Delta Pilots March Through Atlanta Airport

[ClarabelleCowFan]

I doubt the pilots will strike but if they do and all Delta flights cease then your tickets will be good on an availability basis on other airlines for the same routing. Basically you will fly "standby" so the best thing to do is get to the airport in time for the earliest possible flight and get your name on the list and wait.

We were stranded at the Disneyland Hotel when Braniff airlines declared bankruptcy and abruptly stopped flying. Eastern Airlines flew us back stand by home to Orlando on the day of our ticketed departure. It didn't cost us any extra money at all.

I am a Gold Medallion member on Delta and I would hate to see them go under since they are the major carrier out of my home airport. If they do then another airline will step in and cover the routes eventually. As far as the frequent flyer miles I have in my account, well, they will be lost if Delta goes under. I really hope that doesn't happen.

 

[bicker]

I doubt the pilots will strike

This cannot be emphasized enough. The American judiciary has decided, on two occasions in the recent past, to take a major, legacy airline's financial burdens onto the American taxpayers, rather than allowing that airline to cease operations. There is absolutely no reason to think they won't do something as draconian this time to ensure that DL continues to fly.

but if they do and all Delta flights cease then your tickets will be good on an availability basis on other airlines for the same routing.

This cannot be deemphasized enough. This is simply not anything worth relying on. Airlines are operating at such high capacity today that experts speculate that even if passengers were amenable to the first option offered in each case, it would still take a number of days to get all the DL passengers home from where they would be stranded. Timely and efficient accommodation of all those passengers on both outbound and return flights is not a reasonable expectation.

Beyond that, what you're describing isn't free. The airlines are to charge an extra $50-$100 (depending on who you ask) for the privilege of having your DL ticket accepted for stand-by accommodation in the manner you suggest. The other airlines would be motivated to sell that empty space before practically giving it away. There will surely be people willing to go to the top of the reaccommodation list, willing to pay $20, $50, $100, $200 more, and the law is written to support that.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

I doubt the pilots will strike

The tentative agreement for the second major paycut since 9/11 passed by only 400 votes. Company payments to the retirement plans stopped last July and pensions seem likely to be dumped on Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Preferred stock removed from pilots 401ks and replaced by common stock.

But mostly, if it seemed like MGT was trustworthy, the pilots would be sure to support them. Pilots had agreed to paycuts in the last recession that were supposed to be returned with increased revenue. When revenue did increase, Delta MGT reneged on agreement and said "A contract is a contract". BUt that didn't stop them from demanding paycuts when revenue went down.

When MGT moves money from funds earmarked to make disability payments for all employees and uses it for multimillion dollar retention bonuses it seems they are only concerned with the very highest earners with stratospheric salaries and benefits.

It truly seems to me as if MGT is deliberately trying to antagonize the pilots and blame some major restructuring on the pilots. SUch as liquidating and then some company buying assets or a merger.

Didn't some of the Kodak board buy parts of the old company and go forward as a new company. And weren't they then sued for understating the value?

Seems like something is going on and just wondering what it will turnout to be.

Also wondering if the whole thing will become moot with a pandemic fear depressing travel for a couple years.

My smartest friend thinks the last airline standing will be kept on life support like the railroads.

Bicker, do you have any inside info on the industry you can tell us?

 

[bicker]

No, sorry. The best info I've got comes from the industry news wires and blogs.

Regarding your list of union grievances: How is any of that different from United Airlines?

 

[PlutoPony]

The topic of a potential strike at Delta is NOT being widely discussed in the Delta forum on Flyertalk.... that would make me think that frequent fliers don't view this as a significant risk in the short term.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

Both major airlines facing the same issues but United pilots that i know don't feel that they have been lied to again and again by MGt. Doesn't seem bitter at American. Doesn't seem bitter at SW either. Haven't talked to NW friends in awhile so don't know there. Continental not bitter now either. Just know a lot of pilots and flight attendants at most of the airlines.

Flying Southwest in May instead of Delta. To Orlando!

 

[lauren0309]

Delta is going to court with the pilots on April 15. Are they still in negotiation to try to settle before they go to court? If the contract is thrown out do pilots go on strike immediately?

 

[lauren0309]

Delta Pilots to Wrap Up Strike Vote

By HARRY R. WEBER
The Associated Press
Monday, April 3, 2006; 3:28 PM

ATLANTA -- As Delta Air Lines Inc. pilots were preparing to wrap up a strike authorization vote, a bankruptcy court judge Monday gave the company permission to void millions of stock options.

The pilot votes were to be tallied after polling closes at midmorning Tuesday. If approved, union leaders would be able to set a strike date, but that doesn't mean a strike would necessarily be imminent.

At issue is the Atlanta-based company's request to throw out its contract with its 5,930 pilots so it can impose up to $325 million in long-term pay and benefit cuts, which would include a wage reduction of at least 18 percent.

The pilots union has said it will strike if its contract is voided. An arbitration panel must decide on the company's contract rejection request by April 15.

Delta's pilots previously agreed to $1 billion in annual concessions, including a 32.5 percent wage cut, in a five-year deal in 2004. But Delta, which has imposed pay cuts on other employees, said it needs more from its pilots after filing for bankruptcy protection in September.

So far, there has been little movement toward a consensual deal, though both sides have met at least twice since arbitration hearings in Washington ended March 23. The union plans picketing this week at airports serving Atlanta, Boston, Cincinnati, Dallas, New York and Los Angeles.

Company spokesman Bruce Hicks declined Monday to update the status of negotiations, except to say it still hopes to reach an agreement with its pilots. Hicks said talk of the strike authorization vote isn't affecting operations, though he wouldn't say how it might be affecting flight bookings.

"Our customers continue to book Delta with confidence," Hicks said. "Our operations remain unaffected by the union's activities."

Several messages seeking comment left for the chairman of the union's executive committee, Lee Moak, were not returned.

Meanwhile, in bankruptcy court Monday in New York, Judge Adlai Hardin gave Delta permission to void roughly 93 million stock options held by 70,000 current and former employees and directors.

The company had said the options, if exercised, would provide little to no real value, making the $305,000 a year it costs the airline to maintain, account for and administer the benefit an unnecessary burden on Delta.

The judge also granted a request by Delta's bankruptcy trustee to postpone consideration of fee payments for the airline's lawyers and consultants. The payment requests, totaling $43.6 million for the first 4 1/2 months of the airline's bankruptcy case, will be taken up at a hearing on May 1.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

No. It is considered unlikely that the pilots will strike.

I don't think that is true for Delta pilots any longer.

The last tentative agreement passed by only 400 votes.

The strike authorization was 95% which is incredibly high for Delta pilots.

The pilots realize that if they strike and lose their Delta jobs that they will probably never fly again. So to vote for a strike authorization means not just a loss of a job but the loss of a career of a lifetime. Yet they still overwhelmingly voted for strike authorization.

If the Disboards allowed bets i would bet $500 that they are going to strike if their contract is voided.

 

[bicker]

If I gambled, I'd take that bet.

 

[mickman1962]

"Delta pilots currently earn an average of $169,393 a year, according to a company bankruptcy court filing. The document says the figure is a projection based on year-to-date actual earnings by people employed throughout last year and up to Sept. 16 of this year. It does not include proposed pilot pay rate reductions. Junior pilots make considerably less, while senior pilots can make more. The type of aircraft a pilot flies factors into the pay scale."

"The company wants $325 million in new concessions from its pilots, which would include a 19.5% pay cut. The pilots union has proposed $90.7 million in average annual concessions over 4 years, which would include a 9% pay cut effective Dec. 1 to last for seven months, followed by 7% for six months, then 5% thereafter."

from here

http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051114/BUSINESS05/511140330/1018

\my heart bleeds for the pilots. I've taken over a 20% pay cut since 9/11.
\\my best friend is a captain for United
\\\I'm flying Delta on 4-8 and 4-15

 

[sara74]

Following all these threads with interest as we are flying Delta (Song) on 4/20 anfd 4/29 out of JFK. If the unimaginable happens then I will be eternally grateful for the DVD player in our minivan - that I thought was a waste of $ and I will buy a portable potty and we will drive our happy little tushies down to WDW! I can imagine a drive down that would be fun and filled with anticipation but I can't stand the thought of a drive back home!

 

[snowbunny]

At issue is the Atlanta-based company's request to throw out its contract with its 5,930 pilots so it can impose up to $325 million in long-term pay and benefit cuts, which would include a wage reduction of at least 18 percent.

....

Delta's pilots previously agreed to $1 billion in annual concessions, including a 32.5 percent wage cut, in a five-year deal in 2004. But Delta, which has imposed pay cuts on other employees, said it needs more from its pilots after filing for bankruptcy protection in September.

I fail to see how Delta pilots in this situation can be characterized as "greedy." I'd love to know how many people who have a tiny clue as to the amount of responsibility involved in flying, say, an MD-80 with a couple of hundred people on it, would happily give up 50% of their pay to do that so that management can continue to burn up oil flying people from Logan to Florida for $89.

 

[mickman1962]

I fail to see how Delta pilots in this situation can be characterized as "greedy." I'd love to know how many people who have a tiny clue as to the amount of responsibility involved in flying, say, an MD-80 with a couple of hundred people on it, would happily give up 50% of their pay to do that so that management can continue to burn up oil flying people from Logan to Florida for $89.

My best friend has flown for United for the last 20 years, so I am well aware of the responsibility/commitment of pilots. What you are forgettting is that Delta pilots, even after their pay cuts, are the highest paid pilots in an industry that is in economic trouble. Let them walk from their jobs and see what the current supply and demand (as there are thousands of furloughed pilots who would love to fly again) will get them for a salary. And oh yeah, at a new company you will start at the bottom again. Let's hope for their and their families sake they don't cut off there nose despite their face.