Originally Posted by Jack Bauer

Lets take the highest and one of the lower Captain pay rates that topped out in 2004:

B777 Captain $317/hr
B737 Captain $226/hr

Rates for these two aircraft when the current contract expires in 2012:

B777 Captain $225.75/hr
B737 Captain $181.20/hr

The B777 pay would have to increase aprox 41% to hit the old number (not adjusted for inflation).
The B737 pay would have to increase aprox 25% to hit the old number (not adjusted for inflation).

When you add inflation averaged at 3% over 8 years (65% and 49% increases respectively for the two aircraft below) then the pay would need to be as follows to match the 2004 pay rate.

B777 Captain $393/hr
B737 Captain $280/hr

Now that we have 747-400 in the fleet we could also take the top pay of 2004 for United contract 2000 that Delta pay rates were based on. To get the same pay, based on inflation from 2004 to present pay would be as follows.

B747-400 Captain $440/hr

Also don't forget International override at $8/per hour. Night override $15/hr

With that said I think a higher number than my earlier 30% over three years is appropriate. If no work rules were changed as you suggested for the sake of discussion, yet even a higher number would be in order.

Its going to take some serious negotiating/solidarity to get anywhere near those numbers and certainly Moak out of the equation.