micmath

Wow, i just checked out that website (first time ever). I read less thenthe first ten in the "Keep Delta My Delta" thread and gave up.

There are comments about how Delta employees have always been brainwashed by the management and how they've always been their own breed.

When I began working for Delta in 1988 people from other airlines were always very envious when they heard you worked for Delta. It was like you had bragging rights! I can't tell you how many times I was asked how I was able to get hired by Delta and how they tried to get a job with them. Yep, we were a breed of our own then and we still are today They'll never be able to understand our pride or take it away.

Can you imagine the internal battles between the two work groups if this thing passes. The philosophies are do completely different.

I feel sorry for their passengers and greatful to all of you that you are "ours"!! You're a breed of your own too

Daze

Yeah, union vs. non-union. (Except for pilots)

Personally, I think Parker is out of his mind to wade into this thicket.
Even after the millions are made on the merger, the combined company will still have to operate, and integrating the two workforces alone would be virtually impossible. Delta employees ARE different, they are the only major airline to be non-union. Regardless of how you come down in the FT debate on 'I love unions/I hate unions', it is easy to see it would be mixing oil and water.l

I suspect that all the other airlines are secretly laughing at this idea, even though they are officially looking at mergers themselves. Something like, "I'm glad they're taking on this fool's mission, and not us."

tkey75

How do we get our hands on those buttons? I'd proudly wear one.

micmath

Next time you travel ask somebody of they have extras at their station. IF they do I'm sure they happily give you one. If they don't have a button maybe they'd give you a sticker. Its the same size and shape as the button.

I'm going to put one on my luggage.

iCorpRoadie

Gate and Ticket Agents in SLC are wearing them. Not all but a few are. It is good to see. I wish i had one. I will have to ask when i leave the crown room if htey have any extra.

joshua-bwi

Waxing nostalagic my be good for morale of the customers or the pax but... the creditors don't give a damn. They want their money now. Not a promise of money later. The industry and the regulators needs consolidation. They (regulators) won't oppose this assuming US/DL give up enough stuff (ie. 1 shuttle operation among other things) . The rallying to keep Delta My Delta makes for a better Family for who ever owns the airline (ie. Delta is even more attractive to Douggie and his friends at the Sandcastle). @:-) $$$ controls the destiny (or dynasty considering the storied past of DL) of DL for which the creditors are sitting in the right hand seat of the cockpit.

The entire airline industry stinks. One Domestic carrier is no better than another. Why not just paint the planes in generic livery and be done with it. That is what happened to the pax railroads in this country.

My personal feelings are that I don't want this merger to go through for other reasons (the loss of *A will be a shame as ST does not compare) but my personal feeling are not a consideration to the Creditors. If DL (or the previous US, or UA... etc) had been better run airlines in the first place and they had not been led into Bankruptcy their collective arses would not have been up for grabs to the highest bidder. But the past managements of DL stunk as did ALL of the previous managements of US and HP prior to Doug Parker and his ego - I'm not sure which one is leading the airline, but I think ego plays the upper hand .

Also, I am suprised that no one has said much about WNs desire to pick up what ever pieces are left from a US/DL fallout. They could be flying the shuttle, they could pick up considerable market share in CLT or ATL... They could be your option for many routes. Peanuts a smile and a middle seat with 2 obese pax next to you with the armrests up whilw praying (Islam or Christianity makes no difference but be careful, it it's Islam, US might have them removed from the flight). But am I forgetting that WN makes money consistantly, has great employee loyalty and to top it off now has the highest paid employees in the industry with adjusted work rules. Now chew on that for a while.

Pharaoh

It's way off topic to refute this (although quite simple to do). But just so people don't get the wrong impression the two industries and the reasons for their current and 1971 conditions are worlds different and comparing them is a nonstarter. Continue at RailTalk.

joshua-bwi

Inefficient operations, money losing entities, isn't that what happened to the pax railroads? (Remember it's all textbook for me as I was 1yr old in 1971...)...

RobertS975

My Delta and your Delta will ultimately be controlled by the highest bidder, whether that be US Air, another yet to be determined white knight carrier, or an investor group formed by the current management and creditors. Read the Business Week article that is the topic of another thread. It is illustrative!

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=629197

ClipperDelta

As others have already mentioned, just ask some employees if they have any extra the next time you fly. I got one yesterday inflight when I asked an FA, who was spotting a button on her red dress, if she had any extras....the pin is now on one of my bags...

Hmmm, perhaps a trip out to PHX is due sometime soon with that bag...

ClipperDelta

Yes, I believe that most people, even those seemingly sentimental and emotional ones, know this. However, if this "Keep Delta My Delta" campaign is an effective avenue for people, in particular the employees who are most affected by this, to vent their displeasure at this deal (even if they have no say or control over it) and help them go through this, then all the more power to them. It is quite understandable why current Delta employees don't like this deal - they feel they have sacrificed quite a bit in the past year and just as they are beginning to see the results of this sacrifice, an outsider who has not participated in this sacrifice comes in to potentially live off the fruits of this labor/sacrifice.

So yes, while all this 'sentimentality' may not be realistic given that Business is Business, let the employees (and even some of us travelers) have their day to vent their emotions.....they deserve at least that.

RobertS975

I agree with you... and it is too bad that years of DL mismanagement coupled with outside factors (terrorism, fuel costs, LCCs) forced the company to seek bankruptcy protection. That ceded control of the company from the stockholders to the creditors and the court.

Without the mitigation of expenses through the bankruptcy, it would not have made sense for anyone to seek to control DL. Unfortunately, this is a cold dollars and cents equation with a little 'wiggle room' for job protection etc.

We will have to see how it all plays out.

Finnchadh

Essentially you are saying ‘he who has the gold makes the rules’. This is true in only 2 circumstances the possessor of the gold and the one who can return it to or keep it from its owner. Any investor knows these rules and places their money accordingly; it’s called risk.

Also the Bankruptcy Court is a Court of Equity; an Ecclesiastical Court of Chancery and the adjudicator therein sits as a Chancellor of Equity. The origins of this Court and its principals predate the creation of this Nation and were adopted by our Courts many years ago. Until there was a body of Case Law, particular to the American form of Jurist Prudence; long standing English case law at Equity formed the basis of our earliest Supreme Court rulings on Equity. Equity will speak the final word here and hopefully none other. Hopefully, Equity will close its doors to Mr. Parker for the simple reason of his success and profit as US Airways. It could also make other orders, as are necessary, to carry out the Bankruptcy Court responsibilities without interference or diversion from outside forces. Now, if Delta were in Chapter 7 – that would be different.

And you never know when a White Knight will appear; or if you really need one. As I have stated before and will state again; I and those who think like I do, do not want Doug. His pyridine divides management and labor by perception; I, we do not want that again. Your analogy regarding the fall of the Legacy carriers fails to include many factors except the professional managers who made the decisions. For a while Delta had the very best that money could buy; what we needed then as well as now is the best that money can’t buy. Delta is not for sale to the highest bidder and I believe very few bidders will take the risk of another 8 billion unless the employees are in accord. One clue to this is Mr. Parker’s letter of 09/29/06; he’s read the contracts and checked them twice and doesn’t see where Labor can stop him. Does this tell anyone anything? The one force that can stop his plans are the people of US Airways and the people of Delta. He does not see any problems from US Airways folks because of their union contracts and he doesn’t believe there are enough folks at Delta to raise more than a whimper. I don’t know about the rank and file at US Airways, but that kind of attitude from a manager just tends to piss me off.

Doug plans to take US Airways (a profitable company) into BK by merging it into Delta (currently in BK); this is a very interesting spin on Lorenzo 101 (sp). When US Airways no longer exists and the New Delta is still pre-emergence BK what about everything else? You must give this man the credit he might deserve; he could actually be smarter than Frank Lorenzo. BTW does 12/17/1994 mean anything to anyone? The Court will have to answer several legal questions including if US Airways creditors are now subject to BK provisions; but they may have to answer these question after the fact. Remember the 1.5 billion in savings that comes from ‘renegotiating’ with vendors, those unsecured creditors licking their chops and labor that has no say in ‘if’ a merger will happen? Well now children, what do you think will happen next? You can trust Mr. Parker to do the proper corporate thing. The shareholder with see short term value, sell off some to recoup loses and let the market decide the real value if any. If you look at it from this perspective, ‘we are all a part of us[US/New Delta], in deep kemchi’. I have said this previously and it merits repeating; US Airways people possess the same character and drive that Delta people have; however, they need Inspiration and Leadership to bring both in being. Doug needs to invest in his people; they are the future of US Airways not Delta. The people and shareholders of US Airways deserve nothing less; personally, and not without bias, I think both deserve nothing less.

And a parting shot just for the shibbles and getzzs : The next two question are for all the marbles children and here they are:
1.) What airline ceased to exist after it was double ‘Franked’ by Corporate America?
For those of you who answered East-rn, your correct.
2.) Who are doomed to repeat history when they fail to learn from it?
Hopefully you won’t be able to answer that one with US and Delta.

adamak

Saw the agents all wear their button in JFK Terminal 2 BE checkin. I didn't ask them for a button, but I did tell them to tell their boss not to merge with USAir. They all laughed, but they sure agree with me.

longing4piedmont

Interesting first post.......

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