acl65pilot

Lots of good info will be coming out in the next few months.
Fact is the RJ 50 has a place. About 165 of them. Watch for them to be further reduced next year.
Freedom will be kept in court for the rest of their lives. DAL will not bring them back.

Fly4hire

Except we fly passengers, not numbers, and they vastly prefer a true NB cabin with real overhead space compared to a "jumbo shrimp" inflated, stretched RJ. I can't count the number of times pax in smaller stations have commented "thank God it's a regular airplane and not one of those little jets..."

There is also nothing out there now, in the quantities needed, to replace the immediately available, paid for 100-124 seat lift of the NWA's refurbed DC9's. How much gas could you buy and revenue be generated for the price of a fleet of E190's? Don't forget the refurbing of the DC9's was entirely RA's baby when he was at NWA and was considered by many a very good strategic move at the time. And yes the DC9 is still VOR nav, however many systems are way upgraded from even a few years ago. Like a Harley, it still gets you down the road in style even if it's not cutting edge

The DC9 is a good interim aircraft until someone develops and deploys a true NB cabin 100 seater. We need the lift now, and the DC9 will likely be used against AT to regain marketshare that they let go - ironically with DAL's old DC9's used against them.

Don't worry though - there will be plenty of former NWA pilots that will happily fly them out of ATL.

Fly4hire

While I wish no pilot ill will, it will be divine justice to hear them whine about how we are taking their jobs....

Bucking Bar

Fly4Hire:

Passengers say "thank God, it is a real airplane" but they don't think that way when they are on Orbitz searching for the cheapest fare. They pick the top line, or the top line that matches their reward VISA card (so they can fly for free).

The DC9 works in markets where there is no competition. Anywhere else, you need an super stretch RJ, or an E190. I've got a DC9 type, I would enjoy flying it and would consider bidding the left seat, but that isn't the point.

I re-ran the numbers and stand by my assertion that every DC9 parked in the desert replaced by an RJ puts $3,000,000 each year on the bottom line. That includes acquisition costs. Also, I'd rather not have Delta send all that money to Iran, Venezuela, or to any other ideological nut jobs with a penchant for killing us.

Like you, I am also eager to see a mainline 100 seater, but, with the way we have negotiated scope a 76 seater works fine for most applications. The first hint of bankruptcy, or other trouble, and management will beg to put the remaining 14 seats in those jets.

Boeing & Airbus see this and have abandoned the 100 to 150 seat market for this reason. A stretch RJ sells for about half a 737.

Fly4hire

It's not just a cost/benefit, it's also about "now". How quickly can you have 90 E190's on line to replace the DC9 you have to compete in today? I do not consider the Montreal sewer pipe a viable 100 seat replacement. The E-190 is viable, but orders are back logged. The 9's are available today.

I won't argue they are going to eventually be replaced, but with what is not as written in stone as conventional wisdom would suggest IMO

acl65pilot

That is great, but it needs to be on our property and not that of a DCI carrier.
With all of the 50's being parked they will be right at the limit on 76 seat jets real soon.
I am sure that we will be offered mid contract improvements to sell this scope again.

DAL4EVER

That will most likely come to pass and I hope that with the exception of Spliff who needs a raise, that most pilots will view this as a line of demarcation. We absolutely cannot sell scope for $15/hour. We need that flying done by us!

acl65pilot

Yes, we do. I would be willing to sit in the left seat of a CRJ-900 or C-90 for a little more than the DCI guys are making now. With the amount of block you get you could easily make 140K+ a year, plus your DC contribution.
Heck I know lots of DCI CA's that make well over 100K a year. With our duty regs and work rules, it would be a decent living.
For the life of me I cannot see why guys are willing to give their safety net away.

Bucking Bar

Yes but what about Mid Ex's new E170 flying under codeshare and Alaska's flying?

acl65pilot

I know, and the MEC is aware of the issue.
Fact is that many feel that the company as a whole will be CH 7 in a few months.
I do not think so, but it is hard to run a operation with nine jets.