And how is that different from any other reserve (or regular) gig, at any airline, any time in the past?

The question is, how does our reserve system compare to others systems? While not perfect I would say our reserve system is pretty good in the aggregate. I am top third of the category but bid reserve on purpose occasionally. Sometimes it is great, sometimes I ask "what were you thinking?" But I wouldn't have even considered it if it weren't worth it. I'm not sure that I would even consider bidding reserve at other airlines...or earlier eras here at DAL.