The first thing we need to establish is that Bill Swellbar (who's responsible for the MIT airline data) is a freelancer to the airline industry. He has been a paid "special witness". He's basically for sale to the highest bidder. With the wads of cash Delta has, it wouldn't be hard to imaging the benefit an airline such as Delta would have to have Swellbar cook the numbers in a special way....can you smell what the rock is cooking? Then have guys like Sailing serve it up with a cup of hot tea.

Remember Mike Campbell who is retiring now. He worked for Ford & Harrison LLP (not to be confused with Harrison Ford....he's an actor) consulting firm that directs airlines how to extract the most out of labor while making them smile and ask for more. I think it's naive at best for guys like Sailing to keep using these numbers without actually seeing the books they were supposedly derived from. On the other hand, Sailing is all about anything that attempts to paint the pilot group as under productive/over paid with "mature contracts".

William S. Swelbar is a Research Engineer in MIT’s International Center for Air Transportation, where he is affiliated with the Global Airline Industry Program and Airline Industry Consortium. Prior to accepting his research position at MIT, Bill was President and Managing Partner of Eclat Consulting, Inc., a firm he founded. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Hawaiian (Airlines) Holdings, Inc. Over the past 20 years, he has represented airlines, airports, investors, manufacturers, and labor groups in a consulting role. A significant amount of his career has been spent studying market behavior resulting from structural changes in the competitive environment, including mergers, alliances, new entrant carriers and new aircraft technology. Bill’s work has included competitive assessments, cost-benefit analyses, and other economic and financial advisory services in support of strategic planning, corporate communications and labor negotiations. He is also a much sought-after speaker and also has provided expert witness testimony before various tribunals and before the United States Congress regarding the economics of commercial air transport.

Mr. Michael H. Campbell is Executive VP-Human Resources & Labor Relations at Delta Air Lines, Inc. and a Member at State Bar of Georgia. Mr. Campbell was previously employed as Of Counsel by Ford & Harrison LLP, Senior VP-Human Resources & Labor Relations by Continental Airlines, Inc., and Partner by Ford & Harrison LLP.