No big announcement or news article, but on the website of DGS (www.dalgs.com), it redirects to Unifiservice.com, which apparently is the new name for DGS. I haven't seen anything about this yet, does any one have any details? How does it affect flight benefits of DGS employees?

It probably has no effect on flight benefits for DGS employees, those were slashed when Delta sold/spun off DGS.

I’m guessing the new name is to get away from the old Delta connection.

New corporate about us info:

Unifi was established in 1997, and has been independently operated ever since its inception. Managed at the corporate level by experienced airline professionals, the Unifi management team is “hands on” and proactive in process improvement and problem resolution.

They seem to be trying really hard to distance themselves from the DGS name (despite many of their page headers still having DGS instead of Unifi).

As long as Delta doesn't sell their remaining 49% of the company the flight benefits should still remain. More would be understood once they officially announce the change. If they get rid of the benefits they will have the same issues struggling with high turnover just like every other ground handle.

iadbudd wrote:

As long as Delta doesn't sell their remaining 49% of the company the flight benefits should still remain. More would be understood once they officially announce the change. If they get rid of the benefits they will have the same issues struggling with high turnover just like every other ground handle.

If you look at their job postings, it appears only some stations/positions receive flight benefits and they make it pretty clear which do and which don't.

Polot wrote:

It probably has no effect on flight benefits for DGS employees, those were slashed when Delta sold/spun off DGS.

I’m guessing the new name is to get away from the old Delta connection.

Delta is still an equity partner in the company

DGS, now Unifi employees hired before 12/21/19 still have flight privileges without having to pay a yield pay they are just taxed as income.

Delta has no reason to extend flight privileges to all Unifi employees. They are a monitory stakeholder. DGS/Unifi flight benefits will be on a contract basis. For example, Unifi employees working a DL contract would get flight privileges on DL only. Those working UA contract would get reduced rate travel ON UA only

Maybe the reason for the name change is to attract future contracts such as UA without having Delta in the name of the company? Having a contractor at a station serving United would look better if the company is called Unifi instead of Delta global services.

iadbudd wrote:

Maybe the reason for the name change is to attract future contracts such as UA without having Delta in the name of the company? Having a contractor at a station serving United would look better if the company is called Unifi instead of Delta global services.

true, but don't think UA will be moving to DGS/Unifi soon. They have created their own handling company that is moving into most small outstations. This way they can control the personnel with paying them lower wages than mainline employees.

They just lost the Southwest contract at MEM.

CALMSP wrote:

iadbudd wrote:

Maybe the reason for the name change is to attract future contracts such as UA without having Delta in the name of the company? Having a contractor at a station serving United would look better if the company is called Unifi instead of Delta global services.

true, but don't think UA will be moving to DGS/Unifi soon. They have created their own handling company that is moving into most small outstations. This way they can control the personnel with paying them lower wages than mainline employees.

United has their own in-house ramp service company, it’s unionized and called UGE

http://unitedgroundexpress.com/

Well whatever the reason, switching names will certainly cost a lot with all new uniforms for the employees and painting over DGS equipment.

WaywardMemphian wrote:

They just lost the Southwest contract at MEM.

WN is in-sourcing the work.

Boof02671 wrote:

WaywardMemphian wrote:

They just lost the Southwest contract at MEM.

WN is in-sourcing the work.

Which is a loss of a contract

WaywardMemphian wrote:

Boof02671 wrote:

WaywardMemphian wrote:

They just lost the Southwest contract at MEM.

WN is in-sourcing the work.

Which is a loss of a contract

I didn’t say otherwise. I gave an explanation why.

Wonder what Ubiquiti thinks of this. They have a whole product line called UniFi...I'd be shocked if they didn't already TM that name.

Boof02671 wrote:

United has their own in-house ramp service company, it’s unionized and called UGE

http://unitedgroundexpress.com/

Not a badge of honor for labor.

It's bad enough when companies whipsaw employees. When unions do it, it's inexcusable.

iadbudd wrote:

As long as Delta doesn't sell their remaining 49% of the company the flight benefits should still remain. More would be understood once they officially announce the change. If they get rid of the benefits they will have the same issues struggling with high turnover just like every other ground handle.

They don’t get flight benefits anymore and they *do* suffer from high turnover. Always have. DGS stations are no better than any other 3rd party outsourced underwing service.

N766UA wrote:

iadbudd wrote:

As long as Delta doesn't sell their remaining 49% of the company the flight benefits should still remain. More would be understood once they officially announce the change. If they get rid of the benefits they will have the same issues struggling with high turnover just like every other ground handle.

They don’t get flight benefits anymore and they *do* suffer from high turnover. Always have. DGS stations are no better than any other 3rd party outsourced underwing service.

If you look at the job postings, you would clearly see that isn't true. They do still get some flight benefits, it's not the same package that they got before but there is still some benefits which is better than what some other third parties offer.

Boof02671 wrote:

CALMSP wrote:

iadbudd wrote:

Maybe the reason for the name change is to attract future contracts such as UA without having Delta in the name of the company? Having a contractor at a station serving United would look better if the company is called Unifi instead of Delta global services.

true, but don't think UA will be moving to DGS/Unifi soon. They have created their own handling company that is moving into most small outstations. This way they can control the personnel with paying them lower wages than mainline employees.

United has their own in-house ramp service company, it’s unionized and called UGE

http://unitedgroundexpress.com/

Care to explain the need to mention that UGE is unionized? Not sure that's really a big advantage to whoever is using that manpower; on the contrary.

WayexTDI wrote:

Boof02671 wrote:

CALMSP wrote:

true, but don't think UA will be moving to DGS/Unifi soon. They have created their own handling company that is moving into most small outstations. This way they can control the personnel with paying them lower wages than mainline employees.

United has their own in-house ramp service company, it’s unionized and called UGE

http://unitedgroundexpress.com/

Care to explain the need to mention that UGE is unionized? Not sure that's really a big advantage to whoever is using that manpower; on the contrary.

That they work under a CBA just like McGee at AS. They aren’t employees at will like Unifi.

Boof02671 wrote:

WayexTDI wrote:

Boof02671 wrote:

United has their own in-house ramp service company, it’s unionized and called UGE

http://unitedgroundexpress.com/

Care to explain the need to mention that UGE is unionized? Not sure that's really a big advantage to whoever is using that manpower; on the contrary.

That they work under a CBA just like McGee at AS. They aren’t employees at will like Unifi.

OK. And? Many employees in the US don't work under a CBA, are at will and are very happy of their work condition.

N766UA wrote:

iadbudd wrote:

As long as Delta doesn't sell their remaining 49% of the company the flight benefits should still remain. More would be understood once they officially announce the change. If they get rid of the benefits they will have the same issues struggling with high turnover just like every other ground handle.

They don’t get flight benefits anymore and they *do* suffer from high turnover. Always have. DGS stations are no better than any other 3rd party outsourced underwing service.

They still get benefits after the sale. The standby priority was going to lower to the level of Buddy passes but after a lot of complaints about that priority downgrade, current employees where grandfathered into the priority they had. New hires after the sale got the lower priority. Although imputed taxes are charged now since DL doesn't own 100% of the company and the IRS has to get it.

CALMSP wrote:

true, but don't think UA will be moving to DGS/Unifi soon. They have created their own handling company that is moving into most small outstations. This way they can control the personnel with paying them lower wages than mainline employees.

At my local airport, the mainline United and United Express operation has been ground handled by DGS for years. It still is. It always seemed odd to me that United has its own ground handling company yet it outsources some of its locations to a competitor instead.

Delta was ab.e to even Have DGS because they do NOT have a Union to speak of. Had they ground Unions like United and American? That Idea would have been Smoked when they Tried it! And Delta got rid of them BECAUSE they might have had Union Rumblings in the ranks..

iadbudd wrote:

Maybe the reason for the name change is to attract future contracts such as UA without having Delta in the name of the company? Having a contractor at a station serving United would look better if the company is called Unifi instead of Delta global services.

Or most likely because Delta is no longer the main owner and they needed a different name to reflect this.

iadbudd wrote:

Well whatever the reason, switching names will certainly cost a lot with all new uniforms for the employees and painting over DGS equipment.

Why would the uniforms change? Customer facing staff usually wear the uniform of the airline anyway and the only uniform change for below wing would be removing any DGS branding.

strfyr51 wrote:

Delta was ab.e to even Have DGS because they do NOT have a Union to speak of. Had they ground Unions like United and American? That Idea would have been Smoked when they Tried it! And Delta got rid of them BECAUSE they might have had Union Rumblings in the ranks..

Uh DGS is no different the UGE for UA and AA has piedmont and Eagle ground handling, the ground handling unions don't care who the company uses for any stations that are not regulated by scope so long as the stations that have to be mainline are mainline

B727skyguy wrote:

CALMSP wrote:

true, but don't think UA will be moving to DGS/Unifi soon. They have created their own handling company that is moving into most small outstations. This way they can control the personnel with paying them lower wages than mainline employees.

At my local airport, the mainline United and United Express operation has been ground handled by DGS for years. It still is. It always seemed odd to me that United has its own ground handling company yet it outsources some of its locations to a competitor instead.

United is just now in the process of turning a large number of stations over to UGE. UGE is still relatively new as a company.

Without getting deep into it, a lot of domestic outstation ground handling contracts are on three year renewals for an established handler.

strfyr51 wrote:

Delta was ab.e to even Have DGS because they do NOT have a Union to speak of. Had they ground Unions like United and American? That Idea would have been Smoked when they Tried it! And Delta got rid of them BECAUSE they might have had Union Rumblings in the ranks..

American has Envoy.
United has UGE.
Alaska has McGee Air

NWAESC wrote:

strfyr51 wrote:

Delta was ab.e to even Have DGS because they do NOT have a Union to speak of. Had they ground Unions like United and American? That Idea would have been Smoked when they Tried it! And Delta got rid of them BECAUSE they might have had Union Rumblings in the ranks..

American has Envoy.
United has UGE.y
Alaska has McGee Air

American uses Envoy, Piedmont, mainline and outsourced companies like DGS (unifi?)