DAL 88 Driver

Wow. Way to take something and reach an entirely inaccurate conclusion. I absolutely LOVE my job. I look forward to coming to work, and I truly enjoy the people here at Delta that I am privileged to work with. I hope we can get our profession back on track to some semblance of what most of us expected when we got into it... and then I can fade off into the cyber sunset, just enjoy what's left of my career, and quit posting on these boards and communicating with my reps. But until then, I will continue to advocate that we restore our profession and our careers. And I will hold whoever is representing me (us) to that standard.

I'll be 52 years old in September. While I have no doubt I could have made substantially better wages had I chosen another profession, it's too late for me to start over in another career and I happen to like the one I'm in very much. And I have NEVER said I could have made "10 times" my current wage and worked "half as much." Why are you being such a drama queen about this? Do you not get my point that we need very substantial increases to our pay and improvements to our scope to meet the expectations that most of us have for our careers and our families financial futures? Do you also not realize that a person can be dissatisfied with the current situation (which I think is absolutely ridiculous), focused on correcting it, and at the same time not be "miserable?" I'm really disappointed in you, T. That's Buzz Hazzard kind of stuff. I thought you were better than that.

Pineapple Guy

SWA a peer? You can say it, but that doesn't make it so, imo. Let's do a brief comparison:

Aircraft Categories (affects training costs)
SWA - 1
DAL - 8

Consecutive years of profitability
SWA - 38
DAL - 1

Number of times entity went bankrupt
SWA - 0
DAL - 1

International Operations
SWA - No
DAL - Yes

Network Carrier
SWA - No
DAL - Yes

CASM
SWA - about 6 cents I think
DAL - about 8 cents I think

401k
SWA - 9.3% match
DAL - 13% now, 14% next year -- no match required

The only similarities I see are 1) we both fly a version of the 737, and 2) eventually SWA will begin operations in ATL. But my best guess is that the AirTran employees will have a minimum of a 3 year transition to SWA pay, meaning our primary ATL competition really doesn't have higher pay rates, and likely won't for some time.

Columbia

So, what were the qualifications of the people who were supposedly let go?

DAL 88 Driver

Oh I can't wait for that "contract comparison" to come out! This is exactly what I expect to see... more rationalization for why we shouldn't be paid a lot more and more attempted management of expectations. We are doomed with DALPA at the wheel.

Columbia

Heck, with that comparison, it looks like mgmt can argue to lower pay.

Hawaii50

Those guys only fly little airplanes during daylight hours to easy domestic destinations. We should be making a lot more.

Hawaii50

Deleted. Wrong thread.

Pineapple Guy

Sorry for posting FACTS. Feel free to rebut with your own. You can leave the emotional responses at home.

Pineapple Guy

I don't know what the Chair of Strategic Planning said, but he IS a pretty sharp guy....not only handsome, but a powerful man. I could see the second he posted on here, he was someone to reckon with…

{name that movie}

Denny Crane

PG,

I don't usually get into these "discussions" but, my question back to you would be: How long would we actually be paid 40% more than the next highest carrier? With pattern bargaining and American and UCAL in negotiations right now, if we got a 40% premium, I don't think we'd be there long. If they come to an agreement before us we'll just have to see........

Denny