Delta to offer voluntary retirement to 30,000

[DAL767-400ER]

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUKWEN457820080318?rpc=44

NEW YORK, March 18 (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) is looking to cut 2,000 jobs, or more than 3 percent of its work force, as the No. 3 U.S. airline struggles with high fuel costs.

Delta, which has been unable to seal a merger with rival Northwest Airlines Corp (NWA.N: Quote, Profile, Research), will offer voluntary retirement and buyout packages to 30,000 employees.

Delta is looking to cut 1,300 rank and file jobs and 700 administrative and management jobs.

In a regulatory filing on Tuesday, Delta also said it will cut flights in the United States, aiming to reduce 2008 domestic capacity by an additional 5 percent by August, resulting in a 10 percent year-over-year capacity reduction.

These reductions will be achieved partly by taking 15 to 20 mainline aircraft and 20 to 25 regional jets temporarily out of service.

So much for the 'comprehensive changes'. Not as many RJ cuts as expected though, so our resident emu's job should hopefully be secure .

[FlyingPhotog]

This is a smart business move by Delta, to offer buyouts (voluntary) rather than layoffs (involuntary). It also makes sense to trim the capacity a bit in order to run a tighter operation.

[DAL767-400ER]

If need be, DL would cut even more:

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUKWBT00861020080318?rpc=44

WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines (DAL.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Tuesday it would enact deeper cost cuts if a plan announced earlier in the day is not sufficient to counter sharply higher fuel prices.

International business will grow and domestic capacity cuts will come out of point-to-point flying. No reductions will be seen in competitive markets, Bastian said.

Also confirms that that p2p will be the primary routes cut, and considering that the majority p2p routes are to/from/within Florida, they are also rather low-yield to begin with.

[screaming_emu]

http://www.reuters.com/article/marke...0080318?rpc=44

So much for the 'comprehensive changes'. Not as many RJ cuts as expected though, so our resident emu's job should hopefully be secure .

Hehe, hopefully. I think there's a lot of people who are hoping those 20-25 RJs=Freedom

[Crunk415balla]

I'd hate to see anyone involentarily lose their jobs.

[DeltaFlyer]

To qualify for the buyout package you must have a minimum of 10 years of service so I am not eligible...There are about 5 agents at my station that are contemplating taking the buyout or early retirement...

As far as the flight cuts this is what I know so far...Kansas City is loosing about 6 flights a day, but unfortunately it appears that MCO is going to be the hardest hit, cutting total seats there by about 45% and pulling out of some markets completely..
We are cutting non-stop MCO to
Charleston, SC
Columbia, SC
Greensboro, NC
Little Rock, AR
Miami, FL
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Las Vegas, NV

Reducing substantially flights to other markets including
Boston, MA
New Orleans, LA
Richmond, VA
Raleigh, NC
Knoxville, TN

[a78jumper]

I am presently in Orlando on vacation and fly out on Delta as far as ATL Sunday. That 45% cut was big news here. Apparently Delta is now number 3 after JetBlue and AirTran at MCO.

[DAL767-400ER]

I am presently in Orlando on vacation and fly out on Delta as far as ATL Sunday. That 45% cut was big news here. Apparently Delta is now number 3 after JetBlue and AirTran at MCO.

That should probably be Southwest instead of JetBlue, as IIRC WN has by far the largest operation at MCO, and has been so for quite a few years. FL is still somewhat small compared to B6 and WN (caused in part by the low-capacity 717s vs the 73Gs and A320s), but it wouldn't even surprise me if even they were to pass DL at MCO.

And to think there were times when at one gate there would be an MD-11 heading to NRT via LAX, at the next an L-1011 headed for FRA, and a dozen 732s heading to everywhere on the Eastern Seaboard. Depressing thought.

[Vnav]

And to think there were times when at one gate there would be an MD-11 heading to NRT via LAX, at the next an L-1011 headed for FRA, and a dozen 732s heading to everywhere on the Eastern Seaboard. Depressing thought.

...And most of the pax were leisure travellers on deep discount fares. It's an airborne Jerry Springer show.

I won't shed any tears.

[flyboy2548m]

...And most of the pax were leisure travellers on deep discount fares. It's an airborne Jerry Springer show.

As opposed to now when you, emu and myself have the privilege of transorting a much more sophisticated crowd?

[Vnav]

As opposed to now when you, emu and myself have the privilege of transorting a much more sophisticated crowd?

Granted I realize that most flights nowadays are comprised largely of members of the "flip-flop" crowd, but Florida flights in general have a higher ratio than most. Then of course, you have the New York-PBI Florida flights which I'm doing this weekend comprised of leisure pax who feel an overwhelming sense of entitlement and neediness for their deep discount ticket.

That's why I try to stick to Shuttle nowadays. Well dressed, polite, professional Business fliers who have been around the block a few times. It's like flying ought to be....

[DeltaFlyer]

Granted I realize that most flights nowadays are comprised largely of members of the "flip-flop" crowd, but Florida flights in general have a higher ratio than most. Then of course, you have the New York-PBI Florida flights which I'm doing this weekend comprised of leisure pax who feel an overwhelming sense of entitlement and neediness for their deep discount ticket.

That's why I try to stick to Shuttle nowadays. Well dressed, polite, professional Business fliers who have been around the block a few times. It's like flying ought to be....

New York-PBI pax are the absolute worst in any airlines system...I dread working those flights....bitching and complaining in both directions...

[flyboy2548m]

That's why I try to stick to Shuttle nowadays. Well dressed, polite, professional Business fliers who have been around the block a few times. It's like flying ought to be....

Which is why you really ought to let me buy you a cup of coffee at either LGA, JFK or BOS one of these years.