Originally Posted by Bucking Bar

Curls did a great chart of DL pilot career progression.

Most harmed were the 2001to 2007 hires who got caught at the bottom by bankruptcy & outsourcing*, age 65, and the Northwest merger. The 92 to 96 hires got trapped too, but they were mostly in the top half when they stagnated. To put the degree of this into context, a 2014 hire hit 50% in year 10; a 2001 hire took 20+ years to hit 50%.

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McKinsey & Company ran the bankruptcies and the outsourcing for both companies. The more details I learn the more it is apparent that breaking scope, shedding the pilots' defined benefit plans, re-fleeting with RJs and bankruptcy were all coordinated, intentional, actions. Delta almost lost control of their process. NWA management was more brutal but managed their cash better.