DCI merging Wholly Owned CS to form RHS

[H46Bubba]

And it begins!anic:

Delta Announces Creation of Regional Handling Subsidiary
Comair, Mesaba and Compass Customer Services Teams To Transition

Today, Delta Air Lines is announcing plans to create Regional Handling Services (RHS), a wholly owned Delta subsidiary that will be responsible for oversight of Customer Services for Delta Connection. Today's news means that front-line and support functions currently handled by Comair's 2,600 Customer Services team members in the areas of gate, ramp, tower and baggage operations and support functions will transition to RHS -- along with Compass and Mesaba Customer Services teams -- as early as this fall.

RHS will assume responsibility for all airport ticket counter, gate and baggage handling services in approximately 100 primarily small- and medium-sized airports currently managed by Delta's wholly owned subsidiaries Comair and Mesaba.

Delta's new RHS team will be headquartered alongside Delta Connection in Minneapolis and will be led by Comair veteran Don Stephens. In addition to leading approximately 4,100 airport customer service employees from Comair, Compass and Mesaba, Don's team will also hold oversight of airport customer service functions for 170 airport locations handled by Delta Connection ground handling partners nationwide.

"Today's news obviously represents a big change in our airline's business platform, and one that will reduce our overall size by nearly half, from about 5,700 to 3,100 employees," President John Bendoraitis said in a memo to the Comair team. "As part of our Focus 2009 plan, I've talked extensively about our need to be cost-competitive. This move by Delta certainly supports those efforts to re-align our cost structure by putting us more on par with our competitors who do not have Customer Services as part of their infrastructure. It also enables us to focus solely on our core business of flying airplanes -- making sure we are the best airline

 

[surreal1221]

Oh my. . .a new subsidiary. . .yipee!! :crazy:

Best of luck

 

[Nick]

Today's news means that front-line and support functions currently handled by Comair's 2,600 Customer Services team members in the areas of gate, ramp, tower and baggage operations and support functions will transition to RHS -- along with Compass and Mesaba Customer Services teams -- as early as this fall.

I do not know about Mesaba but Compass does not employ customer service teams. It is all NWA mainline at every station.

I don't see how that is a transition as this paragraph says. You can't transition something that does not exist yet.

Sounds like a layoff of 2,600 Comair employees.

 

[kellwolf]

Maybe they'll do the same with ramp. Maybe then we won't be waiting 15 minutes in MSP and DTW for rampers to park us......

 

[JEP]

Maybe they'll do the same with ramp. Maybe then we won't be waiting 15 minutes in MSP and DTW for rampers to park us......

Not sure why, but Mesaba is always hiring rampers in Minny. It is a revolving door for that job. If I could get my schedule to work I would apply myself. I work my FT job 3 days a week and could always use the extra dough.

 

[kellwolf]

Not sure why, but Mesaba is always hiring rampers in Minny. It is a revolving door for that job. If I could get my schedule to work I would apply myself. I work my FT job 3 days a week and could always use the extra dough.

Working in that WX for the pay they have, I can see why it's a revolving door. Great in the summer, but come winter, hell no.

 

[JEP]

Working in that WX for the pay they have, I can see why it's a revolving door. Great in the summer, but come winter, hell no.

But the travel bennies........ All for the starting salary of $9.00 an hour. You have to park at the Humphrey terminal, catch the light rail over to Lindbergh, and then catch the train to the end of concourse C to punch in. They tell you to be at the HHH a min. of 30 mins prior to shift start....

 

[H46Bubba]

I do not know about Mesaba but Compass does not employ customer service teams. It is all NWA mainline at every station.

I don't see how that is a transition as this paragraph says. You can't transition something that does not exist yet.

Sounds like a layoff of 2,600 Comair employees.

Nope all Mesaba and Comair Customer service agents above and below wing, will be moved under the new company by this fall.

 

[sopdan]

Here's some more info...

Q. How many employees will RHS have?
A. Mesaba, Comair, and Compass currently have approximately 4,100 employees who handle Ground Operations/Customer Service (above and below wing agents), back-office and support functions such as training, safety and auditing. The company will be formed by the consolidation of Mesaba and Comair Airport Customer Service (ACS) frontline and support team members and Compass ACS support team members. Current breakdown is as follows:
Employees Staffed Locations
Comair: 2,600 39
Mesaba: 1,500 63
Compass: Fewer than 10 --
Total: Approx. 4,100 96 (six of these are co-located)
Number of brands currently providing services to: 4
Number of airlines currently handling: 17
Number of hub operations: 3 – CVG, DTW, MSP

Sounds like they're not laying people off, just spinning them off into RHS. If you were a gate agent for Mesaba, you will now be employed by RHS with your Mesaba pay rate and seniority date.

I wonder if they're going to keep Aramark services in MEM?

 

[Nick]

Nope all Mesaba and Comair Customer service agents above and below wing, will be moved under the new company by this fall.

That is a distinct difference between Compass and Mesaba and Comair then. I wonder if the Compass flights will be handled by RHS in the future, or the mainline employees. Stations such as BOS, EWR, PHL, JFK, LGA, MDW etc. are not going to lose mainline service.

 

[sopdan]

That is a distinct difference between Compass and Mesaba and Comair then. I wonder if the Compass flights will be handled by RHS in the future, or the mainline employees. Stations such as BOS, EWR, PHL, JFK, LGA, MDW etc. are not going to lose mainline service.

Stations that are mainline will remain mainline.

 

[H46Bubba]

Stations that are mainline will remain mainline.

I would also look for the RHS to take over outstions now served by DGS, even if it is also served by Delta mainline flights. I think DGS is going bye bye here soon.

 

[sopdan]

I would also look for the RHS to take over outstions now served by DGS, even if it is also served by Delta mainline flights. I think DGS is going bye bye here soon.

Q. What is the relationship between RHS and DAL Global Services (DGS)? ​

[FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]

A. RHS and DGS have complementary missions for Delta/Delta Connection. RHS’ primary focus is providing both airport customer contact and ramp services for regional aircraft in small to mid-size Delta Connection locations across the U.S. DGS typically provides ramp services to Delta mainline locations, and provides above wing handling to other airlines as well as a host of other services. RHS will be providing ticket counter, gate, ground and cleaning to the regional airline industry as well as provide services as a third party to other regional carriers. ​

[/FONT][/FONT]

 

[deadstick]

But the travel bennies........

Since they will now be employed by a new, non-airline company, will they still have them?

 

[kellwolf]

According to an article in the MSP paper, they're not looking at "involuntary lay offs." Just losses through attrition and early retirement packages.