I dug down to the bottom of this. Bottom line is the decision is made above the Flight Operations management that we deal with. Our management executes the flying plan they are given.

Our management understands even less about the small jet cost structure than your average new hire who came from one of these carriers.

It isn't that Delta Flight Operations management is trying to obsfucate, they just don't know because it is not in their chain of command to know. It would be akin to asking a F15 driver how the reactor machinery on an aircraft carrier works ... you will probably get an answer & the answer will be incorrect.

Our airplanes are serviced by the exact same gate agents and rampers as DCI jets are. There is no difference in these costs. Further, we could staff Delta with DCI flight attendants if Delta wanted to do so. They have no union and no scope.