forgot to bid

I have to agree with daldude in that this seniority list will continue to shrink. By my count, and this is going back to June, we have about 1335 pilots on NBC, 683 are NBC SIC and 403 are MIL and 249 furlough.

If every one of those MIL pilots came back over the next year then there is no need to hire. I don't know how many of the SIC guys will come back and I assume none of the furlough guys at this point.

I think this airline will shrink and carry fat in case things turn around. I just feel like this is 2008 without the shock. The economy is day to day projections more than it used to be.

People ask are we hiring? I don't think "they" know what they need but if you look at the numbers I think we can carry the load next year without hiring and assuming the economy will remain on it's current path of nothingness.

TenYearsGone

Here is the solution:

1)High Pay//AWESOME work rules//Job Security//Proud Retirement
This allows type A, go getters to want to become an Airline Pilot

2)Delta starts an Ab Initio or College training program. THe Candidate then is trained to Delta standards from day one and viewed/critiqued. Weeded out or developed.

3) This candidate then starts their Delta career as a 70-100 seater FO which is directly connected to Delta Mainline, seniority/company wise. So the newhire, Military retiree and AbInitio Candidate start their career with the smallest aircraft at Delta.

4) No more worries about pilot shortage. As far as the DCI carriers go, afford the willing DCI pilots with a seniority number at mainline. Give them longevity for pay and allow them to bid whatever aircraft they can hold (rather than the smallest aircraft Delta has) on the day of their flowup date.

5) No more issues. This is how Lufthansa does it, I think!

TEN

Superdad

My thoughts on reserve pilots as dictated to ALPA in the survey. Feel free to cut and paste:

With regard to reserve pilots, there is no need for a reserve pilot to be on call 18 days a month when the company is very good at ensuring that he will only fly 70 hrs. Reserves should get the same credit for a trip flown that the line holder would get. I would like to see a system where by a reserve pilot is guaranteed, or at least given the option, to have long call on his first day of reserve after an X day. Reserve pilots in an international category should be given double credit for each 24 hr short call assignment. This rule should apply especially in bases where there is very little international flying, such as MSP 7ER. Reserve pilots should get a higher guarantee, at least 75 hrs.

forgot to bid

If the question is what does Delta think we are worth then I think the answer is clear, even at our current rates they are tripping over themselves to hand flying over to Alaska and GoJets.

I go to the weather channel website and there is a banner ad with a Delta Con E175 touting the fact it now has internet. The headline was something just because it's smaller doesn't mean it has to be less quality or something. I can't remember, I didn't capture a screen shot on it.

But there ya go, we're all the same.

forgot to bid

I don't mind any of this, and I'm okay with 75 hours. I'm not okay with a SWA 78 hours. In that situation you can reduce every 9th pilot on reserve. I think they can eat 75.

Bucking Bar

After an arrival in the hours after the horse shoe closes, my Captain stated, "I'd pay $1,000 to be the guy who gets to blow this place up" (referencing the authorized demolition).

Got me thinking, the way Delta seeks revenue from it's employees FCFL tickets, pass fees, $5 to see your 1099 form, etc. ... why not raffle the destruction of the terminal in Kennedy. Why pay a demolition crew when pilots would pay their money to tear it down?

The saucer is one heck of a piece of cantilevered concrete. If it was used the way it was originally designed to be used, it would be very cool.
As a child I remember catching TWA's new 747's out of the now Jet Blue terminal. Hardly seems like the same airport anymore.

forgot to bid

Did you know most of our married 777 pilots are actually [bat for the other team]? I didn't know that.

forgot to bid

I'm just trying to see if Scambo is really "busy" or just trying not to post.

Bucking Bar

Actually kind of interesting. These ladies were just beautiful.

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/pan-am/...rdesses/part-1

The Real Stewardesses Of Pan Am - Pan Am - ABC.com

buzzpat

I agree completely! Reserve should not be a huge pay cut v. regular. I vacillate between both frequently and reserve months always present a financial challenge. I think ATL-based guys can make up some of the difference but us out here in the hinterlands are not as fortunate. 75 hour min guarantee is an absolute for this next contract. I'd like to see 78-80 personally. Secondly, two pilots flying the same rotation should get the same credit, period! Finally, some sort of credit for short call. Currently, its a mish-mosh with schedulers having way too much latitude and no accountability.

That's all, back to the survey.