Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?
06-25-2010, 01:58 PM
Inventory survival kit ..
Joined APC: Jul 2008
Position: Seeking no jacket required rotations
Posts: 1,069
They have been saying the 29th for the announcement for some time. Hope it holds.
Sept cannot come soon enough since my flight kit is about to die.
Nu:
I would love the ability to have scheduling get us on test, e-mail et al.
Should we demand a RIM based phone, 20 bucks a month for a text plan, what else should we ask for to give this benefit to the company. I know they would like it, so what are we willing to take to get it?
Netjets has a blackberry that has a bunch of programs on it. They send your next days sked or a reroute to the phone and you ack it, your are fatigued, you ack it. I like that idea, but for 12000 plus pilots that phone is a huge expense. Would you be willing to buy a smart phone that would be required to have these programs on it? We need to find a way to make this work for us, and for them.
Start discussing this!
Sept cannot come soon enough since my flight kit is about to die.
Nu:
I would love the ability to have scheduling get us on test, e-mail et al.
Should we demand a RIM based phone, 20 bucks a month for a text plan, what else should we ask for to give this benefit to the company. I know they would like it, so what are we willing to take to get it?
Netjets has a blackberry that has a bunch of programs on it. They send your next days sked or a reroute to the phone and you ack it, your are fatigued, you ack it. I like that idea, but for 12000 plus pilots that phone is a huge expense. Would you be willing to buy a smart phone that would be required to have these programs on it? We need to find a way to make this work for us, and for them.
Start discussing this!
Longer term , I do NOT want a company issued phone, thats just something else I have to carry on a trip. I'd rather stick with them making a phone call to my contact phone number and/or hotel. And for anyone arguing cost of phone calls, can you say Vonage? Magicjack? or any other VoIP solution out there? The cost of providing a phone (and service) to each pilot would be bigger than paying for calls to your contact number.
How they talked you guys into checking the company website 3 or 4 times a day to see how they changed your month is beyond me ...
06-25-2010, 02:03 PM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2009
Position: 737n/FO
Posts: 667
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnso29
Well. I got my iPhone 4 yesterday and so far I'm impressed & happy. Some things I noticed:
Web browsing is much faster
Deltanet & icrew load up much faster, & browsing through them takes very little time.
While in travelnet you can now view the standby list by clicking on the icon!
The screen has better clarity. Many more pixels so a much better screen overall.
Used the FaceTime feature for a video call last night. That is a very cool feature, especially if you have kids.
That's just some of my observations. Overall I'm very pleased.
Just don't make too many calls holding it wrong:
Lefties: beware iPhone 4 reception problem
AND - the wonderful Steve Jobs/Apple official solution:
Jobs on iPhone 4 antenna: "avoid holding it in this way"
Good luck with a phone that has a problem being a phone - great at everything else, though. (Great looking design - form triumphs over function).
Originally Posted by johnso29
Well. I got my iPhone 4 yesterday and so far I'm impressed & happy. Some things I noticed:
Web browsing is much faster
Deltanet & icrew load up much faster, & browsing through them takes very little time.
While in travelnet you can now view the standby list by clicking on the icon!
The screen has better clarity. Many more pixels so a much better screen overall.
Used the FaceTime feature for a video call last night. That is a very cool feature, especially if you have kids.
That's just some of my observations. Overall I'm very pleased.
Lefties: beware iPhone 4 reception problem
AND - the wonderful Steve Jobs/Apple official solution:
Jobs on iPhone 4 antenna: "avoid holding it in this way"
Good luck with a phone that has a problem being a phone - great at everything else, though. (Great looking design - form triumphs over function).
06-25-2010, 02:08 PM
Back on TDY
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Position: 747-400 Captain
Posts: 12,487
I also know that they like your functionality and are working on making the functionality of the new system. We have what we have, and the decisions have been made. I like what you had, but my understanding is that there were really good reasons for the decisions they made. It was not a N v S issue.
I've stated my irritation that so many of our fNWA guys with proven records have been forced out of their positions. Most are being replaced by fDAL guys. If the roles were reversed, you would notice. I don't consider my statement one of North versus South - just stating the facts thus far.
Carl
06-25-2010, 02:09 PM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2009
Posts: 282
According to folks at TechOps there are not PTVs installed on N917DN. Told there is wiring installed on-board for PTVs at some point but at least now these used 90's going out will not have televisions in seats. No idea why.
06-25-2010, 02:10 PM
Da Hudge
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Position: Poodle Whisperer
Posts: 17,473
)Great news. This stuff does not happen over night, and despite Nu's and Carl's insistence upon technology in fNW stuff that Steve Jobs is just now deciphering to make the next generation iPad.. fNW technology was out of the 70s and had been modded.
Sure some of the mods were good, but most of it couldn't handle an operation our size and it's better to make truly new stuff.
Have you ever actually seen the worldflight interface for dispatchers? I think it's run through an Atari.
Truly new stuff is what we need...and what you will see. It's not going to happen over night and fNW did not have the right tech out of the box
I gotta laugh about Nu's assertion about just bidding 1,2,3,4 or whatever days. That's the worst idea ever... and is called reserve.
06-25-2010, 02:19 PM
Da Hudge
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Position: Poodle Whisperer
Posts: 17,473
Ugh,
Okay since I reignited this food fight with three little words, I'll add some "stuff" I heard about scheduling and aircrew IT.
Scheduling staff shortages - I was told that right up until the last weeks before all pilots transitioned to the fDL system, some of the fNW schedulers said they were accepting new positions in ATL. Then at the last minute most of them changed their mind and bailed forcing DL to bascially hire pilot schedulers "off the street." I have no way of verifying this, but it was an ALPA source. This is not an attempt to defend the fDL ppl in charge of transition, it is merely what I was told.
Aircrew IT (and I'll throw in PARS/Worldflight) - Without rehashing the whole $AP issue, Worldflight was for the most part superior to FPS/AWABS/whatever the other modules are called. There are a few things in FPS that I like better, but not many. I think most people would no argue this point if it were not for the $AP gorilla. The crew scheduling, however, is a different story. Do I think the fNW system was better, definitely from a pilot and scheduler standpoint. Did it have the capability of working for a group as large as the two combined airlines? I was told NO, it did not and that in fact it was getting close to being maxxed out at fNW. I was NOT told if this was due to a lack of mainframe capacity or if it was a software issue. Again, I didn't work in IT so I could NOT verify this claim.
Since I mentioned Worldflight, I actually found a copy of a fNW flight plan to post next to a FPS flight plan. Somehow those pages from the Jan 2010 FOM revision magically stayed in my FOM rather than being discarded as directed.
Now I have to find a website to post excerpts from the two releases and flight plans side-by-side. FWIW there are a few things from FPS that I like, but I wish they would reformat the output from FPS into the Worldflight format.
The poor dispatchers are on their own as I see no help for them in sight. I fear they will all be bald by the end of the first snowstorm in Japan.
P.S. My comments about Operation Visine have nothing to do with the quality of the person picked to replace GB. It rather refers to the apparent attrition of the fNW culture/personnel from the Chain of Command in Flight Operations.
Okay since I reignited this food fight with three little words, I'll add some "stuff" I heard about scheduling and aircrew IT.
Scheduling staff shortages - I was told that right up until the last weeks before all pilots transitioned to the fDL system, some of the fNW schedulers said they were accepting new positions in ATL. Then at the last minute most of them changed their mind and bailed forcing DL to bascially hire pilot schedulers "off the street." I have no way of verifying this, but it was an ALPA source. This is not an attempt to defend the fDL ppl in charge of transition, it is merely what I was told.
Aircrew IT (and I'll throw in PARS/Worldflight) - Without rehashing the whole $AP issue, Worldflight was for the most part superior to FPS/AWABS/whatever the other modules are called. There are a few things in FPS that I like better, but not many. I think most people would no argue this point if it were not for the $AP gorilla. The crew scheduling, however, is a different story. Do I think the fNW system was better, definitely from a pilot and scheduler standpoint. Did it have the capability of working for a group as large as the two combined airlines? I was told NO, it did not and that in fact it was getting close to being maxxed out at fNW. I was NOT told if this was due to a lack of mainframe capacity or if it was a software issue. Again, I didn't work in IT so I could NOT verify this claim.
Since I mentioned Worldflight, I actually found a copy of a fNW flight plan to post next to a FPS flight plan. Somehow those pages from the Jan 2010 FOM revision magically stayed in my FOM rather than being discarded as directed.
Now I have to find a website to post excerpts from the two releases and flight plans side-by-side. FWIW there are a few things from FPS that I like, but I wish they would reformat the output from FPS into the Worldflight format.
The poor dispatchers are on their own as I see no help for them in sight. I fear they will all be bald by the end of the first snowstorm in Japan.
P.S. My comments about Operation Visine have nothing to do with the quality of the person picked to replace GB. It rather refers to the apparent attrition of the fNW culture/personnel from the Chain of Command in Flight Operations.
very nice post, Nosmo!
The operation has plenty of things to be critical about.... the kicker is to get to the root of them and find out what actually caused them, instead of making it some sort of pointless "race" battle of sorts.
I too hope that we take most of the worldflight release formatting and put it in the next update on FPS.
06-25-2010, 02:22 PM
Da Hudge
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Position: Poodle Whisperer
Posts: 17,473
OK, I'll try to recap. I've never said it was a North versus South issue. I've said that really poor decisions were made to keep ancient technology, and throw away state of the art tech. I believe that decision is one of the main reasons our operations are suffering, and why our customer stats are the worst. One of the people that was in on those decisions has now been promoted to this new position. I question the wisdom of that given the record. Others love it because of his resume, and their personal knowledge of him as a person.
I've stated my irritation that so many of our fNWA guys with proven records have been forced out of their positions. Most are being replaced by fDAL guys. If the roles were reversed, you would notice. I don't consider my statement one of North versus South - just stating the facts thus far.
Carl
I've stated my irritation that so many of our fNWA guys with proven records have been forced out of their positions. Most are being replaced by fDAL guys. If the roles were reversed, you would notice. I don't consider my statement one of North versus South - just stating the facts thus far.
Carl
Bull- fNW was nowhere close to state of the art. It was better than DAL, but you're kidding yourself if you believe this.... come on!
06-25-2010, 02:33 PM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2007
Position: Legacy FO
Posts: 4,105
Originally Posted by KC10 FATboy
I am in Boston on a layover. I just heard on the radio CNET's 5 review??? (Never heard it before)
However, it was the Top 5 reasons why you probably shouldn't by the new iPhone4. "Yeah, God might carry one, but you can skip the iPhone4"
1. No 4G. Despite it's name, it only used the slower 3G networks.
So does Verzion.
2. No longer unlimited data. If you change carriers, you're going to pay.
Assuming one is not already an iPhone user. Plus 98% of iPhone users use LESS then what the highest limited data plan offers. It's no big deal.
3. No Verizon, still. Even CNET says, AT&T sucks.
Haven't had any problems.
4. Cancellation fines increased to $325.
Ok. Point?
5. The new phone doesn't change the playing field or save the world. Apple over hyped this phone. Many of these upgrades are playing catchup with the competition.
Like???? And if it's catching up with the competition, why is the competition less popular?
Seems like a weak argument to me.
Last time checked Apples stock is doing just fine. Most people who want a smartphone don't want it for the things Blackberry's or old style windows based systems can do.
You don't have to like the iPhone, but they had to stop pre-orders at 600,000 on the 15th. I'd say plenty of people like them just fine.
Verizon's 4G network is already installed, past engineering testing phase, and is already in use by insiders and employees -- supposed to be launched to us small people sometime over the summer/fall. Expect new 4G phones.
Sprint already has 4G. However, they did not do a large scale launch in what Verizon plans to do. When Verizon announces it, it will be available in most markets nationwide.
Are you believing the hype created by AT&T? I just paid my Verizon bill last week and I checked my data usage. 0.55 Gigabytes with 3 weeks to go. According to AT&Ts website, $15 per month for 200MB and $25 for 2GB and $10 for each additional gig. However, if you tether, not so fast -- you'll pay a total of $45 a month for 2GB of data shared between your phone and your tethered devices. That's aweful. So please, don't believe the hype.
You might not have had problems, but everyone I know that has an iPhone admits, dropped and failed calls are a problem. I tried two months with AT&T and not once could I drive from South Jersey to LGA/JFK/EWR without having dropped phone calls. This is why Apple moved the antennae and in the fall/winter of last year, AT&T stopped selling the devices in the NYC markets because their crappy network couldn't handle the bandwidth.
They increased the exit plan because soon they'll be one up'ed by Sprint and Verizon. They are simply going to charge more to leave.
Before the iPhone4 was announced, Rimm and Android OS phones were increasing in market share while Apple's remained flat. In fact, Android phones have had tremendous growth in the past two years. There have been several articles about this, here's just one. Google Android Hits Massive Growth Spurt - PCWorld
I'm not saying that the iPhone isn't a bad product. It's an awesome product. But it is on a crappy network that is now going to nickel and dime new customers. However, while Apple and AT&T have enjoyed their success, AT&T has failed to upgrade their network. Their 3G map is *still* to this day no wheres near what Sprint and Verizon's is. And the competition is already moved on to a faster and even more reliable product and their new phones do the same dang thing the iPhone does ... except that nifty face-to-face video chat ... assuming you both have iPhones4, the software, and a Wifi connection.
Don't be Alex Zalban (1:38) YouTube - Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard
06-25-2010, 02:35 PM
Back on TDY
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Position: 747-400 Captain
Posts: 12,487
You don't know what you're talking about. For 2 years in a row, NWA.COM was voted the #1 website by consumers - and that is just one example. I think we lost it to American at some point, but I don't remember when. You don't get that with 70's technology. Wise up.
Baloney. All the stuff that I knew of was totally scalable.
Our dispatchers had an incredible workstation in ops control. It was not at all uncommon to see other companies touring ops control to see those workstations. Obviously your dad didn't have a high opinion of NWA, but he's given you bad info.
Can't happen fast enough. But some of the NWA stuff would have been a great intermediate step.
Carl
Can't happen fast enough. But some of the NWA stuff would have been a great intermediate step.
Carl
06-25-2010, 02:38 PM
Back on TDY
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Position: 747-400 Captain
Posts: 12,487
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
