A few years ago our guys (UAL) were lamenting Delta pilots being able to upgrade within two years and saying things like “I’ve been here over a decade and can’t hold captain”. Now, due to a once in a two decade turn of events, there are a ton of NB captain slots to be filled and the common phrase of the day is “yeah, but not in SFO”, or “not if I have to commute and or sit reserve “. It’s a once in a career shortage that will work itself out. My guess, next vacancy will have a ton of Mid Continent (ORD/DEN/IAH) NB captain vacancies (those are the senior bases for 320/737)and the company will absorb the cost to flow flying through the other hubs to a greater degree than they already do today with new hires going into the 777/787 to fix that issue. It’s not quite as great of opportunity to exert leverage as many would like. Our section 20 (scheduling) for the new contract has supposedly been agreed upon months and months ago. This might speed up the pace of the outstanding items to get towards a TA by late Spring of next year but I have no inside knowledge and am just taking a guess here.