Delta pilots strike? Anyone heard this also?

[leavnofingerprints]

My BIL is a pilot for Delta. There is an excellent possibility for either a strike or a lockout. The Pilots are tired of having to work twice as much for half the pay and benefits while those exec's in the ivory palace keep making more money.

He told me I made a good decision when I booked my flights on Airtran.

Does that tell you something?:(

 

Hope you've got insurance!:eek:

Aubie

 

Oh great! I'm booked on Delta the middle of next month. If it comes to it, we can always drive instead.

 

LNF

[leavnofingerprints]

Can't figure out how Delta is so far in debt, checked them for our flights last week and they wanted $1085 per person, roundtrip, coach class to fly from Cinti to Ft Lauderdale. Checked Airtran and payed $208 per person, roundtrip to fly from Indianapolis to Ft Lauderdale. While driving to Indy I just kept saying "I saved over $1600, I can go on another cruise". It's Airtran for me from now on, Delta can keep there Skymiles that can never be used and they unfair rates to the people in Cincinnati because they have a hub here!

 

That's very odd to me however I don't pretend to understand the airline industry. All I know is that I have 2 adult round trip tickets to FLL out of Buffalo (the choice of many of us in southern Ont.) via Cincinnati....the total cost in Canadian dollars is $586. Something's missing here.:confused:

 

LNF

[leavnofingerprints]

We're booked on Song for April 17th. Hope things are settled by then and the planes are flying. If they do strike, am I able to get a full refund?

 

It depends on how you paid and if you used a credit card, which one. I purposely called the company first and asked if I'll get a full refund if the company goes into bankruptcy and was guaranteed I would. But - not all credit cards offer the same protection.

 

LNF

[broncoz1]

Im on Delta to Orlando in June, hope this all gets worked out....

[madisonms]

Does anyone know how the pilots of Delta's regional carriers (ASA, Freedom Airlines, etc) are affected? Are they under a different contract and therefore wouldn't be affected by the Delta pilots situation?

 

Curious to know that.

[PAGA]

There is also a discussion of this on the "cruise air" message board. Someone posted an article from the Miami Herald today -- here is an excerpt that suggests that everyone with flights in March should be ok (barring a sick-out or the like be used as a negotiation tactic):

 

 

"The arbitrators will hold two weeks of hearings starting March 13 to decide whether to grant Delta's request to throw out its contract with its pilots so the airline can impose up to $325 million in cuts unilaterally. The union is currently offering about $115 million in average annual concessions."

[Aubiecruiser]

Delta NEVER owned ASA - ASA ending up as Independence Air when it left as a United Express carrier and they folded up on Jan 5.

 

 

Not that it really matters, but I think you need to be informed. Delta certainly was the owner of ASA (Atlantic Southeast Airlines) until Delta sold it to Skywest. It has never been a part of United and still operates today as Atlantic Southeast.

Aubie

Atlantic Southeast Airlines

Atlantic Southeast Airlines, was founded in June 1979. Its first flight was from Columbia to Atlanta. Atlantic Southeast Airlines is an airlines based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc. All flights are operated as Delta flights with a 4000-series flight number. ASA operates nearly 900 flights each day from its hubs at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC). ASA also operates from Cincinnati, Ohio and Orlando, Florida.

 

It has more than 900 flights a day from over 120 airports in 38 U.S.States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

 

Atlantic Southeast Airlines has flights to following destinations across the world.

 

[airboss]

Delta NEVER owned ASA - ASA ending up as Independence Air when it left as a United Express carrier and they folded up on Jan 5.

I'm sorry to tell you this, buy ASA was a WHOLLY owned subsidary by Delta. I believe from 1999-2005, when Skywest bought ASA for $425 Million.

Independence Air is now gone, and ASA has a few of their old CRJ's but those were owned by GE Capital, not Independence.

[JudyOh]

leavnofingerprints - it is because Cincinnati is a Delta hub and has no competition. We have driven to Dayton, Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville and Lexington to save several hundred dollars per person when flying on Delta. And the best part is we drive to another city, get on a Delta flight and fly to Cincinnati and get off that flight onto another Delta flight. I was told by a reservationist that they can ask anything they want in Cincy because there is no competition. It always seemed to me that since they had to handle me and my luggage twice instead of once it would cost them more, but flights were always cheaper in the other cities even when flying back to Cincy and changing planes. Maybe that's is why they are going bankrupt. Even large companies in Cincy quit flying their people out of Cincy. So they made less money and double handled people and luggage because they could get more money for flights directly out of Cincy. It's never made any sense to us that live in Cincy, but that is the way it has been for many years. See where it got them.:o

[geniseg_2000]

I'm now in freak out mode :confused:

 

I'm booked on Song May 12th. My travel agent called me the other day and said they cancelled our flight time and had to rebook for another time. I'm already nervous about flying to begin with, now I have to deal with the stress of not even having a flight to be nervous about.

 

I knew this trip was going a bit to smooth considering this will be our first EVER vacation.

[Aubiecruiser]

I'm now in freak out mode :confused:

 

I'm booked on Song May 12th. My travel agent called me the other day and said they cancelled our flight time and had to rebook for another time. I'm already nervous about flying to begin with, now I have to deal with the stress of not even having a flight to be nervous about.

 

I knew this trip was going a bit to smooth considering this will be our first EVER vacation.

 

Alright, sit down and take a few deep breaths.

Now, don't worry about flying and don't worry about strikes. If it happens, you'll have plenty of time to make alternate travel plans. The first thing I'd make sure of is that you have travel insurance (it's worth the low cost to get a policy) and make your plans to fly down a day early. That way you always have options open to you. You can always book a decent hotel room cheap on priceline. 99% of the time, everything will work out fine, but always keep your options open in case of that unforseen circumstance.

Oh, and have a great vacation.

Aubie

[leavnofingerprints]

One other thing....don't put too much stock into schedule changes this early out. Mine keep changing all the time, so I'll wait until at least two weeks out before I get excited.

 

LNF

[CruzinMom05]

I am the original poster....so if I booked Delta which is using Chautauqua Airlines as the carrier, does that exclude them in the strike? Not too experienced in this. Gosh I hope not! It's getting so you want to just drive everywhere. My hubby won't though. That's the problem. This is a surprise trip for him and I don't want it ruined! I paid a lot of money for the tickets and could have gone a cheaper route, but thought I was going with a "reputable" airline since I just had trouble with both United and Continental.

[airboss]

I am the original poster....so if I booked Delta which is using Chautauqua Airlines as the carrier, does that exclude them in the strike? Not too experienced in this. Gosh I hope not! It's getting so you want to just drive everywhere. My hubby won't though. That's the problem. This is a surprise trip for him and I don't want it ruined! I paid a lot of money for the tickets and could have gone a cheaper route, but thought I was going with a "reputable" airline since I just had trouble with both United and Continental.

 

If you are on Chautaqua, techinally, you are not flying Delta, just Delta Connection.....IF there was a strike, you should not be affected because they are a different company, with seperate airplanes, pilots, and management.

[taraandsean]

I am interested in this topic and read a few of the posts and I am wondering if we should be worried about our flights? We are flying song on march 9 from San Fran to NY and then on the 14th from NY to fll. Are they canceling lots of flights or what is going on at this point?

[hdawson]

Check you flights and times with the airline involved.

[taraandsean]

I have checked them but I dont want to have them planning to strike the day before my flights and not be prepared. i payed 103.00 one way to n.y and am hoping not to have to book another flight for 600.00

[ERsecurity]

They are in arbitration. They must make a decision by April 15. See http://www.ajc.com The Atlanta Journal Constitution. They have all the latest on Delta.

[airboss]

Delta Air Lines' pilot union has scheduled a strike authorization vote, which would allow union leaders to call a walkout if its contract is voided by a U.S. bankruptcy judge.

The balloting will begin Monday and conclude April 4.

 

 

The two sides agreed to send the dispute to a three-person arbitration panel if a tentative agreement was not reached by Wednesday.

The panel is scheduled to start hearings on March 13 in Washington.

The panel has until April 15 to render its decision, which will be binding.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060303/BIZ01/603030375/1076

[dougp26364]

It depends on how you paid and if you used a credit card, which one. I purposely called the company first and asked if I'll get a full refund if the company goes into bankruptcy and was guaranteed I would. But - not all credit cards offer the same protection.

 

LNF

 

What matters more than what someone on the phone tells you is what's written in your benefits pamplet with the CC company. I'd ask for it in writting rather than to rely on what someone who's probably paid an hourly wage tells you. Chances are, they don't realy know.

[Bcoll]

Please tell me this will not happen...I have a group of 25 people flying to Europe the second week in April.

 

Oh, the heaache of planning is over, now the headache of worrying has begun.