Originally Posted by Bucking Bar

Delta Air Lines Inc. will spend up to $20.5 million on severance packages for Comair pilots, a union official said Tuesday...

...Both unions secured a provision for its members to fly free on Delta after Comair closes.

Originally Posted by sailingfun

All 88 are growth aircraft to the mainline. If the economy collapses and the company plans a large decrease in overall capacity then we will see fewer pilots jobs. Regardless of the economy however we will have 88 more airframes at the mainline. How anyone can believe that is a bad thing utterly eludes me. The key to the 717's is they are not a increase in capacity but a shift in flying from DCI to the mainline. That is far more viable long term flying then planned future fleet increases given the economic situation. No matter how the economy plays out the 717's are a huge boost to the mainline.
I guess for some the glass is half full, for others its half empty, for many APC posters its cracking and leaking.

Originally Posted by get there itis

The company said it's going to be capacity neutral, right? The 717s would have been pretty close to an even swap with the 50 seaters. Lets not forget that we let them backfill more than half the lost RJ capacity with more RJs. There's about 3,000 seats left over.

70(76) + (88)110 is not equal to 200(50) + 17(120)

I would not be surprised if a few mainline jets were retired to make up the difference. For example, if you take out the 22 MD88s that did not get the gross weight increase, now we're pretty close to capacity neutral.

Originally Posted by acl65pilot

That was the concern without it spelled out in the TA, but alas, its our PWA now.

Originally Posted by Free Bird

Sailing,

Many of us have seen very few positive events while at Delta. As a new hire in 2001 we were told that hiring would be 30 a month indefinitely. At that time captain seats in MCO were 3-4 years. Months later we didn't have jobs anymore. Many had furloughs than were in excess of 5 years! For those of us who came back, we've found stagnation due to the age 65 change, a merger and the worst economy since the depression. As a result, many of us are on the 12 year pay scale and still 11% from the bottom of the seniority list. Our latest contract raises the ALV, I already work 15-16 days a month as a line holder, I really don't care to be away from home more than that. Being stuck on the bottom half of a category with PBS for years is not exactly fun. It also doesn't lend itself to controlling the type of trips we get. Maybe I should bid down from the 88 to the DC-9 for some quality of life?

I really hope the 88 717's are all growth, I really do. After what we've been through we would be naive to count our chickens before they hatch. My best guess is that some of us "glass 1/2 empty" types are looking at 17-18 years before we see our first Left seat. Again, I hope I'm wrong on that. The promise of "Someday" being told to me by senior pilots and management has yet to come. I know, I know, someday...............

Originally Posted by APCLurker

Once again.....^^^^^ THIS

Much more "PC" than I would probably have said it.

I simply have to laugh when certain individuals call others too pessimistic or leaking glasses or whatever else. I'm guessing most of them were able to hold a captain seat by year 11, if not darn close, let alone still being in the bottom 10% of the list. And 5 years of FE duty (frequent tale of woe): I'd have taken that in a heartbeat over furlough.


[rant off]

Originally Posted by johnso29

Anybody else see this....

From Council 66

At the regular MEC meeting in CVG today, the MEC passed a resolution granting a refund of dues money paid into the SMRA account. More than $7 million will be returned to the Delta pilots.

Originally Posted by buzzpat

Any news as to how much and when? Inquiring wife wants to know.

Originally Posted by buzzpat

Any news as to how much and when? Inquiring wife wants to know.