I think our mgmt does exactly what DL/NW tell them to do. HOWEVER I do believe our mgmt gets to help in the execution of what they're being told to do.

For example:

Blue tail a/c on Airlink flights and vice versa. As a nice consolation prize for DL not allocating those 10 extra 900s to XJ, XJ was left in a precarious situation with only a 5 a/c blue tail subfleet. Tail routing to mx bases would have been a nightmare had XJ not been able to work with DL for appropriate bridge cities. Do you think it's coincidence that the SLC operation is connected to MSP, MEM and AUS? Saab bridge cities from DTW and MEM. Do you think it's coincidence that we're bridging saabs into DCI markets from NWA markets? According to JR, XJ was able to work with DL to fly to bridge cities to make the a/c flow and staffing work.

So... I believe again, while our mgmt will bend over backwards to make DL happy, they do get to voice an opinion, to make what DL wants, actually work. If they didn't it would be completely counter productive for DL.