Despite below market compensation, a company and industry that are highly addictive.
Pros
The work itself. This industry is addictive. It's exciting and fast paced. The company is so big and has so many different parts that you are constantly in learning mode, discovering some little workgroup that you never knew existed, or some activity that you didn't know the company does. Your time away from work can be nice too: Delta provides unlimited standby tickets to the employee and eligible family members, so if you want to see the world, this is the place to do it--provided you can get on a flight. The opportunities. Unlike other employees who have posted here, I have found opportunities for advancement to be quite plentiful if you are a hard worker and show some initiative to go beyond the minimum of what is expected of you. Delta values longevity in its employees and tends to promote from within. The people. Delta has always been known for having the nicest folks in the industry, and I would have to agree. Most Delta employees seem like very competent professionals who care about the company and are willing to go the extra mile for the customer and especially for each other. Despite all the turmoil of a bankruptcy and now a merger, there is a good team atmosphere that seems to have survived all the upheaval.
Cons
Salary and benefits. Delta once offered industry leading pay, a top of the line medical/dental/vision plan as well as a 401K AND a pension, but all of that got wiped out in the bankruptcy. Pay and benefits are about on par with the other legacies and significantly worse than what you can get outside the airline industry. Profit sharing is generous but of course, that requires profitability, and this industry is consistently unprofitable. Delta occasionally loses highly talented employees to greener pastures. Bitter co-workers. As stated, most Delta folks are incredibly nice and very professional, but there is a minority of employees who are miserable, bring zero or negative value to the organization, and should have retired decades ago. Many of these people seem to take pleasure in trying to bring you down to their level. Successful employees at Delta quickly learn how to maneuver around these losers. Loss of operational focus due to merger. The basic mission of a well-run airline is to move customers where they want to go safely, on a clean plane, on time, and with their bags. Delta is excellent at being safe and keeping the planes clean, but the latter two areas need a lot of improvement. Once this integration is complete, a "back to basics" campaign for employees would be a very good idea.
