What is Mesabas and Compass travel benifits?

[Regional4life]

I fully understand that. Hopefully this will be rectified soon. Being that there are 6-8 subs. flying Delta flights; ie. one flight mesaba, the next asa, the next mainline, the next compass, etc. and the seasonal shifting, it only makes sense that Delta employees are a higher priority. This is a Delta flight. No one is buying a ticket on the subs. The jumpseat I have no problem with. Again, these are Delta seats and therefore we should get a higher status. Never understood/nor liked how a 6 month eagle employee(or child for that matter) could have boarding priority over a 35 year AA employee just by checking in earlier.

That's not quite true either. Every ticket sold lists who is operating the flight. Many people will choose different flights based on the operating carrier, and yes, many people simply choose based on the ticket price as well. It is a XJ, ASA, 9E, etc, flight flying under the benefits of Delta's network. We don't fly Delta's profiles, we don't have Delta's FOM. We don't use Delta's mechanics. You want them to be strictly Delta's seats, fine. Integrate all the regionals into mainline Delta and have one seniority list.

 

[Speedtape]

Collectively, the Regionals currently fly more than 50% of all Delta flights. From a mutual benefit perspective, Delta could not exist without feed, the feed could not exist without Delta. Many of us, over nearly 30 years, have transported nothing but Delta passengers. Delta pays our salaries through flow through costs.

Delta employees do not buy the seats, and neither do Delta Connection employees. There should be no disparity in the travel benefits. Many Delta employees are also put at a disadvantage when traveling and/or commuting out of cities served only with Delta Connection service or a mix. One system for all is fair to all.

 

[fieldinsight]

Nothing has been announced about future pass benefits for anyone at mainline or a wholly owned. There's been a lot of speculation, but that's all it is. Usually it comes from someone who hopes to get a leg up on someone else. Benefits for the RHS folks have not been announced.

There is one bit of info that might be a tip.... XJ recently offered early outs to the FA group. As part of the agreement, they were offered pass benefits at S3B priority. It was in the memo posted on MyMesaba. So there's a hint that the wholly owneds will be treated as part of the family which will be a welcome change for those on the NW regional side.

 

[SplitBar]

Non-rev benefits are practically non-existent anyway these days. The flights are ALWAYS full to any destination worth going to. I have had to buy my wife a ticket at the airport numerous times in the last year due to getting stuck. Unfortunately, she couldn't miss work. Now, I just buy her a ticket ahead of time. It's cheaper that way. The airlines ruined the benefit of non-revving by over-selling flights. It's sad when you don't get on, and the person standing next to you that didn't get on starts crying because she actually bought a ticket on the flight. F*ck non-revving. A once great privilege that is now worthless.

I disagree. Yes the flights are more full these days but if you do your homework and are slightly flexible then getting on is rarely a problem. I non-rev on a few dozen flights per year and rarely do I not get on my flight. I certainlly wouldn't call this a "worthless" benefit.

 

[hockeypilot44]

Collectively, the Regionals currently fly more than 50% of all Delta flights. From a mutual benefit perspective, Delta could not exist without feed, the feed could not exist without Delta. Many of us, over nearly 30 years, have transported nothing but Delta passengers. Delta pays our salaries through flow through costs.

Delta employees do not buy the seats, and neither do Delta Connection employees. There should be no disparity in the travel benefits. Many Delta employees are also put at a disadvantage when traveling and/or commuting out of cities served only with Delta Connection service or a mix. One system for all is fair to all.

Delta could easily exist without the feed. Delta has DC-9's again. It is a regional jet. Delta would just have to cut back frequency a little bit.

 

[sweptback]

Not worth it.

 

[Speedtape]

Delta could easily exist without the feed. Delta has DC-9's again. It is a regional jet. Delta would just have to cut back frequency a little bit.

If you believe that, you know nothing about your industry. The DC9 was a regional jet back in the regulated CAB days when airlines like Southern, North Central, and Delta were subsidized to fly near empty airplanes into places like Columbus, MS, Tupelo, Greenville, and Columbus, GA. They could only make money because of subsidy. When the Subsidy ended, so did the viability of the DC9 in those markets. No one flies DC9's except NWA and now Delta. Delta got rid of it's first fleet a long time ago. Of course, they made the mistake of selling them to Valu-Jet now Airtran.

Regional Jets are necessary and without the feed, Delta would be losing more money. A regional jet is another tool in the box and could not be replaced with DC9's unless they wanted to lose a lot more money.

 

[Cobraair75drvr]

Speedtape,

If you believe that, you know nothing about your industry. The DC9 was a regional jet back in the regulated CAB days when airlines like Southern, North Central, and Delta were subsidized to fly near empty airplanes into places like Columbus, MS, Tupelo, Greenville, and Columbus, GA. They could only make money because of subsidy. The subsidy is still alive and kicking. It is just the mainline employees subsidising outsourced flying with fee for dept. airlines. When the Subsidy ended, so did the viability of the DC9 in those markets. It appears that the industry MAYBE realizing that fee for dept. does not work either. That is why, as contracts come up you are going to see lots of them not renewed. Once one airline takes the lead of larger aircraft with less frequency the rest will follow. Smaller towns like the above have no reason for the frequency they have. No one flies DC9's except NWA and now Delta. Jetblue seems to be doing ok with a DC9 sized airplane, as is Airtran. Delta got rid of it's first fleet a long time ago. Of course, they made the mistake of selling them to Valu-Jet now Airtran.

Regional Jets are necessary and without the feed, Delta would be losing more money. I think most of us agree that there is a role for an rj, however the size of that role is the question. It has a role in off peak flying for rational extra frequency and opening new routes. Never had a problem with that. The late 90s and early 2000s saw an explosion of rjs in mgmts lust for outsourcing mainline jobs. They signed ridiculous fee for dept. contracts that not only bought all the seats, but in many cases guaranteed fuel and a 10% profit. Where do you think that money came from? Me and my fellow mainline employees in the form of paycuts and job losses. This worked well when airfares were high, not so now. This is why you are going to see a lot more rjs(35-50 seaters) parked. Now as long as the mainlines (for once, not holding my breath) do not allow further expansion of the already agreed to limits on the 76 seaters, I think you will see a rational migration of flying back to mainline with a little less frequency and larger lift. A regional jet is another tool in the box and could not be replaced with DC9's unless they wanted to lose a lot more money.

 

[Monster Buck]

Nothing has been announced about future pass benefits for anyone at mainline or a wholly owned. There's been a lot of speculation, but that's all it is. Usually it comes from someone who hopes to get a leg up on someone else. Benefits for the RHS folks have not been announced.

There is one bit of info that might be a tip.... XJ recently offered early outs to the FA group. As part of the agreement, they were offered pass benefits at S3B priority. It was in the memo posted on MyMesaba. So there's a hint that the wholly owneds will be treated as part of the family which will be a welcome change for those on the NW regional side.

I checked the FA XJ memos back to Feb1. Where did you see this. I didn't find it under any memo. Was it under something else?

 

[Raskal]

I disagree. Yes the flights are more full these days but if you do your homework and are slightly flexible then getting on is rarely a problem. I non-rev on a few dozen flights per year and rarely do I not get on my flight. I certainlly wouldn't call this a "worthless" benefit.

There's a big difference between nreving alone and taking a couple of family members along. Sure, I can hop on flights all the time, but throw my wife and daughter in the mix and I'm buying a ticket almost every time-the reductions in capacity have all but killed family non-reving..

Personally, the benefits aren't worth much, CASS and the ability to jumpseat is though.

 

[Speedtape]

Speedtape,

Originally Posted by Speedtape
If you believe that, you know nothing about your industry. The DC9 was a regional jet back in the regulated CAB days when airlines like Southern, North Central, and Delta were subsidized to fly near empty airplanes into places like Columbus, MS, Tupelo, Greenville, and Columbus, GA. They could only make money because of subsidy. The subsidy is still alive and kicking. It is just the mainline employees subsidising outsourced flying with fee for dept. airlines.
Mainline employees paying the subsidy???? WRONG--when is the last time you wrote a check? If anything, the outsourcing subsidizes the mainline pilot groups--most will acknowledge that. The "approved" flying by mainline contracts is accomplished at lower rates than your mainline contract would allow. In addition, by not having to address the needs of pilots flying the "small jets" gives mainline pilot more leverage in negotiating work rules and pay on "LARGE" airplanes. Apparently you have not been around for long?
When the Subsidy ended, so did the viability of the DC9 in those markets. It appears that the industry MAYBE realizing that fee for dept. does not work either. That is why, as contracts come up you are going to see lots of them not renewed. Once one airline takes the lead of larger aircraft with less frequency the rest will follow. Smaller towns like the above have no reason for the frequency they have.
Agreements may change--in about 12 years! Small towns don't dictate frequency! The Customer does,especially the business customer. The Customer will always have more options than your airline. Your airline cannot survive without meeting the needs(access, frequency, and competive pricing) of the customer. As SouthWest well knows, even the automobile is still competition at times.

No one flies DC9's except NWA and now Delta. Jetblue seems to be doing ok with a DC9 sized airplane, as is Airtran.
Jetblue does not fly DC9's. Airtran does not fly DC9's. A B717 is not a DC9. A B717 is much, much more efficient than a DC9. By the way, the B717 is not being manufactured anymore--this is a result of the lack of interest by most major airlines--hmmm?
Delta got rid of it's first fleet a long time ago. Of course, they made the mistake of selling them to Valu-Jet now Airtran.

Regional Jets are necessary and without the feed, Delta would be losing more money. I think most of us agree that there is a role for an rj, however the size of that role is the question. It has a role in off peak flying for rational extra frequency and opening new routes. Never had a problem with that.
You and I don't make the decisions. You and I will not be determining the role. Apparently we can agree, that Regional Jets will always play a role.
The late 90s and early 2000s saw an explosion of rjs in mgmts lust for outsourcing mainline jobs. They signed ridiculous fee for dept. contracts that not only bought all the seats, but in many cases guaranteed fuel and a 10% profit. Where do you think that money came from?
It was financed through the money from the feed that the RJ carrier infused into the Mainline. Do you think that your MGMT hands out charity?
Me and my fellow mainline employees in the form of paycuts and job losses. This worked well when airfares were high, not so now. This is why you are going to see a lot more rjs(35-50 seaters) parked.
Your paycuts and job losses were a result of the economic downturn in the economy, post 9/11. In addition, your Union negotiated an unsustainable working agreement. Futhermore, the government kept airlines alive that should have gone out of business, and by doing so, drained financial reserves of Companies like Delta. This suffocated the entire industry--maybe by design, so Companies, industry wide would have to go to Bankruptcy where they could decimate the previously negotiated UNSUSTAINABLE contracts. Something similar happened under the George H. Bush administration with Eastern/Continental run by Frank Lorenzo.
Now as long as the mainlines (for once, not holding my breath) do not allow further expansion of the already agreed to limits on the 76 seaters, I think you will see a rational migration of flying back to mainline with a little less frequency and larger lift.
Regional Jets will not be going away. Regional Jets are simply another class of jets--small jets. Small Jets are simply another layer of flying dictated by market, traffic volume, frequency, competition, and necessay feed. An International Airline needs access to all markets. That access cannot be accomplished without multiple airplanes and sizes. Can you make the argument that you don't need MD88's, MD90's, and B737's because you fly 757's,767's, and 747's?
A regional jet is another tool in the box and could not be replaced with DC9's unless they wanted to lose a lot more money.(re-emphasized)

 

[OneBadLT123]

Salary employees at Mesaba travel as pass type 5 not 5W

 

[Monster Buck]

5% of Mesaba employees are salary. Pilots, FA's, rampers, commissary ....all hourly.

 

[Jamis81]

Nope that was changed in the last changing.... NWA went on Mesaba as 5 and Mesaba went on Mesaba as 5W (lower priority for nonrev) Mesaba still had first priority on the JS but not for a seat in the back.

That's not right, I just flew on Mesaba, and we were a 5 as well as the NWA guys who were on the flight. the NWA guy got on before me because he had the higher seniority.. but we were both 5's

 

[ACL65PILOT]

Well S3B is what DAL retires travel on.

 

[PeanuckleCRJ]

I believe they are referring to the NWA pass system, which in this case would be a Y5... similar to our S3, except NWA has their employees relegated to first class passes (F) or coach (Y).

Very different way of treating its employees.

 

[ACL65PILOT]

Yeah I heard about that. The phrase best practices scares me.

 

[CptMurf]

Just announced....

Basically the whole system is divided up into Mainline, Subsidiary (Comair, Compass, Mesaba), and Third Party (Everyone else) carriers. We have to pay a $50 annual fee (never had to do that ), but buddies can fly unaccompanied. We will also have access to travelnet.

We will travel as S3C on Mainline flights, S3 on Subsidiary flights, and S3C on Third Party carriers.

 

[jkurtfly]

There will be no domestic fees either. So first class will be free. I will pay the $50 annual fee instead of 60 bucks everytime me and my wife was put in first class.

 

[samballs]

There will be no domestic fees either. So first class will be free. I will pay the $50 annual fee instead of 60 bucks everytime me and my wife was put in first class.

Thats horrible that these new benefits are better for you.