Originally Posted by sailingfun

We sell a commodity at Delta. Its not the same commodity sold at UPS or Fedex as our primary business. Southwest does sell the same commodity and in 2012 their average pilot made 157,000 dollars. The average pilot at Delta made 158,000 and change. The average Delta pilot received a pension benefit package worth 51,000 dollars. The average SouthWest pilots package was 27,466. The average Delta pilot flew 52 block hours a month in 2012 at SW it was 64.5. Total block hour costs at Delta which is the one number wallstreet, management and the NMB really care about was 941 dollars an hour. SW was at 698 dollars an hour. To make that a really honest comparison because of the fleet mix Delta's narrowbody cost was 911 per hour verses 692 at SW.
To look at the 2013 numbers pilot compensation will be up another 10.8 percent which should put the average Delta pilot around 174,000 a year with no increase at SW. 2014 should bump the average Delta pilot to just under 180K a year and a additional 1 percent into the retirement package with no increase at SW.
All and all a remarkable comeback from a company that was bankrupt in 2005. When you go before the NMB the above numbers are what will be in play. I know you read the powerpoint presentation from the head of the NMB when she flew to Atlanta to lay out the ground rule for our contract negotiations to the MEC. She made it very clear that any release would be contingent on our proposals being reasonable and the definition of reasonable would be our standing amongst the other passenger airlines.