Can anyone explain the mentality behind this? Not a gripe, the mins are the mins and I'll get my ATP shortly, but the question is what difference does it really make to a carrier if the ATP is held or not as long as the candidate meets ATP mins and has the written done as in my case. There really isn't any difference in the sim training and final checkride for initial save maybe a steep turn. So why make that a requirement at all?

To simplify my question, what is the real difference for a 121 job between having the ATP and meeting ATP mins when the only real difference in the checkride is an 8710?

Do some air carriers not have designated examiners on their check airman roster maybe?