Would Anybody Leave Delta for AirTran?

[Hamfighter]

Still fairly new at Delta, and I love everything about it...except the loooong upgrade. Rumors are 10-15 years! I understand AirTran is still talking 3/-5.
I really do like Delta, and I'm thrilled to be here, but I don't want to make a foolish career decision because I'm caught up in all the excitement and hype.
Thanks you your opinions and input!

 

[bizjet800]

I don't think I would leave Delta for Airtran. I think the major airline pay will turn around in the coming years, making Delta the better choice, just my $.02.

 

[SkiFishFly]

Before our latest TA, I would have said yes.
I would not do it now. Have you seen the threads about our TA?
You might want to wait to see how this all plays out.

 

[johnsonrod]

Still fairly new at Delta, and I love everything about it...except the loooong upgrade. Rumors are 10-15 years! I understand AirTran is still talking 3/-5.
I really do like Delta, and I'm thrilled to be here, but I don't want to make a foolish career decision because I'm caught up in all the excitement and hype.
Thanks you your opinions and input!

Perhaps you should leave now and make room for all of the people who really want to be there. Leave now and enjoy your 717!

 

[pit717]

your name says it all.....$$$$head

 

[Hamfighter]

Don't get me wrong, I really have zero desire to leave Delta! I just wanted other's opinions as to whether I was making the best decision for my family and not just being blinded by the excitement.
I have been following the TA pretty closely, and I know major rates will turn around, just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something obvious.
Thanks for the help!

 

[Kenney G]

I think your total wages when you retire would be higher at airtran if you factor in a 12 year upgrade at delta.

 

[Choppy]

Purely Round about numbers.....

20 yr carreers....

Straight salary....

No extras.... Best senario at Airtran and worst at Delta....

Airtran = 114,200 average
Assuming a 3 yr upgrade

Delta = 111,450 Average
Assuming a 12 year upgrade from 88 FO to 767 captain

 

[Wesb737fo]

Perhaps you should leave now and make room for all of the people who really want to be there. Leave now and enjoy your 717!

relax dude! There are valid points being made. I hired in at AAI with another guy who spent several years at DAL and left for various reasons, some spelled out in reply to Hamfighter's question.

Speculate all you want but who the he!! can say for sure what will happen beyond 5 years, or next year for that matter.

Hey Hamfighter, Delta is a great airline, but you do what you think is right for you and your family. Johnsonrod....is it comfortable sleeping in that uniform?

Wes

 

[~~~^~~~]

Lots of uncertainty at AAI with the MidWest deal and that might make AAI upgrades a long term proposition.

Is the 717 a completely different type (training) from a MD90? Rumors this week are that DL likes Hawaiian's 767-300ER's. But, were they not DL's 767's before they were Hawaiian's? I'm confused.

 

[gt1900]

Heres my 2 cents.. Not like it amounts to much... I would also look at future hiring. If DAL plans on hiring 2000 guys in the next 3 years and Airtran plans on hiring only 500, I would go to DAL..... None of us have any clue which airlines are gonna be around in 15 years, let alone 20 or 30.. Plus, current contracts or TA's are going to change so much over the next 15-30 years that if you base your decisions on current contracts, your foolish.. However, seniority is huge. Climbing up a seniortiy ladder fast is the only way you can hope to improve your job security.. That is the reason I wouldn't leave AAI for anywhere else at this point. I'm not going to give up all those seniority numbers at AAI to be at the bottom of somwhere else (ie. a sitting duck if the chit hits the fan again).. Plus, if a merger does happen at any company the senior guys usually fare better than junior guys... As of today, I don't think you can go wrong at either DAL or AAI.. However, things change overnight in the airlines.. Since your already at DAL, I would hold on tight and hope they start hiring everyone and thier hot sisters...

 

[Jim]

Lots of uncertainty at AAI with the MidWest deal and that might make AAI upgrades a long term proposition.

Is the 717 a completely different type (training) from a MD90? Rumors this week are that DL likes Hawaiian's 767-300ER's. But, were they not DL's 767's before they were Hawaiian's? I'm confused.

No the HAL 767-300ERs were never Delta's. Last year HAL bought 4 non-ER / non-ETOPS 767s from Delta and converted them to ETOPS.

So what's the rest of the rumor?

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

If you want a fast upgrade with high pay, you should go to Emirates. It's running about 3 years to widebody captain. They're also doubling (or more) the size of their fleet to be the largest international long-haul carrier, and they're adding lots of pilots. They need 400 by XMas.

cliff
YIP

 

[B737Dvr]

Hi!

If you want a fast upgrade with high pay, you should go to Emirates. It's running about 3 years to widebody captain. They're also doubling (or more) the size of their fleet to be the largest international long-haul carrier, and they're adding lots of pilots. They need 400 by XMas.

cliff
YIP

ahhh if that was all it was.....for anyone considering going anywhere close to the middle east, it IS NOT like back home. DO make sure you do your due diligence. There are very good threads about going that route, but money and position alone IT IS NOT.

 

[Lear70]

I think your total wages when you retire would be higher at airtran if you factor in a 12 year upgrade at delta.

Ummm... NO.

Total wages, including retirement benefits, are higher at DAL.

Not to mention, our proposed rates at DOS are about 20-30% lower than where DAL likely will be in 4-5 years. They're GOING to snap back, make no mistakes about it. Possibly not all at once, but definitely over the duration of the contract... management bit too deep.

If you're already at DAL (or any other Legacy except for UAL/UAir), I certainly wouldn't come here. No way.

 

[Pat Fabin]

No offense to any Air Tran guys here but you are comparing the worse pay rates and contract we have ever had with Air Tran's BEST contract?

You are not talking Apples to Apples here guys.

 

[Lear70]

No offense to any Air Tran guys here but you are comparing the worse pay rates and contract we have ever had with Air Tran's BEST contract?

You are not talking Apples to Apples here guys.

Exactly.

If you just got on with DAL in the last year, you're at the beginning of the hiring boom,,, best place to be.

 

[PCL_128]

We do still have a few guys leaving DAL to come to AAI. One 50 year old guy just started class last week after leaving DAL.

Overall, I can't recommend leaving DAL for here. I did turn down an offer from a DAL 767 checkairman a few weeks ago to walk my stuff in, but that's because I've already got a seniority number here with people under me. You've already got your number at DAL. I wouldn't give it up. If this latest downturn taught us anything, it should be that giving up seniority at any major is a big risk. Ask the dozens of guys that left UPS and FedEx in 2000 to go to places like UAL and AMR that have been on the street for the past 5 years. Jumping from job to job and giving up seniority is like playing russian roulette.

 

[BoeingBaller]

The answer is do what makes you happy.

 

[Peardc10]

What BoeingBaller said, do what makes you happy, who would of thought that five of the seven legacy carriers would be in bankruptcy court at the same time!

This is a crazy industry were in and who knows what might happen in the next 5, 10, 20 years. Be happy first and the rest will fall in place.

Again my .01Cents worth

 

[Dan Roman]

I couldn't agree more with doing what makes you happy and there is no way you can second guess what the future holds for any airline.
The people I've known that are happiest in this line of work are happy because they enjoy whatever lifestyle they have set up for themselves an it's not contingent on how senior they are, what kind of airplane they fly or what name is painted on the side of their airplane.
The people I've met that are the most misarable seem to be excessivly worried about comparing themselves to others, whether it is payscale, airline, seniority or whatever.

 

[FlyFastLiveSlow]

........I really have zero desire to leave Delta!

What makes you think you are still welcome at AirTran?

 

[RadioClash]

What makes you think you are still welcome at AirTran?

I know for a fact that he is is still welcome at AirTran.

 

[Hamfighter]

What makes you think you are still welcome at AirTran?

You're right...that does sound arrogant, and it wasn't my intention to come across that way at all!

I'm abolutely blown away that AirTran would be gracious enough to keep me in the hiring pool for six months. That wasn't an option with Delta, which is really what helped me make the decision to go with Delta because it essentially bought me some time to think. Both interviews and offers came at the exact same time (actually the offered class dates were the same date)!

Again, sorry if I offended anybody, and thanks again for all the great opinions.

 

[j41driver]

We do still have a few guys leaving DAL to come to AAI. One 50 year old guy just started class last week after leaving DAL.

We have had several 25+ year DAL guys come here after taking their early retirement but I doubt we've had too many come from the other end of the seniority list.