I wanrt to start off by saying I don't have any real numbers handy to refute your statement, but I will say that I think it misses part of the story. I'm fairly sure percentage-wise f-DAL had more widebody positions than f-NWA. But, probably notso much that you can say that NWA wan't a widebody airline. I think the real difference you are seeing, to a certian extent, the mindset of the groups.

I think for a larger portion of the NWA group, widebody international stuff is king. So, I think part of the disparity you are seeing is that more senior f-NWA guys bid widebody international stuff over everything else.

Just using my NWA seniority as an example:

I've been here over 14 years.
3 years ago was the first time I cold have held 320A.
2 1/2 years ago was the first time I could hold 744B.

So, I know just a few years ago, for six months the bottom 320 captain at NWA could not hold 744 FO. It's probably been that way off and on since I've been here.

When I was on the 757, I flew with a handfull of captains who would contemplate bidding 744 FO. I know of one guy, for sure, who did it.

Also, at a certain point in longeivty, our 747 s/o's made more than our 757 FO's and our 744 FO's made more than our DC9 CA's.

So, it's not so much that we didn't have the widebody positions, it's just that we had more senior people who wanted them.

TJMTC.

Whatever happens, like Keenster said, good luck to us all.



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