Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?
Doing Nothing
Joined APC: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,316
Any intel on when the AE is gonna be out? Mid March like the 15th or what?
The problem pre all of the LOA 31 et. al. changes was Short Call. It was worth nothing, assigned at random, the number of pilots on assignment was unpredictable, you could only say AM or PM if you had a preference and there were no "if you need me" options. All of that has been corrected and that's fantastic. Unfortunately the bucket system and a stubborn demand to keep the thresholds high came with that and that's not good. Have the buckets but make the thresholds a calculated number that flexes.
By the way, whenever I hear "you're junior" it reminds me that all 11,### number of pilots on the seniority list are junior to 1 guy. Everyone is junior. So what is senior? I mean there are 64 categories with 64 pilots sitting #1 in their category, of those, 63 of 64 are junior to somebody.
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2010
Posts: 432
I've heard they are debating whether or not to hire this fall or wait till next spring.
Really, the only day that gives you the true staffing level is the very first day that pcs is run. This is the day you will see how many "extra" reserves there are over the required number. After that, pilots will have dropped and swapped down to the "required" number.
Based on the 88b, it looks like most of your weekends were above the "required" number to start the month which also is why you see so many extras during the week... The "required" number could be artificially increased (preventing drops etc) and then the odds of green slips going out would be less, but in the mean time somebody did miss out on a GS and several people may have been denied x day moves, drops etc...
More pilots in your category does not by default fix what you desire because even if you had 20 more pilots on the weekends to start, odds are pilots are going to pcs away, or move x days to weekends till the "required" number is reached.
I am curious what you are specifically saying you would like to see wrt weekend coverage? The only thing that I can see that would more or less fix it for you is artificlly raising the "required" number.
Based on the 88b, it looks like most of your weekends were above the "required" number to start the month which also is why you see so many extras during the week... The "required" number could be artificially increased (preventing drops etc) and then the odds of green slips going out would be less, but in the mean time somebody did miss out on a GS and several people may have been denied x day moves, drops etc...
More pilots in your category does not by default fix what you desire because even if you had 20 more pilots on the weekends to start, odds are pilots are going to pcs away, or move x days to weekends till the "required" number is reached.
I am curious what you are specifically saying you would like to see wrt weekend coverage? The only thing that I can see that would more or less fix it for you is artificlly raising the "required" number.
It wouldn't be artificial, the culprit seems to be the Swap with the Pot or Moving X Day rules. Change it for weekends just like it is for holidays. Because you're right, or I'm certain you're right, prior to the month beginning you had available greater than or equal to the required number.
But note that we actually require more pilots on the weekend than the weekday per the reserves required formula. Weekdays generally require 20-30 pilots and 30-40 and sometimes 50 are available, weekends are 30 or more and usually only 20 available and then by the start of the week is available it's 0 and here come GSs.
Again, my point is to stop covering trips with GSs and start expanding the size of the pilot group since it doesn't look like with the current levels of reserve we are running (fewer than it used to be) provide enough pilots. You could do it by increasing the ALV but in doing so you start to push against needing to add pilots in categories and towards the bottom force hiring. That's a good thing to me.
Let me make this clear this would screw me over making this change. Actually it wouldn't per se since I hold what I want off a vast majority of the time via PBS, but still giving we seem to moving backwards more than forwards it will screw me if I try to move an X day. But I'm fine with that. I'd rather need more pilots.
writing in rush, sorry can't review this post as well as i want.
Doing Nothing
Joined APC: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,316
You can always make excuses why the company is "unable" but the Alaska system would still work and the company wouldn't go broke. The Alaska reserve system gives pilots a lot more flexibility while honoring seniority and paying more on average than the C2012 Delta pilot system. With the company making record profits I don't see any reason why Delta pilots shouldn't achieve higher pay with more flexibility and quality of life.
I don't think 1 extra SC per month will make up for 10 less hours per SC.
How many SCs are the reserves in the top 20%-30% sitting? Plus, won't SCs being reduced from 24 hours to 14 hours on the WBs require more WB pilot's? Thereby offsetting the hit to NB categories and providing more higher paying positions?
How many SCs are the reserves in the top 20%-30% sitting? Plus, won't SCs being reduced from 24 hours to 14 hours on the WBs require more WB pilot's? Thereby offsetting the hit to NB categories and providing more higher paying positions?
J29;
You are somewhat incorrect, which means you are also somewhat correct. There are banks of launches now that offset this already.
Just a perfect example is DTW 777. All the flights are scheduled for departure within 1 hour of each other. So why would you need a 24 hour SC window.
Additionally, There is a company memo which questions the viability of 24 hr SC anyway...concluding that after about 6 hours a pilot is not really useable.
So, now a reserve pilot is on the hook for an extra shortcall. That means 14% less manning for reserves...Therefore, fewer pilots.
I don't know how many int'l categories are moving to the banks of departures at the same time, but you have to admit, it is a pretty good workaround.
PS: I think grouping departures together is a good idea operationally and for QOL for reserves.
PPS: The memo may have been for ultra long haul, I dont remember.
Last edited by scambo1; 03-03-2013 at 12:43 PM.
Straight QOL, homie
Joined APC: Feb 2012
Position: Record-Shattering Profit Facilitator
Posts: 4,202
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