EVERY contract ALWAYS has an expiration date. And each side generally tries to play chicken, holding out to the last, hoping the other side will blink first. A few undisputable facts:

1. SOMEBODY will be doing the flying as long as pax are buying tickets.
2. SOMEBODY will be flying the Delta 175s because they are still relatively new aircraft.
3. If it's not the same SOMEBODIES currently flying, the new SOMEBODIES will have to be recruited and/or transferred from their current flying with all the expense and lead time all that entails.
4. As we get nearer to contract expiration time the heat builds ON BOTH SIDES to come up with a resolution that avoids costing TSH money and avoids costing Delta money.

Now those things I DO know. What I DON'T know is:
1. Will Delta squeeze hard to get TSH to sell Compass separate from the other two certificates.
2. Will one (or both) of the parties figure that the long range benefit of NOT coming to terms is worth the short term (but certainly not trivial) transition costs.

But for right now I'm flying my butt off, not being asked to take leave without pay. I think I'd rather be out here right now than back East, wondering how much flying was going to be left for me after the new baby Airbus takes away some of my better routes.

Just sayin...