Some Delta/NWA route swaps......

[aewanabe]

Fins, your posts are usually spot on, but did you seriously say you're too good for a DC-9? How many years did you spend at ASA waiting for a mainline job? Be glad NWA is at least bringing 100-seat mainline jets to your property and you guys actually have mainline pay rates to fly them for Chrissakes! And I don't know how well you know the Mesaba pilot group but if any of those guys ever get to enjoy the "trickle up" it's gonna be grey-hairs just as old as you. I guess it's true that a fair merger is one where everyone is pissed. Happy New Year.

 

[General Lee]

I don't know where Fins sits in the pile, but I don't think he would have to go to DC9 if he didn't have to. Most people are established at where they want to live, and some do live in the bases. I know DTW has many commuters, but not all want to migrate south to ATL, with some taking CVG or JFK which might be closer to their home. Many will go West too. But 30% of the DTW base does not commute, and those people will stay and move up in seniority, and like it. I would advise Fins not to leave, and just roll with the punches for a few years. When the FNWA guys start to bail, things will open up again.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Fly4hire]

I don't know where Fins sits in the pile, but I don't think he would have to go to DC9 if he didn't have to. Most people are established at where they want to live, and some do live in the bases. I know DTW has many commuters, but not all want to migrate south to ATL, with some taking CVG or JFK which might be closer to their home. Many will go West too. But 30% of the DTW base does not commute, and those people will stay and move up in seniority, and like it. I would advise Fins not to leave, and just roll with the punches for a few years. When the FNWA guys start to bail, things will open up again.

Bye Bye--General Lee

GL, I don't think guys are going to bid to ATL or any other base because it's a DAL base. Like you said 70% of our airline commutes - they'll balance ease of commute against the position they can hold.

We have a number of guys that live driving distance to ATL or JFK, but otherwise it's still a commute, and from what I have seen on DAL non-rev lists out of LGA and DFW going to ATL, I see more DAL guys bidding DTW or MSP to ease the commute.

I really don't know what all the teeth-gnashing and hand wring is about - there will be no bump and flush, and you can't bid it in seniority unless there are openings. Hopefully there will be a minimum of base/equipment realignments, and the rest are new bases open to bid by all.

 

[another cfii]

GL, I don't think guys are going to bid to ATL or any other base because it's a DAL base. Like you said 70% of our airline commutes - they'll balance ease of commute against the position they can hold.

We have a number of guys that live driving distance to ATL or JFK, but otherwise it's still a commute, and from what I have seen on DAL non-rev lists out of LGA and DFW going to ATL, I see more DAL guys bidding DTW or MSP to ease the commute.

I really don't know what all the teeth-gnashing and hand wring is about - there will be no bump and flush, and you can't bid it in seniority unless there are openings. Hopefully there will be a minimum of base/equipment realignments, and the rest are new bases open to bid by all.

I think our junior folks at FDL concerns are that once SOC completes, the company starts to "realign" a/c around, the new openings will be available to all of us, but the displacements out of those bases where most of us live in base will be mostly FDL folks.

The problem is that even if they displace only 1 category, senior FDL Joe will bump junior FDL Jack into a different category. This "cascading" effect is unknown to most of us right now.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Fly4Hire:

Why are you writing, "Puleeze. What did the arbitrators say about expectations in this career?"

The arbitrators tossed status quo (the real here and now) away while honoring the expectation of attrition among the NWA pilots. Can you explain your point in light of the "pull out and plug in" which effectively moved the junior NWA pilots by 548 numbers?

I think our junior folks at FDL concerns are that once SOC completes, the company starts to "realign" a/c around, the new openings will be available to all of us, but the displacements out of those bases where most of us live in base will be mostly FDL folks.

The problem is that even if they displace only 1 category, senior FDL Joe will bump junior FDL Jack into a different category. This "cascading" effect is unknown to most of us right now.

Exactly. Add the variable to new categories that will be bid up by NWA pilots looking to make the most of their current seniority bump and there is no where for the displaced Delta pilot to go, but north.

Then again, this is likely to play out that the NWA guys chase the airplanes and not the bases. There might be a reprieve in the form of NWA guys not wanting to bid the smaller aircraft in Atlanta.

Fins, did you seriously say you're too good for a DC-9? How many years did you spend at ASA waiting for a mainline job?

The point was that a DC9 job was not worth leaving the top 30% of a regional unless you were really young and could take the pay cut until you made the left seat. When you look at the future value of present dollars in a spreadsheet, it took 2 years to break even at FedEx, 3 at Delta, then there was a large drop down to Continental and Airtran. For NWA, it was about 12 years to break even and earn back the lost income at your old rates ... so no, I would not have picked NWA, or even Continental for that matter.

However, Fins would be a very happy pay protected DC9 pilot out of ATL. It isn't the airplane that's the concern. Glad the DC9 is hanging around a little longer, I hear it flies nicer than the MD88 too.

 

[General Lee]

GL, I don't think guys are going to bid to ATL or any other base because it's a DAL base. Like you said 70% of our airline commutes - they'll balance ease of commute against the position they can hold.

We have a number of guys that live driving distance to ATL or JFK, but otherwise it's still a commute, and from what I have seen on DAL non-rev lists out of LGA and DFW going to ATL, I see more DAL guys bidding DTW or MSP to ease the commute.

I really don't know what all the teeth-gnashing and hand wring is about - there will be no bump and flush, and you can't bid it in seniority unless there are openings. Hopefully there will be a minimum of base/equipment realignments, and the rest are new bases open to bid by all.

The guys who are doing the teeth gnashing are fairly junior, which is probably the reason. They worry about the possibility of losing their spots, even though that may not happen. They may not even lose their base, with a possible downgrade as the worst that could happen. That is better than a furlough that many had to endure after 9-11. Being hired right into the right seat of a 767 was an amazing accomplishment, and something that was never guaranteed. If they somehow lose that seat, I am sure they will get it back sooner than later. In the meantime, if they do, they should try to find a plane that is acceptable and ride it out. Also, as you say, people will balance out aircraft and commute. If they live closer to ATL but could only be a reserve there, versus being a line holder on something in DTW and having a better QOL all together, they may stick with DTW. People in the middle will suddenly shoot up to the top of the lists in DTW, and that may disuade EVERYONE from trying to bid ATL or LAX. A commute isn't bad if you get every holiday off in the process.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[General Lee]

I think our junior folks at FDL concerns are that once SOC completes, the company starts to "realign" a/c around, the new openings will be available to all of us, but the displacements out of those bases where most of us live in base will be mostly FDL folks.

The problem is that even if they displace only 1 category, senior FDL Joe will bump junior FDL Jack into a different category. This "cascading" effect is unknown to most of us right now.

That could be true. FNWA pilots may not be able to bump and flush our junior guys, but our guys might be able to if they don't want to follow planes to SEA or MSP. If that is the case, and you want to stay in base, find the plane that is acceptable to you (even the MD88) and stay on it until you can hold 757/767 again in ATL or wherever. Hey, A330 in ATL may have a spot or two, and you never know what you can hold until you bid it. Remember a lot of guys will be bidding up to 777 FO in the next few years, which will help junior DL guys when some fleets leave ATL to other places. I hope each airline gets a large bid prior to the SOC, although I don't know if DL would want that due to training overlaps.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[another cfii]

That could be true. FNWA pilots may not be able to bump and flush our junior guys, but our guys might be able to if they don't want to follow planes to SEA or MSP. If that is the case, and you want to stay in base, find the plane that is acceptable to you (even the MD88) and stay on it until you can hold 757/767 again in ATL or wherever. Hey, A330 in ATL may have a spot or two, and you never know what you can hold until you bid it. Remember a lot of guys will be bidding up to 777 FO in the next few years, which will help junior DL guys when some fleets leave ATL to other places. I hope each airline gets a large bid prior to the SOC, although I don't know if DL would want that due to training overlaps.

Bye Bye--General Lee

As someone junior out west, The smallest gauge a/c we have is the 73 (LAX) and the M90(SLC), which is what most of us junior folks are on. We have no where else to bid down to. I'd be more than happy to fly a CRJ if they build a base out west. So unless they're building a comparable sized new fleet out in the west, i.e. SLC A320, SEA 7ER... that equates to the net loss to our current SLC/LAX fleets, we'll be flushed out to ATL MD88, or even JFK MD88. And once SOC completes (which we know it's sooner rather than later), and all of our west coast bases open up, most of the FDL will lose some base seniority, and in the case of us junior folks, we'll find to like ATL/DTW/MSP for a while.

I chose DL over NWA because of the west coast presence, and I knew I was lucky enough to get a seat in the west coast so early in my career. From one of the CP, displacement is coming in Jan, so if I'm getting bumped from the "cascading" effect, i.e. 7ER->767->737->m90, so be it. I know we're in a very envious position among our peers, and I'm grateful to still have a job at the end of this year.

 

[~~~^~~~]

How big a displacement? details?

 

[General Lee]

How big a displacement? details?

I heard this one will take care of the "extra fat" in the 767 and 76ER categories in ATL. They are very short on MD88 FOs, and this will equal it out. There will also be some entitlements for 777 A and B slots too supposedly.

Bye Bye--General Lee