Engage is a product of the Delta Air Lines ALPA Master Executive Council Communications Committee. Delivering important news, information and updates, the podcast touches on all areas of being a pilot at Delta Air Lines, with an emphasis on upcoming contract negotiations and quality of life for Delta pilots.
Engage Weekly - News You Need to Know - October 9, 2026
Before taking off into this weekend, run down this checklist of the latest news from the Delta MEC:
New FRMS Short Call Assignment Automation
Engage: Trip Coverage Shenanigans: The ARCOS Blame Game
Welcome Aboard! - September 29 New Hire Class
ALPA Board of Directors Charity Auction
ALPA Aloha Gathering Event – Chicago, IL
DPCF Holiday Tie Campaign Now Open!
Contract 2026 Swag October 12
Federal Holiday - Office Hours
Check out this week's newsletter for the latest updates from our committees and local councils, plus upcoming events!
5 Oct 2026
E82: Trip Coverage Shenanigans: The ARCOS Blame Game
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.
2 Oct 2026
Engage Weekly - News You Need to Know - October 2, 2026
The weekend is taxiing into view ✈️, and this latest edition of Engage Weekly has plenty on the frequency.
Get caught up on the latest news and events from the Delta MEC.
News rundown below 👇
• Negotiating Committee Update
• ARCOS+ Mobile App Update
• Welcome New Hires — September 22 Class
• Mental Health in Aviation Act Clears Senate; Support Requested for the Cabin Air Safety Act
• ALPA Election Season
• ALPA Board of Directors Charity Auction
• Contract 2026 Swag
• Aviation Security: CMAP Access Issues | What Pilots Should Do
• Hotel: Reminders, Recent Hotel Changes, and Upcoming Relocations
• CASC: Delta ALPA Attends NATCA Communicating for Safety Conference
• DPAC: The 2,000-Pound Telephone
• Plus, important pilot information and LEC updates are available in this week’s newsletter!
Have a good weekend!
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