Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?
01-20-2010, 03:46 AM
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Joined APC: Jun 2006
Position: A-320A
Posts: 18,563
Oh, I beg to differ. For sure on the songwriter front...drummers? I'll get back to you on that. For starters, how about Coldplay, OneRepublic, Keane, Fall Out Boy, The Fray. All excellent wordsmiths and songwriters. For a drummer, see the Foo Fighters dude, who now sings and plays guitar.
01-20-2010, 03:48 AM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2007
Position: Flying the SEC
Posts: 2,350
01-20-2010, 03:48 AM
Happy to be here
Joined APC: Jun 2006
Position: A-320A
Posts: 18,563
You state that you've spent time understanding how ALPA negotiates. It's apparent from you answers that you either didn't do your homework or didn't understand what you found out.
Pre-merger South pilots used a whole bunch of outsiders before and during negotiations for LOA 51 and the JCBA, not including the ALPA staff folks available to us. We had two different full time investment banking firms (Milestone Merchant Partners and Athena), an outside Actuary firm (Segal), outside business attorneys (Cleary Gottleib), and we worked with Groom Law Group on PBGC recovery issues. Pre-merger North pilots used an independent actuary (Buck), a couple of different investment bankers (Blue Wolf and Athena), and others. Those professionals were with us every step of the way, partipating in developing negotiating goals and strategy, then analyzing management proposals and preparing counters. We also used contacts made from our engagement on Wall Street, on Capitol Hill, and in New York to seek input on ways to enhance our effectiveness.
I hope this clears up for you what "every step" and "professionals" mean.
Pre-merger South pilots used a whole bunch of outsiders before and during negotiations for LOA 51 and the JCBA, not including the ALPA staff folks available to us. We had two different full time investment banking firms (Milestone Merchant Partners and Athena), an outside Actuary firm (Segal), outside business attorneys (Cleary Gottleib), and we worked with Groom Law Group on PBGC recovery issues. Pre-merger North pilots used an independent actuary (Buck), a couple of different investment bankers (Blue Wolf and Athena), and others. Those professionals were with us every step of the way, partipating in developing negotiating goals and strategy, then analyzing management proposals and preparing counters. We also used contacts made from our engagement on Wall Street, on Capitol Hill, and in New York to seek input on ways to enhance our effectiveness.
I hope this clears up for you what "every step" and "professionals" mean.
I say MEC tout this! Pilots need to know and see this stuff.
01-20-2010, 03:58 AM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2007
Position: Flying the SEC
Posts: 2,350
A couple of rumors heard while running up to NYC and back yesterday. FA said she heard from Training that they were going to hire about 800 FAs this year/soon. She also heard about the possibility of a DFW FA base. Mesaba captain said all the SAABs are going and they are going to furlough again. Sorry forgot the number.
01-20-2010, 04:02 AM
Gets Weekends Off
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Position: Flying the SEC
Posts: 2,350
Breitbart.tv UK Olympian Suffers Major Wardrobe Malfunction on Bobsled Track
I'm sure there is a Flight Attendant joke in there somewhere...
I'm sure there is a Flight Attendant joke in there somewhere...
01-20-2010, 04:11 AM
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Joined APC: Jun 2006
Position: A-320A
Posts: 18,563
Nah. I ain't fighting this, or any, point at all. Getting hot and bothered about an internet opinion is just retarded (although we've all gone down that road occasionally, eh? 
)
I think in general most passengers hate the airline experience in general, even though by every reasonable standard THEY created it, what with deregulation and bottom-barrel, cost-is-everything internet comparison pricing.
The flying public will be "cheesed off" at anything that raises prices even in a marginal way, because the erroneous perception that somehow they "deserve" free amenities. From there, it's a small mental leap to blame the pilots and their greedy, exorbitant wages for their woes (I disagree, obviously).
But really, who cares? Pilot wages are about airline profitability and union negotiating power, not passenger perception or some "right" to a big paycheck. Hopefully, we'll have both when the contract comes up.
Here's a thought: in 1980, the average American CEO made roughly 40 times what their average worker does. Today, the Average CEO makes over 200 times what the average person in their employ does. THAT is a sickening statistic. I'm pretty right-wing, and I gotta say, that sort of thing needs to stop. John Bogle (founder of the Vanguard Group and low cost index fund guru) had a great article about this in the WSJ yesterday.
)I think in general most passengers hate the airline experience in general, even though by every reasonable standard THEY created it, what with deregulation and bottom-barrel, cost-is-everything internet comparison pricing.
The flying public will be "cheesed off" at anything that raises prices even in a marginal way, because the erroneous perception that somehow they "deserve" free amenities. From there, it's a small mental leap to blame the pilots and their greedy, exorbitant wages for their woes (I disagree, obviously).
But really, who cares? Pilot wages are about airline profitability and union negotiating power, not passenger perception or some "right" to a big paycheck. Hopefully, we'll have both when the contract comes up.
Here's a thought: in 1980, the average American CEO made roughly 40 times what their average worker does. Today, the Average CEO makes over 200 times what the average person in their employ does. THAT is a sickening statistic. I'm pretty right-wing, and I gotta say, that sort of thing needs to stop. John Bogle (founder of the Vanguard Group and low cost index fund guru) had a great article about this in the WSJ yesterday.
I agree that we cannot win the public perception fight. I get that, "Om my you only make that much for that job....that sucks" But the same person will come to me a whine about a ticket price then return from a trip and complain how MY airline is needling everyone for every red cent. Memories are short, and the only vote that counts in the day and age is a pocketbook. Sad, but I do not think we can put Pandora in the proverbial box.
01-20-2010, 04:14 AM
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Joined APC: Jun 2006
Position: A-320A
Posts: 18,563
A couple of rumors heard while running up to NYC and back yesterday. FA said she heard from Training that they were going to hire about 800 FAs this year/soon. She also heard about the possibility of a DFW FA base. Mesaba captain said all the SAABs are going and they are going to furlough again. Sorry forgot the number.
DFW FA base is a hot topic. They have appeared to release that space for a FA crew room. Also they have been pooling the DFW resident FA's on what type of trips would need to be constructed for them to bid that base.
As for the SAABs, yep they are going to be gone and replaced by 50 seat RJ's. ref RA q and a last week for a public source.
01-20-2010, 04:18 AM
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Many of these bennies will be attacked and terminated as the private sector folks reach a breaking point. We are footing the bill. The ones that will have to stay are the ones for the military. They need to keep and improve those if they want men and women to fight for and die for this country.
01-20-2010, 04:19 AM
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I watch for this stuff, and it is my opinion that we are. That White Paper on the JAL deal was huge. It may not have stated what many wanted to hear, but its existence was monumental in my opinion.
01-20-2010, 04:23 AM
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Boeing Has 71 JAL Orders, More Than Previously Stated (Update2)
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By Andrea Rothman and Louisa Fahy
Jan. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Boeing Co. has orders for 71 planes worth about $10 billion from Japan Airlines Corp., which filed for bankruptcy yesterday. That’s 21 more than the U.S. company had previously disclosed.
JAL has contracts for 20 737 short-haul airliners, together with nine 767 and seven 777 widebodies and 35 of Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliners, Randy Tinseth, the manufacturer’s marketing chief for commercial aircraft, said in an interview.
Asia’s biggest carrier plans to cut almost one-third of its workforce, 31 routes and 53 planes following Japan’s fourth- largest bankruptcy. JAL spokeswoman Sze Hunn Yap said she wasn’t aware of any plans to drop existing orders.
“The only thing we know for certain right now is that JAL is going to be a smaller carrier, which by definition means they’re going to need fewer aircraft,” said Michael Derchin, an analyst at FTN Equity Capital Markets in New York. “That doesn’t necessarily jeopardize those Boeing orders, but it certainly adds a cloud over them.”
Of JAL’s order backlog, 10 737s, two 777s and the 767s had not previously been attributed by Boeing to the Tokyo-based company. The carrier has no commitments with Toulouse, France- based Airbus SAS, the biggest maker of commercial aircraft.
‘Difficult to Understand’
“It’s early in the process and it’s difficult to understand now how this will affect the market,” Tinseth said yesterday in the interview in Dublin. “There’s no question that they’ll work hard in reworking their network, and we’ll work with them to ensure that we meet their needs.”
JAL’s turnaround plan will accelerate a shift to smaller aircraft as the carrier seeks an operating profit in the year ending March 2012, compared with an expected operating loss of 265.1 billion yen ($2.91 billion) this fiscal year.
The company, founded in 1951, plans to phase out its 37 747-400 jumbos, together with 16 single-aisle MD-90s.
The move to ground older models may depress the resale and rental value of Boeings including 747s and 767s, according to attendees at the 2010 European Airfinance Conference in Dublin, where Tinseth was interviewed.
“I’m expecting JAL to move out a lot of older equipment,” said Simon Finn, senior vice president at the aviation unit of DVB Bank. The residual value of Boeing widebodies may be hurt most because secondary-market demand is already low, he said, adding that the 767s “will be very difficult to shift.”
Hayrettin Yagiz, a leasing consultant based in Turkey, said that JAL’s strategy will affect rates “negatively for lessors and positively for leasees.”
Bombardier, Embraer
While eliminating some bigger aircraft, JAL plans to add 50 smaller planes, supplementing a fleet that was 279-strong as of March 31 last year, including regional jets from Bombardier Inc. and Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica SA.
JAL will scrap 14 international routes and 17 domestic ones by the end of March 2013 under a 900 billion-yen plan announced yesterday by Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corp. of Japan, the state-affiliated fund leading the reorganization. Employment will drop by about 15,700 workers to 36,201 over the period.
JAL, with a market value of more than $6 billion as recently as March, will be delisted following the bankruptcy, wiping out shareholders. The stock closed at 5 yen in Tokyo trading yesterday, after slumping 93 percent this year.
Delta Air Lines Inc. and American Airlines, which have made rival offers to invest in JAL, both said that talks would continue. JAL is likely to switch to Delta’s SkyTeam alliance from American’s Oneworld as part of the turnaround, according to people familiar with the situation.
To contact the reporters on this story: Andrea Rothman in Dublin at [email protected]; Louisa Fahy in Dublin at [email protected]
Last Updated: January 19, 2010 13:59 EST
Share Business ExchangeTwitterFacebo
By Andrea Rothman and Louisa Fahy
Jan. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Boeing Co. has orders for 71 planes worth about $10 billion from Japan Airlines Corp., which filed for bankruptcy yesterday. That’s 21 more than the U.S. company had previously disclosed.
JAL has contracts for 20 737 short-haul airliners, together with nine 767 and seven 777 widebodies and 35 of Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliners, Randy Tinseth, the manufacturer’s marketing chief for commercial aircraft, said in an interview.
Asia’s biggest carrier plans to cut almost one-third of its workforce, 31 routes and 53 planes following Japan’s fourth- largest bankruptcy. JAL spokeswoman Sze Hunn Yap said she wasn’t aware of any plans to drop existing orders.
“The only thing we know for certain right now is that JAL is going to be a smaller carrier, which by definition means they’re going to need fewer aircraft,” said Michael Derchin, an analyst at FTN Equity Capital Markets in New York. “That doesn’t necessarily jeopardize those Boeing orders, but it certainly adds a cloud over them.”
Of JAL’s order backlog, 10 737s, two 777s and the 767s had not previously been attributed by Boeing to the Tokyo-based company. The carrier has no commitments with Toulouse, France- based Airbus SAS, the biggest maker of commercial aircraft.
‘Difficult to Understand’
“It’s early in the process and it’s difficult to understand now how this will affect the market,” Tinseth said yesterday in the interview in Dublin. “There’s no question that they’ll work hard in reworking their network, and we’ll work with them to ensure that we meet their needs.”
JAL’s turnaround plan will accelerate a shift to smaller aircraft as the carrier seeks an operating profit in the year ending March 2012, compared with an expected operating loss of 265.1 billion yen ($2.91 billion) this fiscal year.
The company, founded in 1951, plans to phase out its 37 747-400 jumbos, together with 16 single-aisle MD-90s.
The move to ground older models may depress the resale and rental value of Boeings including 747s and 767s, according to attendees at the 2010 European Airfinance Conference in Dublin, where Tinseth was interviewed.
“I’m expecting JAL to move out a lot of older equipment,” said Simon Finn, senior vice president at the aviation unit of DVB Bank. The residual value of Boeing widebodies may be hurt most because secondary-market demand is already low, he said, adding that the 767s “will be very difficult to shift.”
Hayrettin Yagiz, a leasing consultant based in Turkey, said that JAL’s strategy will affect rates “negatively for lessors and positively for leasees.”
Bombardier, Embraer
While eliminating some bigger aircraft, JAL plans to add 50 smaller planes, supplementing a fleet that was 279-strong as of March 31 last year, including regional jets from Bombardier Inc. and Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica SA.
JAL will scrap 14 international routes and 17 domestic ones by the end of March 2013 under a 900 billion-yen plan announced yesterday by Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corp. of Japan, the state-affiliated fund leading the reorganization. Employment will drop by about 15,700 workers to 36,201 over the period.
JAL, with a market value of more than $6 billion as recently as March, will be delisted following the bankruptcy, wiping out shareholders. The stock closed at 5 yen in Tokyo trading yesterday, after slumping 93 percent this year.
Delta Air Lines Inc. and American Airlines, which have made rival offers to invest in JAL, both said that talks would continue. JAL is likely to switch to Delta’s SkyTeam alliance from American’s Oneworld as part of the turnaround, according to people familiar with the situation.
To contact the reporters on this story: Andrea Rothman in Dublin at [email protected]; Louisa Fahy in Dublin at [email protected]
Last Updated: January 19, 2010 13:59 EST
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