Engage: The Podcast for Delta Pilots

Most conversations about our careers focus on contracts, negotiations, and the flying operation. But sometimes, it's worth shifting the spotlight to something bigger than ourselves. Since 1999, Delta pilots have contributed more than $2 million to over 200 children's charities through the Delta Pilots Charitable Fund (DPCF). In this episode of Engage, host First Officer Ryan Argenta welcomes DPCF Chair Captain Chris Hazleton and DPCF Director First Officer Kevin Brady to share the stories behind those contributions, from supporting children's hospitals and families facing unimaginable challenges to providing adaptive bicycles and holiday gifts for kids in need. They also discuss the annual Holiday Tie and Scarf Campaign, how pilots can nominate deserving charities, and why even a few dollars per paycheck can make a meaningful difference. It's a reminder of what our pilot group can accomplish when we come together—not just for ourselves but for the communities and families who need us most. Learn more, nominate a charity, and make a contribution at deltapilotscharitablefund.org. Order a DPCF Holiday Tie or Scarf here: DPCF Holiday Tie Campaign 2025 – TieMart, Inc.

The weekend is cleared for takeoff, and this latest edition of Engage Weekly has some good news for your paycheck! Get caught up on the latest news and events from the Delta MEC. News rundown below 👇 • ALPA Dues Reduction Approved — From 1.85% to 1.55% in 2027 • Dues Reduction and NQDC Open Enrollment • Engage: Health, Wealth & Tax Savings — The 2027 Open Enrollment Playbook • SRQ Regular MEC Meeting — November 16–20 • Sarasota PUB and Family Awareness Event — November 18 • Welcome New Hires — October 27 Class • DPCF Holiday Tie and Scarf Campaign • Veterans Day — MEC Office Hours • Contract Administration: MEC Grievance Tracker • PBS: Red Dates on the Calendar • Aeromedical: Flu Season, Medications, and Your Medical • CASC: Air Traffic Services Subcommittee Visits Atlanta TRACON • PAN: Aircraft Accidents in the Age of Social Media • Training PUB Event — November 11 at The Brass Tap • Support Porter Pilots — November 18 Informational Picket • Plus, important pilot information and LEC updates are available in this week's newsletter! Have a great weekend, and Happy Veterans Day to those who have served!

Open Enrollment for 2027 is here, and the Delta MEC Retirement & Insurance Committee (R&I) is back in the studio to break down what's changing, what's staying the same, and what Delta pilots should know when choosing their benefits. Host First Officer Ryan Argenta is joined by Captains Scott Bowles and John Doherty, along with ALPA Benefits Specialists Sontia Green and Louis Parks, for a practical discussion of healthcare options, prescription drug coverage, Delta Health Rewards, and important financial benefits. The team covers the transition to OptumRx, new orthopedic surgery fees, changes to wellness rewards, and the potential tax advantages of Group Variable Universal Life (GVUL) insurance. They also revisit the Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation (NQDC) Plan, Market-Based Cash Balance Plan (MBCBP), and ALPA Critical Illness and Accident Insurance. Plus, Georgia-based pilots have two new Kaiser healthcare options for 2027 with important considerations for pilots and families who travel frequently. Open Enrollment closes November 18, 2026. Whether you're reviewing your healthcare elections or exploring opportunities to maximize your benefits, this Engage episode will help you make informed decisions before the deadline. Questions? Submit a DART to the R&I Committee for assistance.

Known Crewmember (KCM) is officially on its way out, and the transition to Crew Member Access Point (CMAP) is accelerating. In this Engage Alert, host First Officer Ryan Argenta welcomes back Aviation Security Committee Chairman First Officer Bryan Patchen to discuss the early removal of KCM equipment, what pilots can expect at security checkpoints, and how to enroll in CMAP or troubleshoot access issues. The conversation also covers growing security concerns around the world, including civil unrest and travel advisories, along with practical tools pilots can use to stay informed and safe while on layovers. Resources: Check this week's MEC News for CMAP troubleshooting guidance and TSA contact information. Additional security resources are below. Download and use the Factal app for notifications of evolving situations Enroll in the State Department Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)

Trip coverage shenanigans continue. Pilots are hearing the finger-pointing from management over trip coverage, ARCOS, auto-accept, and operational reliability, and many are asking a pretty simple question: How is this our problem?   Engage host First Officer Ryan Argenta sits down with Delta MEC Executive Administrator Captain Rich Wheeler, Scheduling Committee Chairman Captain Ian Turner, and Vice Chairman Captain Josh Cantrell to take that question head-on. They trace how years of staffing decisions, fragile rotations, exploding open time, unrestricted ARCOS batch calls, and growing reliance on PWA Section 23 M. 7 brought trip coverage to where it is today.    The group goes back to the beginning: how trips were covered before ARCOS, why nuisance calls became a problem, how pilots adapted using contractual tools like auto-accept and auto-acknowledge, and how M7 evolved from a rarely used emergency provision into what the committee describes as a routine scheduling tool. They also dig into the latest ARCOS developments, ongoing technology and implementation problems, and what pilots should and shouldn’t change about how they use the ARCOS system. There are two sides to every story. This episode gives pilots the history, context, and facts behind the trip coverage debate and asks who really owns the problem. 

This Labor Day, Engage brings together union leadership for a wide-ranging conversation about where Delta pilots have been, where Section 6 negotiations are headed, and why the hard-fought protections in our PWA are not bargaining chips for management’s operational challenges. MEC Chairman Captain Eric Criswell and Negotiating Committee Chairman Captain Bill Finley discuss the return to a traditional Section 6 timeline, an expanded negotiating opener, management’s attempts to tie operational reliability to pilot contractual protections, and a simple message to management from the pilot group: concessions are not an option. Then, Strategic Planning Committee Chairman Evan Baach and Strike Preparedness Committee Chairman Eric Cowen take us behind the scenes of the union’s long-term strategy - from pilot unity and building leverage to the history of organized labor, the Pullman Strike, the Railway Labor Act and the generations of workers and pilots whose sacrifices built the profession we have today.  The lesson of that history is as relevant now as ever: what we inherit, we have a responsibility to protect - and what Delta pilots negotiate today reaches far beyond Delta. Raise the bar. Hold the line. Stay engaged.

In this breaking Engage Alert, host First Officer Ryan Argenta sits down with MEC Chairman Captain Eric Criswell and Negotiating Committee Chairman Captain Bill Finlay following the MEC’s unanimous decision to pivot away from the accelerated bargaining timeline and toward a more traditional Section 6 negotiation. Criswell and Finlay explain what led to the decision, including the company’s pursuit of concessionary changes to longstanding pilot protections involving reroutes, schedule flexibility, reserve rules, payback days, and other provisions the union says pilots would not ratify. They also discuss the company’s lack of meaningful engagement on key pilot priorities and why the accelerated path ultimately became untenable. With the bargaining strategy now changing, the discussion turns to what comes next: the expected negotiating timeline, the upcoming MEC meeting in Boston, increased communication and pilot involvement and what the MEC and Negotiating Committee will need from the pilot group as negotiations enter a new and potentially longer phase. MEC Alert 26-11: What You Need to Know Negotiators' Notepad 26-03: Status of Negotiations and Next Steps

The PBS Committee is back on Engage with important updates for every Delta pilot. PBS Committee Chairman Captain Scott Ryan and Vice Chairman Captain Brett Vining join host First Officer Ryan Argenta to explain the upcoming NavBlue PBS release, including the move to single sign-on through DeltaNet, the new PBS link, and what pilots need to know before bidding for the September schedule. The episode walks through several new and optional PBS features, including total pay visibility, short call bidding, award reserve day on, auto-save, and bug fixes pilots have been asking for. Scott and Brett also explain how third-party bidding services may be affected by single sign-on and MFA requirements. Beyond the technical updates, the conversation dives into practical bidding strategy, including low-credit line techniques, why bidding smarter can improve quality of life, and how individual pilot bidding behavior can affect category staffing, reserve numbers, and premium flying. Whether you bid every month with precision or still feel like PBS is a black box, this episode offers useful updates, reminders, and strategies to help pilots better understand the system and make PBS work for them.  References: PBS Notepad

Not all premium trips are created equal.  In this episode of Engage, Scheduling Committee Chairman Captain Ian Turner and Vice Chairman Captain Josh Cantrell join host, First Officer Ryan Argenta, to break down some of the most misunderstood scheduling tools in the contract. From Green Slips with Conflict and Inverse Assignment with Conflict to Reserve with Conflict, reroute pay, and Quick Slips, the discussion focuses on how pilots can avoid common pay misconceptions and make informed decisions before accepting additional flying. The committee explains why conflict flying is often misunderstood as "triple pay," walks through real-world examples of when these tools can be highly advantageous - and when they may not be so lucrative -and highlights the importance of understanding the actual pay treatment behind the terminology. The episode also covers updates on Quick Slips, common reroute pay misunderstandings, and the growing importance of lesser-used scheduling provisions as trip coverage challenges continue across the operation. Whether you're looking to maximize pay, improve quality of life, or simply avoid a costly scheduling mistake, this episode provides practical guidance every pilot should know before clicking “Accept”. Resources: Scheduling Reference Handbook MEC Alert: Optimize Your Schedule   

Not all premium trips are created equal.  In this episode of Engage, Scheduling Committee Chairman Captain Ian Turner and Vice Chairman Captain Josh Cantrell join host, First Officer Ryan Argenta, to break down some of the most misunderstood scheduling tools in the contract. From Green Slips with Conflict and Inverse Assignment with Conflict to Reserve with Conflict, reroute pay, and Quick Slips, the discussion focuses on how pilots can avoid common pay misconceptions and make informed decisions before accepting additional flying. The committee explains why conflict flying is often misunderstood as "triple pay," walks through real-world examples of when these tools can be highly advantageous - and when they may not be so lucrative -and highlights the importance of understanding the actual pay treatment behind the terminology. The episode also covers updates on Quick Slips, common reroute pay misunderstandings, and the growing importance of lesser-used scheduling provisions as trip coverage challenges continue across the operation. Whether you're looking to maximize pay, improve quality of life, or simply avoid a costly scheduling mistake, this episode provides practical guidance every pilot should know before clicking “Accept”. Resources: Scheduling Reference Handbook MEC Alert: Optimize Your Schedule