Wow. ... Coming from someone who is one of the best sources for information on this forum.

That's the same conclusion I've been reaching off and on, since the intent of the merger was announced along with a cessation of Delta's all too brief post bankruptcy growth spurt.

It is hard to pull the trigger without complete information. With our need for a 100 to 130 seat jet, our profitability, our much heralded network reach and older pilot population, there are a lot of speculative reasons to want to keep a Delta seniority number (despite the disappointing current results).

Delta Management (and ALPA) seemed to have changed their mind about Delta's future trajectory. Management's change of heart can be visibly seen in our declining capacity numbers and never ending quest for employee cost reduction. The ALPA side of the equation is impossible to quantify, but is signaled by an overall lack of interest in pursuing issues like restoration of our production balance within our Joint Venture with Air France. Several of us inquired to our Reps about a letter condemning Delta's outsourcing, this landed with a thud only rivaled by a cow patty dropped from Camel height.

The way I've decided to play this for now is to seek as long a leave of absence as the Company will allow and work elsewhere. As long as reserves are not being utilized getting paid by two, or three, jobs results in earnings about where a guy should be for this level of age, education and overall level of decrepitude ... When displaced, simply request the LOA for the day training starts... as long as Delta doesn't need me, I'm going to try not to need Delta. When Delta does need pilots, it might be nice to dust off this seniority number and go flying.

Many think a merger is in the winds and that now might be the time to bail out. IMHO that's really speculative, unless they have some real inside information (in which case, share with us, a lot of folks are in the process of making life time decisions here ... my wife's all for going to Dubai )