If I understand correctly CAL doesn't have a DBP to liquidate, as Lorenzo got rid of it a long time ago. Again, if I understand correctly, they have a rather well funded DCP. In the '02 concessionary contract one of the things the pilot group got in trade for their pay cuts was a proviso to the effect that CAL could not post a profit until CAL had made a 500M contribution to the pension fund.

There isn't a lot of leverage CAL has over the retirement fund, its all in the individual pilot's names, like a super 401k.

They might give up scope for the end of PBS. I haven't heard anyone at CAL say anything good about it.

But I doubt it. While CAL has been growing mainline everybody else has been growing their regional partners. If they give up scope, growth at CAL will screetch to a halt; they'll start parking the 737-300s and -500s, and Republic will pick up all that short haul single aisle flying, on their way to becoming the worlds largest airline.