The ratio of UAL to CAL pilots was about 1.5 to 1 but the bottom 2,000 pilots on the list are 6.5 UAL to 1 CAL. So they were basically stapled, with a few guys hired in 1999 placed in with the 2006 hires.

That's no windfall.

Truth is that the LUAL pilot group was a more senior group. The pipe dream of merging in pure relative active seniority when CAL was a mostly guppy airline and UAL was mostly 757s and bigger with only 150 guppy sized airplanes was also a big factor.

Numbers don't lie and it was a numbers merger.

The size of the airplanes brought to the merger as well as the longevity of the pilot groups is what drove the placing. Nothing more.

I'm not thrilled with it either, but at least I understand why we were only given 35% credit for our longevity and am willing to move on.