Exactly. We only ever cared on here because of the code share abuse. And even then we didn't care about Alaskan Airline. It only ever became the issue it is because DL pilots would complain about DL management favoring other airline(s) to do the flying as much as possible, and Alaskan Airline was the big issue at the narrow body mainline level. Alaskan Airline guys would then jump in and tell us how and why they are superior and how and why we can't ever compete and shouldn't even try because they have loyalty and technical superiority and will crush us.

We'd ignore that at first and say wow the entire left coast in the magazine is green routes and DL is using another airline, with gate priority by contract over our own metal, to fly hourly flights a day between LA and SEA…Shirley we should be doing a couple of those flights? And the Alaskan Airline guys would jump in and be all "no, no you shouldn't because you can't. We would crush you. Only we can do those, now or ever! Stop being arrogant and accept that only we can or should ever do this flying!" Etc.

After a couple years of eye rolling and "aw that's cute they're proud of their airline too" it started to get annoying.

Then DL got serious about the great market of Seattle, made a move to become the clear and dominant hometown Air Line there, and hired Brad Tilden as our EVP of West Coast Pilot Hiring. We then finally had someone at the Air Line who believed in DL pilots being able to do west coast flying and started to unshrink lots of routes we previously donated to Alaskan Airline in the first place.