express carriers.

Take care,

Hopefully we all get back to work real soon

 

[OakRBust]

I just looked on the NWA website for numbers of aircraft. As of 12-2001 they had 17 10-40's and 23 10-30's. The metro times quoted that there would be 21 10's leaving the property by June. That would be all the 40's and 4 30's.

After all that retraining I bet things will look a whole lot better.

 

[Schwanker]

By the end of the year, there will only be 19 DC-10-30s. The retirement of the -40s is not a huge setback from previous expectations. As said before, they have a terrible mx record and are expensive to operate. Because of this, they have a very low utilization rate compared to the rest of the fleet. This results in a lot of aircraft sitting around (spares) and also results in significantly lower crew ratios. The utilization rates on the -30s are higher and will increase as other DC-10s retire. Most of the -40 flying will be replaced by the 757-300 which will have a very high utilization rate. The net result of the early retirement of the -40s is an early displacement of 15 to 20 crews (45 to 60 pilots). The flying won't be lost, just done by 2 man crews. After ranting and raving here, I guess my main point is that the early retirement should not cause a real significant delay in recalls. Maybe a month only due to reduced training capacity at NATCO.

On another note, no one really knows at what rate the furloughees will return. It may be at normal new hire rates (40 per month) but could be much faster. I've been told that Jeff Carlson (VP Operations) has said it should only be 14-17 days from the time a pilot is recalled to have him flying the line. Obviously, this would require the pilot to return to the same equipment (can you say DC-9). If this is the case, they could easily bring back 100 a month but that's only if NWA wants them back that quickly. Remember, this is a very conservative company.
The flying will only pick up when the demand ($$$) is there.

Schwanker

 

[johno]

I think its also important to note that even with the early retirements of the -40's we will still have a net increase of mainline equiptment. I'm hoping that our industry leading load factor and RASM translates to faster recalls. Good luck to everyone on furlough and those in the pool