John Carr

The way (the new) UA does it is mostly a holdover from the S-CAL method of paying for accommodation and per diem in training. Pretty sure that even on contract 2000 as well as the 2007/08 era at UAL, hotel wasn't provided.

At the old CAL, a new hire could make more in training when counting the per diem than when they hit the line if they weren't breaking guaranty. Toss in the no health insurance for the first 6 months. Pretty sure a new hire at (the new) UAL gets insurance right away, which if I'm not mistaken S-UAL paid for insurance right away as well.

I can't remember the concessionary rate, but the 2007-8 new hires at UAL were under a 30ish/hr rate, as well as no hotel provided. But not certain. Whereas NW (DAL North) was provided hotel in training.

I believe that FedEx doesn't provide hotel AT ALL to new hires.

But I would agree with ANYBODY that it's a messed up/absurd concept that professional pilots at a legacy airline AREN'T provided with accommodation during new hire training.

tsquare

I guess that is a fair point... to a point. You said yourself, it has zero to do with the contract. Instead of trying to convince all of us that it is chicken****, why don't you try to convince management? I get the frustration of your post, but bringing it up and interjecting the contract, even viscerally, is a total non sequitur. And as someone else said, I doubt seriously that it will keep pilots from coming to DAL.

cni187

Dude get a crash pad. I paid $200 for a nice bed in a nice townhome in college park for the month I was in training. I also rode the MARTA bus down Virginia Ave every day to training. Suck it up.

TenYearsGone

Correct.

I also tend to believe, as the need for pilots increase and the pool becomes dry because the pilots are choosing UAL or AA (or a different profession), Delta will have to sweeten the pot for the future new hires. Higher pay, hotels and per-diem will have to be the sugar to attract.

TEN

ShyGuy

It was $29.97/hr and no medical bennies for 6 months.

e6bpilot

I don't think anyone is saying that they aren't going to pony up the money for a crash pad, just that the company should. Just about any other industry pays expenses during mandated training away from home. There are just enough hungry pilots out there that nobody is going to turn away a lucrative career with what is considered the top tier legacy airline over a hotel and some ramen noodles.

MrBojangles

even the lowly regional I worked for paid for my hotel for 2 months through my entire training. it's laughable that one of the biggest and best airlines in the world can't do that.

Check Essential

It's not likely to change. Two reasons:

1) Management bean counters do not like to pay pilots one penny more than necessary. New pilots are just happy to have been hired and they pay for the crash pad with very little complaining so the company figures why should we pay it?

2) Even among the pilots in management, its the old, "We all had to pay when we got hired, so why should this generation of new guys be any different?"

Its kinda weird. The same Delta captains who think its OK to have new hires spring for a crash pad in training would never let a probie pay for a beer on a layover.

An old Atlanta thing I guess.
(also remember in your interview: If the guy asks you how to spell dogs, it's "Dawgs".)

buzzpat

...and its Delta Air Lines, not Airlines.

SVA402

HEY don't tell people! I'm banking on some people screwing that up! Haha