So it's ALPA's fault for providing input on the pairing construction process, it's Delta's fault for hiring too many of our mechanics, and it's the crew schedulers' fault for being inexperienced. At what point will someone in leadership step up, take a little bit of responsibility and say "You know what, we didn't fully account for certain factors and we miscalculated our staffing needs." In the absence of such a statement, I'm left to believe that leaving us understaffed was a calculated decision -- that punishing our passengers, our crews, and our mainline partners was deemed preferable to spending the money to hire and upgrade a few more crews.

The adequacy of an airline's staffing is not determined by the rows and columns of some Excel document -- it's determined by how many pilot seats are empty while the passenger seats are full.