DAL/NWA: It's Official

[PCL_128]

There is always disagreement between half of the membership and the MEC at NWA. Hell, half of the NWA MEC doesn't even like the other half of the MEC! Always been that way, always will be. It's divided along domicile lines a lot of the time.

[PCL_128]

Originally Posted by Velocipede

The Delta guys have been more than reasonable up until now. The NWA guys did the initial "USAir East" grab for seniority

I disagree.

[Velocipede]

Originally Posted by PCL_128

I disagree.

Well, maybe I read it wrong, but it seems the NWA SLI proposal would have essentially stapled 2500 DAL guys to the bottom of the list while protecting "their" widebody seats.

[PCL_128]

None of the SLI proposals from either side have been made public. My guess is that they never will be. There were several proposals made by both sides. Both sides made mistakes, both sides had faults in their SLI proposals, and both sides didn't play the political game very well. Despite the conventional wisdom, the NWA MEC is not satan incarnate, and DALPA is not the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The truth is somewhere in the middle.

[SoCalAprch]

Well now that they got the important stuff worked out like whether they will use NWA's World Traveler Magazine or Delta's Sky Magazine its time to get to the less important things like list integration and what hubs will remain...

[SmoothLanderJ]

Originally Posted by SoCalAprch

Well now that they got the important stuff worked out like whether they will use NWA's World Traveler Magazine or Delta's Sky Magazine its time to get to the less important things like list integration and what hubs will remain...

Well being that i'm MEM based, I sure hope it stays open......

[kellwolf]

Originally Posted by SmoothLanderJ

Well being that i'm MEM based, I sure hope it stays open......

MEM has something going for it. During the off push time, it looks like a friggin ghost town. It's darn near three concourses of empty gates. They've already said no hubs will be closing (for now,) and I'm a firm believer of using MEM as a reliever hub for ATL. Move some of that traffic slightly north and west, and you decrease some of the congestion in ATL.

[MQAAord]

There's no way that DTW, CVG, and MEM can possibly all continue to exist as hub cities. There's just too many, too close.

At least one of them, if not two, will cease to exist as base/hub cities within 4-5 years if this merger goes through.

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by MQAAord

There's no way that DTW, CVG, and MEM can possibly all continue to exist as hub cities. There's just too many, too close.

At least one of them, if not two, will cease to exist as base/hub cities within 4-5 years if this merger goes through.

Doubt it'd be DTW!

[Kristie]

let's not even go there.....it's just better not to think that far yet.

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by Kristie

let's not even go there.....it's just better not to think that far yet.

True. But was just simply stating that because DTW has alot of O&D traffic!

[PCL_128]

Yeah, DTW won't be going anywhere. CVG is at risk in a few years, and MEM probably too. But it will be at least a couple of years before they consider eliminating bases. Too many political implications of doing it sooner than that.

[Bluto]

Originally Posted by PCL_128

If the intent of DALPA was to craft a framework for the future combined list and joint contract, there were many things they could have done to get the support of the NWA pilots in that endeavor. Instead, they didn't even speak to the NWA pilots about their side deal until it was already made.

PCL, you're talking an awful lot here and it appears to me that you're working with some inaccurate information.

The MEC's had numerous meetings regarding the merger. Why should both groups waste time trying to come up with another group deal after the merger was announced when it was clear they wouldn't find common ground on the SLI issue beforehand? I don't see how the deal DAL pilots made with their own company, after failing to come to an agreement with the NW MEC, is any of NW's business.

I'm glad the Delta MEC did what it could for their own pilots. I hope the NW MEC is able to do something for theirs. If not, they had a chance to negotiate. If they thought they could keep this deal from happening until they got the SLI they wanted, it's clear they were mistaken. I would hope that they would have learned the cost of inflexibility regarding seniority from the USairways debacle. I hope they do better if it goes to arbitration, but what they were asking for, from all accounts, was an unreasonable windfall at the expense of the Delta pilots. I would have preferred to see an amicable relationship, but not at the cost of giving away the farm.

[Bluto]

Originally Posted by Velocipede

Well, maybe I read it wrong, but it seems the NWA SLI proposal would have essentially stapled 2500 DAL guys to the bottom of the list while protecting "their" widebody seats.

That's along the lines of what I've heard as well. We'll probably never know, but I'd rather take my chances with arbitration than take what NWA is rumored to have wanted.

[Seggy]

Originally Posted by kellwolf

MEM has something going for it. During the off push time, it looks like a friggin ghost town. It's darn near three concourses of empty gates. They've already said no hubs will be closing (for now,) and I'm a firm believer of using MEM as a reliever hub for ATL. Move some of that traffic slightly north and west, and you decrease some of the congestion in ATL.

Sounds like PIT a few years ago.

It was suppose to be the 'reliever' hub of PHL.

Honestly, I would much rather see a legacy get liquidated rather than have some of these legacies merge.

[SmoothLanderJ]

Originally Posted by kellwolf

MEM has something going for it. During the off push time, it looks like a friggin ghost town. It's darn near three concourses of empty gates. They've already said no hubs will be closing (for now,) and I'm a firm believer of using MEM as a reliever hub for ATL. Move some of that traffic slightly north and west, and you decrease some of the congestion in ATL.

That all makes pretty good sense, I hope it works out that way. O, and I agree with Max, I dont think DTW is going anywhere.

[H46Bubba]

Does MEM have internation flights? I know Ed Bastian said yesterday that they wanted to begin flying CVG-NRT since Toyota is one of the big companies here in the tri-state area, as well as increasing flights to Europe.

[PeanuckleCRJ]

MEM has a daily AMS flight as well as some carribbean stuff and CUN.

[PCL_128]

Peanuckle, I swear you can find some of the weirdest avatars.

[Velocipede]

Amen, bro.