For anyone who cares, by the numbers management threw out last month, Delta currently has enough cash on hand to operate for 17 months. Being generous, keeping those 1941 pilots on UNA status costs roughly $1M a day. The difference between furloughing and not is about 20 days.
This does not include any sort of revenue increase or voluntary cost saving measures that could otherwise be implemented.
Let's be clear, Delta does not have to furlough. If they truly believed in their own values, they would have tried other measures before jumping straight to the nuclear option, or simply bit the bullet and tried keeping us on staff until things really get dire, working towards a future where things never get that far.
I, more than anything, am disappointed to have my cynicism confirmed.