Question for Delta guys (new hire)

DTW-NYC is very manageable (I did EWR-DTW as a new hire) plus you will accrue seniority much faster in NYC than ATL. The 73 and 75 are certainly nice airplanes but don't rule out the 320 and the 717 which also have DTW bases. If DTW is your goal, go with the aircraft that will get you back there the fastest and let the other details work themselves out. Speaking from experience (4 aircraft in less than 5 yrs!) great schedules and bidding flexibility trump cool airplanes 100% of the time when pay is similar. The 2nd year pay differences between them are relatively small and would not factor into my decision but YMMV. You can always bid off a certain type when the time is right. Speaking from experience bidding something just because you can when the seat lock expires has potential for regret...many new hires do it and later wish they hadn't.
 
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Once your hat looks like this, it doesn't matter what else you wear. Old salty is sexy!
 
Cptnchia said:
View attachment 31648 View attachment 31649 Once your hat looks like this, it doesn't matter what else you wear. Old salty is sexy!
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Reminds me of when I told the FO that generally the pilot monitoring will conduct a top of climb PA and update the arrival times.

He said, hilariously, "I'm not paid to do PA's, I'm paid to fly"

"Welp, I guess you're doing some of those free PA's this rotation. I've got the radio"
 
How about SLC or CVG for new hires? Any chance of getting assigned there, or are they generally senior bases?
 
Cav said:
My new hire sim partner during Maddog school made it to CVG in less than 9 months. Writing is on the wall for CVG though.
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I'm afraid the same is true for SLC. How can Delta justify keeping SLC, LAX and SEA?
 
jtrain609 said:
I'm afraid the same is true for SLC. How can Delta justify keeping SLC, LAX and SEA?
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"The Powers that Be" mentioned in In Command is it's strategic importance is because of the mountain west, additionally space constraints at LAX. Additionally, it's a very profitable base.
 
Derg said:
"The Powers that Be" mentioned in In Command is it's strategic importance is because of the mountain west, additionally space constraints at LAX. Additionally, it's a very profitable base.
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And what aboot Minnedianapolis?
 
Derg said:
I have a feeble memory at times, but relative stasis for the time being if not modest growth. There are a lot of corporate HQ's with heavy international webs that couple with the Skyteam network.
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MSP's problem is that it's a a sr fNWA base that is growing little if at all. On the jr end, the problem is perhaps worse because there has been a massive influx of new hires that live there or want to move there. It might be more stagnant than ATL long term. Hard to say but a slow climb at both for sure. If you want MSP, know what you are buying, because it likely isn't changing soon. Just my humble .02.
 
Cav said:
MSP's problem is that it's a a sr fNWA base that is growing little if at all. On the jr end, the problem is perhaps worse because there has been a massive influx of new hires that live there or want to move there. It might be more stagnant than ATL long term. Hard to say but a slow climb at both for sure. If you want MSP, know what you are buying, because it likely isn't changing soon. Just my humble .02.
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Aint that the truth.
 
Cav said:
MSP's problem is that it's a a sr fNWA base that is growing little if at all. On the jr end, the problem is perhaps worse because there has been a massive influx of new hires that live there or want to move there. It might be more stagnant than ATL long term. Hard to say but a slow climb at both for sure. If you want MSP, know what you are buying, because it likely isn't changing soon. Just my humble .02.
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That's pretty much it.

Most of the new guys I'm flying with escaped NYC, got to DTW and have jetway knife fights for that jumpseat to MSP.
 
Derg said:
That's pretty much it.

Most of the new guys I'm flying with escaped NYC, got to DTW and have jetway knife fights for that jumpseat to MSP.
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Anyone that voluntarily does the DTW-MSP commute is a fool. Every time I have to go to MSP, I end up two legging it. It commonly takes me as long, or longer, to two leg it to MSP in the jumpseat than it does to just hop on a flight in economy comfort to LAX.

I can either sit back, watch a movie, start some fights on the internet and take a dump, arriving in LAX refreshed and ready to start my trip, or I can have a stroke two legging it to MSP wondering if I'm going to get Doug Taylored at the last minute.
 
jtrain609 said:
Anyone that voluntarily does the DTW-MSP commute is a fool. Every time I have to go to MSP, I end up two legging it. It commonly takes me as long, or longer, to two leg it to MSP in the jumpseat than it does to just hop on a flight in economy comfort to LAX.

I can either sit back, watch a movie, start some fights on the internet and take a dump, arriving in LAX refreshed and ready to start my trip, or I can have a stroke two legging it to MSP wondering if I'm going to get Doug Taylored at the last minute.
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When I got the idea to leave 80% at EWR with a 1.5 hour drive at XJT, and try out being 25% in LAX but having to commute out to it, I wondered if it was an awful idea.

The very first day commuting out, it was New Year's day and it was tough to get on a jumpseat and I bumped some off-line guy and all of the galley jumpseats were full so if some mainline CAL guy walked up I was going to have to find a new way. I thought, great -- what have I gotten myself into?

Then every single commute after that, both ways, was a joke. I had the seniority to bid stuff that started on, say, a Tuesday, when the UA 757 had 100 seats open like it did every morning. Finished by 3:30PM in LAX? Back to EWR by midnight...just like how a trip out of EWR would finish anyway! But instead my TAFB was comprised of regional airline layovers such as the Hyatt Place Fisherman's Wharf, or downtown Seattle, or all-inclusive beach places in Mexico. And like you said, I'd have a nice nap time to and from work. Sure there was the occasional middle seat or sometimes back on a redeye but overall it was easy.

Definitely something to be said about going on a slightly longer commute to get much better schedule control and better flying.
 
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