Originally Posted by
9easy
This could be true except .. the new 9E is being built as a purely CR9 operation. The current group of CR9 captains, and many senior MSP FO's have no plans on leaving, no matter how bad things get. They are lifers with only a few years left, and they will ride the gravy train til the end, or until DL hires them. These guys are incredibly costly to employ compared to CP or GoJet, and a 25% pay cut will not change the fact that you have a large group of guys topped out on pay/vacation/401/sick/high insurance costs.
So Skywest, ASA, Express and Republic don't have senior pilots? And they don't fly 50 seaters? This was just another way for Delta to control costs. Delta gave 9E the money because they knew it would put downward pressure on the industry and in the end put more money in the hands of the share holders. Pinnacle is just the first to the BK show, soon others will follow. Delta needs Pinnacle around so they can be the next GoJet and keep down regional costs. That is one theory at least.