Lewbronski

I'm a SWA guy. We're in contract negotiations, as I'm sure you all are aware.

According to the MIT Airline Data Project, as of 2018, the latest year for which data at both SWA and Delta is available, SWA pilots worked 30% more block hours per month than Delta pilots, on average.

With your new contract, a DL pilot starting Mar 1 will earn 62% more career compensation than a SWA pilot earning an equivalent number of credit units per year (996 hr/yr vs 1,140 TFP/yr). The generally acdepted conversion factor is 1 hr = 1.149 TFP.

However, the SWA pilot position in reaction to the above information, in many cases, is something like, "We may fly more hours, but we have more days off." "They" use that argument to justify being paid less per TFP than we might otherwise be able to achieve.

I can't find any objective (as opposed to anecdotal) information on how many days per month Delta pilots actually fly, on average.

Can anyone shed any light on how many days per month the typical Delta pilot flies?

Thanks in advance.

Air Stang 7

I doubt anyone is getting more than 31 days off a month.

FL370

The answer is: it varies. I work 14 days in April. What makes SWA flying undesirable to me is that you guys work too hard while working. I like long layovers in cities of my choice. My family appreciate when I don't come home exhausted. For those who are more interested in money, our premium trips pays out at 200%. Wide-body flying is a whole different animal. Did it, liked it, was exhausted, and probably will never do it again.

Podrick

It really varies based on what fleet you’re on. For narrow body’s… In general the 73 and 320 have been getting worked pretty hard, long duty and high block days, 14 days off/month and 85 hr credit is probably typical. 220 and 717 you can get 18 days off and easy trips fairly regularly as long as you don’t mind min credit.

Hossharris

I’ve been here almost 6 years.
I’m < 30% atl 320 b
I bid reserve.
I average 17-19 days off a month.

RAH RAH REE

Widebody lineholders are usually working 12 to 14 days a month. This month i just have two 6-days.

SkychickenFO

In NYC on the ER I've had about 14-15 days off on reserve and 16-18 off as line-holder without vacation or other non flying stuff...senior line-holders have sometimes 20+ days off it looks like.

NuGuy

This is probably going to change up a little. Some of the soft pay for narrow bodies will kick in by August, and that will increase the pay for the same work performed. At DAL, you can drop to zero, either with reserve coverage permitting (or not, we do have some "silver bullets") or via the pilot to pilot swap board, so some folks may be inclined to work a bit less for the same money.

Minimum regular line guarantee is 65 hours, but with the new contract, you can have a line built below that and still get 65 hours.

Carbon

The average has always been about 10 days a month and 94 hours of pay. Block hours are much lower.

DALPA and Delta Air Lines have the exact numbers.

Baradium

73 here and that's not what I see at all. 16-18 days off unless you ask for less. 17-18 all the way down.... I'm guessing you aren't actually on the 737 or 320