E67: Behind the Curtain: Delta IT, Pilot Privacy, and the Fight for Accurate Pay

When pilots discovered Delta could see TikTok installed on their personal phones, alarm bells went off. Section 24 X. of the PWA is supposed to protect pilots from corporate snooping, but what was Delta really accessing through the Hub app? In this eye-opening episode, Engage host First Officer Ryan Argenta sits down with First Officer Justin Vandermark, Chair of ALPA’s IT Committee, to expose what the union discovered when it finally got “the grand tour” of Delta’s systems. From mobile device management profiles that can leak your location, to the truth about deleting the Hub app, pilots need to know how their privacy is protected – or not. But the fight doesn’t stop at data security. Vandermark also pulls back the veil on Delta’s decades-old DBMS scheduling system, why pay errors keep happening, and how contractual gains like Section 23 W.1.d. are setting the stage for long-overdue change. This episode isn’t just about apps and acronyms - it’s about control, transparency, and making sure Delta pilots are paid correctly the first time. If you’ve ever wondered why the Company can roll out flashy passenger tech but can’t fix pilot pay, this conversation will make you sit up and take notice.