Rotorhead:

The recent trend at DL is the transfer of flying back to the more efficient MD88's from the less efficient RJ's. In fact, Delta is getting more MD's, 7 to 9 this year we think, maybe more.

You raise good points, but the few NWA guys I know love the prospect of a DL tie up and the junior DL guys pretty much all say they are exploring their options should this come to pass. The common knowledge is that the bottom of the Delta list beats a date with Northwest, or is it Compass, or some other B scale? My friends who hav interviewed at NWA have been given evasive answers to their honest questions about just what a job with NWA means. They seem to think a flush to the regional is a very real possibility.

We will have to see. No disrespect is intended to Northwest's history, culture, or accomplishments. Like ACL said - we are just pawns in this game. But, we certainly have the right to quit rather than start over at the bottom of a Company we have zero interest in working for... nobody will miss us.