Yep - NW used to have a BOS base - guess where those guys are commuting to now? DTW - it's a lot easier to commute to JFK, where they can fly the ER and make more money.

Shoot - I talked to a DC9 Captain (who I think wasn't really senior) who has the seniority to hold 70% as Captain on the ER in NYC. He lives 40 minutes from DTW and was asking about how the commute to JFK was - he's thinking about bidding over to it when he can.

I really think there is going to be a migration out of DTW/MSP to the bases on the coasts (NYC, ATL and LAX). Many of the NWA guys are commuting long distances to fly smaller/lower paid airplanes than they can fly in the combined airplane. Even though NWA touted their "Premium Widebody aircraft" in the SLI, they really are a majority DC9/Airbus fleet.