forgot to bid

We're on the same page Fedelta and I probably should've written my diatribe a little better. For the record I'm a max staffing kind of guy.

I like to bring up the sell vacations example from time to time because every so often a conversation along the lines of a base swap or flying on vacation comes up. And while it sounds good initially, if allowed or just implemented the quick and simple ramification imho would be furloughs at the bottom and MD's in every category. Such that those who want it would really just end up knocking themselves out of holding a line or staying in their category.

Ideally I want pilots to make a lot of money at min guarantee such that they don't have to fly 80, 85, 87, 90 or 95 hours per month. If everyone flew 70 hours then we'd be in a hiring boom and the average AE would be like going to Cedar Point which in itself is a pay raise.

But when pay is cut 42% or more and guys in their 30s or 40s are living on $70,000 or $80,000 as a single household income, the desire or need to fly more is there.

But there has to be a balance or we'll just end up reducing staffing needs from 744A down.



^^^ Teeter Totter example of an imbalance ^^^

hammer189

Guys in catagories with 10+ day trips are already effectively selling their vacations right now by bidding carryout trips into their vacation months.
They get paid carry in credit of 60+ hrs plus 42 hrs of vacation pay for 100+ hrs of pay in a month.

forgot to bid

I don't doubt that at all. I flew with a pilot that had been furloughed from CAL and in one of his last trips he flew with a gem of a Captain who wanted to show him how he had picked up 97 hours of flying (all straight pay fwiw) on his schedule. The Captain was so proud of himself.

Good luck to the pilots of UCAL that get it and will one day push out the old CAL guard:

finis72

Buzz, I think the different pay for the same trip goes back in time to when Delta was consistently growing. The idea was a reserve got paid whether he flew or not and a regular only got paid if he flew, The reserve got paid on off days etc. etc. I'm sure Alfa,Slow or PG could shed more light on the history of this. I know when I was on reserve it bothered me.

1234

Hammer,

Please explain how this is effectively selling their vacations? They are not working over their vacation.

johnso29

So how are they selling their vacation then?

tsquare

65000...... heeeeeey

tsquare

The key is the word "effectively" You said it yourself, they are not working over their vacation.. but more to the point, they are getting paid for their days off, not getting paid to take those days off.

TOGA LK

I bet Alaska starts hiring soon. Delta is turning into a west bound train wreck. Can't wait to see a few thousand more po'ed pilots watching their QOL go away to another code share.

Meanwhile, CAL opened a 737 LAX base.

Ferd149

I wonder how many of the old 747-200 guys, who got displaced out of SEA years ago to ANC, only to come back to SEA on the A330 there are? I doubt those guys will follow the plane and will just displace back to the ER, assuming they can handle the pay cut (knowing they will now HAVE to work to 65 even if they weren't going to before - big if I know). Anyway, if they blow up the SEA A330 base it will be a mess all down the west coast.

Ferd

PS Talked to a United guy commuting home from LAX Saturday. Guess they have put in a mail room for the CAL 737 guys with a locked door..........so the United guys won't do anything to the scabs boxes. He said there are a few (and they knew who they are) when I asked if they wouldn't be too old for the 737.