Gretzky

From the horse's mouth...Chinese Eastern and Southern are combining, don't need as many jets. Delta is currently talking to them right now. Folks here closed the door and wouldn't project numbers or a timeline, but insisted that 2008 "will see a lot of new movement". This was stated right around the time they were talking about the 90. Not inferring anything here, but it is a good time to be with Mother D. So to answer your inquiry, the rumors appear to be close and moving in the right direction, but they wouldn't elaborate on timeline or numbers. Pretty solid bet they'll all go to SLC and they may move some other bases for re-alignment (re: LAX).

G99

f15popeye

Gents and Ladies, Words from the front. First, this thread is MONEY and I hope it keeps going. I've learned a ton from it, and as you can tell I don't post much. I hope this post can help some folks, here is some debrief comments from my 4 October Delta interview.

2 of 8 of us got the conditional job offer. Pretty bloody day. Myself mil background, and an ASA Capt civ background got the offers. We were both extremely lucky and fortunate. Some HIGHLY qualified dudes did not. I was surprised. 15+ year COMAIR and Eagle line check airmen for starters. A young F-16 pilot who looked super sharp as well. Some guys hooked the test and some hooked the interview. If you hook the interview, you can't reapply.

1) Me and the ASA Capt both were the only ones who used EMERALD COAST INTERVIEW CONSULTING. Absolutely top notch interview prep for very diverse backgrounds, me 100% mil and the other bro, 100% civilian. Paid political announcement you bet but best money I've spent in a long time. Aaron Hagan is absolutely phenomenal in helping you get ready for a tight quarters 3 v 1 interview. I can't say enough about it. http://www.emeraldcoastinterviewconsulting.com If this link doesn't work, look up Emerald Coast

2) Study for the tests!!!! The knowledge test is a time crunch and not easy. If you hook it, you are done for the day, may get a a chance to come back in 6 months if the interview goes well.

I just watched too many well-qualified guys get passed on in one day. When you get your chance, leave nothing to chance!!! This is a phenomenal time to get on with Delta. Good luck!

GuardDawg14

Has anyone used the Air Inc Interview Prep for the Delta Interview?

C-17 Driver

Congrats on the job offer. Like I have said before, as long as you don't get the email after you get home about your psych test, then you should be free and clear.

Here's the latest update on the loony bin review board from Oct 2nd:

I called the hiring office a week and a half ago before I went overseas and was told that the review board would meet this past tuesday and that I would find out Tuesday afternoon or on Wednesday. I haven't heard anything yet and my phone call from yesterday has not been returned. There were 7 of us at the review board and A.K. called one of them personally and said he wasn't selected (military guy). As for the other 6, we don't know what our DAL fate is yet. Rumor is that there were some issues at this past review board. When I called the hiring office last week and inquired about the process, I stated my concerns about the psychiatrist. She was very polite and said that they had some concerns about the psych portion of the process as well. Of course, she did not go into further detail. I told her that I would need to hear from them soon because I had job offers from CAL and UAL and I need to make a decision soon about where to hang my hat.

I understand it was the psych portion of the interview which put me in this holding pattern and I am trying to keep my frustrations focused on that part, but after a month, it is getting difficult. The folks in the hiring office to include the chief, A.K., the secretary, A.G., and Big Tony are all on our side and they, along with the pilots who, as a whole, hate the psych portion and think it is B.S. But after a month, part of me (only part) wants to give Delta the big F.U. and put them behind my 3/9 line and start focusing on whether or not to go to UAL or CAL.

So, big picture: The review board for those in the holding pattern for psych testing met last Tuesday. 1/7 got the official "no." No word on remaining 6. As far as I know, this is the first time that "issues" came up during the review board and that folks did not find out. I don't know why, but I would like to imagine that the pilot at the review board is looking at the records and calling "foul" on the process after looking at some of the candidate records.

Shockman

Congrats Popeye! Did they give you an estimated class date?

f15popeye

Shocker, Thanks, 12 Nov or early Dec, as long as day two went OK.

Bill Lumberg

You will probably see a bunch of 767ER slots offered out of JFK. I hear there were a lot of vacancies on the last internal bid among existing pilots. The last couple of newhire bids have been heavy on 757/767 slots in general in addition to the normal MD88 and 737-800 slots.

Good job.

RockyBoy

In addition to the 90's don't forget that the 777 fleet will double in size by 2009. Add that to the TWA 757's and the 700's and I think we'll see significant hiring numbers in 2008 and 2009. I'm not sure what the status is on the 90's at this point. I've heard that was a Whitehurst project and that it is now being reviewed and may or may not happen. If it does happen I would expect to hear by the end of the year. If we don't hear anything by then I doubt we'll see them. The 777, 757, and 700 growth is still plenty to keep the numbers high through 09. About the only thing that could derail the good times at Delta right now is another major terrorist attack or a merger. Let's hope that neither of those happen.

Gretzky

Used Air Inc and it was fine. After the prep I felt like it was great prep. After the interview I thought it was okay. Got the job though and am in the current indoc class. Can't say definitively whether I would recommend it or not. Personal choice on how well you personally handle pressure interviews. Mine went an hour and a half and an hour and 25 minutes of that was talking about being a ground FAC in Iraq. Those old retired guys loved that stuff. Air Inc couldn't have helped in that regard. I just got lucky.

As for the future, the new hire coordinator said there will be Nov and Dec classes (I think one each). The 777 thing is a huge addition. The 777 adds 40 pilots per aircraft. Do the math and that's between 240 and 400 (depending on options). That affects every aircraft in the fleet and every base as dudes move around the system.

As for bidding, as long as we're hiring, people will be moving. Read that to mean every 3 months or so there will be a new bid. CVG and LAX will probably remain tough to get, though LAX may have some interesting changes in the future (no words on that from DAL but rumors abound). SLC will definitely grow, if not because of the possible MD90s coming then because of other copious factors. ATL will be easy to get as long as you don't mind sitting reserve and as long as there are big bids. NYC is a shoe in and the ER will continue to have openings (think Budapest, Moscow, Spain, Italy, France, UK, Ireland, Germany, Brussels, Amsterdam, Istanbul, Africa, Brazil...and many more to come). 2006 had the biggest INTL expansion ever. 2007 had the biggest INTL expansion ever. 2008 will have the biggest INTL expansion. Get the picture. (In case you couldn't guess, I'll be on the ER...)

Hope this helps. I may have been drinking the koolaid but this joint rocks! There's a reason they're not hiring everybody. The classes are stacked with good dudes. How I slipped through is incredible.

Lifeisgood

What exactly do you mean here?
Delta already serves those places, doesn't it?
The frequency increasing?

Thanks