Engage: The Podcast for Delta Pilots

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 weekend is on final ✈️, and this latest edition of Engage Weekly is bringing the good stuff. Get caught up on the latest news and events from the Delta MEC. News rundown below 👇 • MEC Dues Return Offer • CMAP Website is Live • Engage: Scheduling Weird Slips & Pay • BOS MEC PUB / Family Awareness Event • Feedback Requested: Rate Your Pilot / Flight Operations Experience • Your Upcoming Nat...

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 holiday weekend is cleared for takeoff 🇺🇸, and this latest edition of Engage Weekly brings the fireworks. Get caught up on the latest news and events from the Delta MEC. News rundown below 👇 • Happy Fourth of July | Delta MEC Office Hours • Engage Episode: Following the Money: Dues Down, Value Up, Money Back in Your Pocket • Welcome New Hires! June 23 Class • Feedback Requested: Rate Your Pil...

What exactly does ALPA National's Executive Council do and why should Delta pilots care? Host First Officer Ryan Argenta sits down with Delta pilot and ALPA Executive Vice President Captain Reed Donoghue for a behind-the-scenes look at one of the least visible but most impactful areas of the Association. Reed explains how the Executive Council serves as ALPA's fiduciary, oversees spending, approve...

The weekend is taxiing into position , and this latest edition of Engage Weekly is ready for departure. Get caught up on the latest news and events from the Delta MEC. News rundown below • Feedback Requested: Rate Your Pilot/Flight Operations Experience • Engage Episode #78: Scheduling Shenanigans | Trip Coverage • UNH Polling: June 23 – July 2 • Your Upcoming Dues Return Offer: Watch Your Email •...

What is actually going on with trip coverage, ARCOS, premium flying, and all those “weird slips” pilots keep seeing in the operation? In this episode of Engage, host First Officer Ryan Argenta sits down with Scheduling Committee Chair Ian Turner and Vice Chair Josh Cantrell to break down the current state of Delta’s trip coverage process during the summer operations push. The conversation covers o...

The weekend has pushed back from the gate ✈️, and this latest edition of Engage Weekly is cleared for takeoff. Get caught up on the latest news and events from the Delta MEC. News rundown below 👇 • Delta MEC June Meeting Highlights • Negotiating Committee Update • BOS Local Council • University of New Hampshire Polling Begins June 23 • Juneteenth Holiday Hours • Delta MEC Swag Store • Delta Pilot...

The weekend has kicked off ⚽️, and this latest edition of Engage Weekly is truly a keeper. Get caught up on the latest news and events from the Delta MEC. News rundown below 👇 Delta MEC June Regular Meeting Update Your Upcoming Dues Return Offer: Watch Your Email Welcome to Our Newest Delta Pilots — June 2nd New Hire Class Engage: LOSA Demystified: Who’s Sitting in Your Jumpseat? Join Delta MEC...

What exactly is LOSA, and who is that pilot sitting in your jumpseat? In this episode of Engage, host First Officer Ryan Argenta sits down with Casey Songster, 737 First Officer and Vice Chair of the SMS Subcommittee within the Central Air Safety Committee (CASC), to break down the Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA) program. Casey explains how LOSA fits into Delta’s Safety Management System (SMS)...

Hello June, and hello to this new edition of Engage Weekly! Get a recap of the MEC's and stay tuned for updates from your Union when they head to SLC next week for their next regular meeting. All links and additional information can be found in this week's MEC News ! 

Note: This podcast was recorded on April 1, 2026, prior to the 2026 1Q earnings call. Though some of the numbers referenced in this podcast have been slightly revised, the 2026 1Q earnings once again demonstrate Delta’s ability to generate a revenue premium. Total revenue for the quarter was a record-setting $14.2 billion, up nearly 10% from the same time last year. As openers have been exchanged...

This is an Engage Alert with a critical update regarding contract negotiations and an important strategic development. Next week, opening proposals are to be exchanged, marking a major milestone in the Section 6 process and the beginning of the next phase for Delta pilots. In this episode, MEC Chairman Captain Eric Criswell and Negotiating Committee Chairman Captain Bill Finlay join us to outline...

As Delta pilots prepare for another round of Section 6 negotiations, it’s worth remembering that every contract, and every negotiating cycle, is shaped by history, priorities, and sometimes difficult tradeoffs. In this episode of the Engage Podcast, host First Officer Ryan Argenta sits down with Delta MEC Executive Administrator Captain Rich Wheeler, former negotiator and longtime union leader, to...

In this in-depth episode of the Engage Podcast, host First Officer Ryan Argenta is joined by MEC Executive Administrator Captain Rich Wheeler and Scheduling Committee Vice Chairman Captain Josh Cantrell to unpack the growing complexity behind open time, inverse assignments, and the rollout of Quick Slips under MOU 25-05. The conversation traces how chronic understaffing, outdated staffing formulas...

What actually happens after a pilot submits an ASAP? Where does it go, who reads it, and what outcomes can follow? In this episode of the Engage, Host First Officer Ryan Argenta sits down with Captain Jason Herman, Chairman of the Airport & Ground Environment (AGE) Subcommittee of the Central Air Safety Committee (CASC), to pull back the curtain on the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) ste...

Welcome to 2026, and welcome to The Negotiators’ Series on the Engage Podcast. As we move toward Section 6 and April openers, host F/O Ryan Argenta sits down with your Negotiating Committee: Captains Bill Finlay, Mike Cowan, Cash McLaughlin, and Ben Wallander for an introduction to the team and the work already underway behind the scenes. In this kickoff episode, the committee breaks down what Sec...

In this special holiday edition of Engage, host First Officer Ryan Argenta sits down with MEC Chairman Captain Eric Criswell for a timely year-end update and message to Delta pilots. Eric shares what’s been keeping the MEC busy over the past few months, including preparations for the upcoming Section 6 contract opener, progress on MOU 25-05, and efforts to bring stability and accountability to tri...

On this episode of Engage, First Officer Ryan Argenta welcomes First Officer Bryan Patchen, Chair of the Delta MEC’s Aviation Security Committee and recent Aviation Security Award recipient, for a straight-talk briefing on the security issues pilots face every day. We cover what’s actually happening with KCM (and why the “random” feels constant), how to handle screening disagreements professionall...

The R&I guys are back! Host First Officer Ryan Argenta sits down with Captain Scott Bowles and Captain John Doherty from ALPA’s Retirement & Insurance Committee to talk smart money, savvy timing, and how pilots can make major-league financial plays through the new Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation (NQDC) plan. Whether you’re eyeing tax strategy, income flexibility, or long-term planning,...

Important update for all Delta pilots. In this Engage Alert, host First Officer Ryan Argenta is joined by First Officer Mark Hinczynski (Contract Administration & Enforcement) and Captain Ian Turner (Scheduling) to break down a newly agreed-upon MOU between the Company and ALPA. What’s inside: Click-to-Sick / Sick Lookback: The Company will pause counting sick hours toward lookback retroactive...

First Officer Ryan Argenta welcomes back Hotel Committee Chair First Officer Steve Koffler for a fast, funny, and genuinely useful tour of the layover landscape. From a brand-new Park Hyatt in Marrakech to upcoming hotel previews in Hong Kong, Melbourne, Grenada, and St. Vincent, Steve shares what’s new, what’s next, and what pilots should know.   We cover Honolulu’s temporary shift to Hilton Hawa...

The Engage podcast hits the road to bring you our newest format, Ask ALPA! We visited crew rooms and terminals to find out what you, the pilots, want to know from ALPA! On this episode, Communication Chair F/O Kevin Brady rounded up experts from the Scheduling, Negotiating, Retirement and Insurance, and Pilot Family Matters committees to get the answers and bring them to our listeners. Tune in now...

In this exclusive episode of the Engage Podcast, we highlight the Delta MEC’s powerful new messaging tool for staying connected with your union: the Delta MEC Updates Telegram Channel! Join host F/O Ryan Argenta as he sits down with Communications Chair F/O Kevin Brady and Strategic Planning Vice-Chair Capt. John Wood to explore this direct source for real-time MEC news and updates. They’ll guide...

With work pressures at their peak, Section 6 fast approaching, and the contract survey now open, it’s easy for pilots to get distracted. Host First Officer Ryan Argenta sits down with First Officer Casey Songster, Vice Chair of the Safety Management System (SMS) Subcommittee of the Central Air Safety Committee (CASC), to demystify ASAP (Aviation Safety Action Program) beyond the “get out of jail f...