Originally Posted by
gloopy
On the way there, maybe, sometimes, under some circumstances. On the way back for 8-9 hour blocks with more than 1 leg...the already risky gets even riskier. I just don't see them doing 8-9 block hour unaugmented days, if (and again, if) the new times are hard and absolute. Just putting the extra FO on it is cheap insurance for operational integrity.
True, it just depends on how much risk the airlines are willing to save for a few bucks. One cancelled flight makes it will worth that airplane having a the extra pilots staffed on it.
Of course, until there is a contractual change, this is moot for DAL pilots.