DAL pays you a salary until you checkout on your IOE. It is in effect office pay and is paid equally over two paychecks per month.

Health Care and travel bennies are day one.

As it was explained to me they do not pay for your hotel and do not give per diem since you are not checked out. Either way, they don't. Starting pay is the best or second best to FedEx. (Keep in mind CAL, UPS and AMR are in the upper 20's to low 30's) SWA, FDX and DAL start in the 50's.

It was painful, but I knew it was coming and survived it. It only goes up from there. Plan accordingly.

Most new hires will be on reserve and possibly for a lot longer than a year, even on the most junior jets. Right now we are seeing pockets of junior pilots holding lines on this or that jet, but as the AE's keep coming and keep leveling out the categories, many of us will migrate to a jet we hold the best line on. (Or the worst line we can live with) There are a few more huge bids that will take a lot the junior guys off the line holding potions on the big jets and leave them with the option of reserve or bidding down.

Either way we are about three years in to the age 65 (Dec 13th) and the retirements will start coming. FWIW, reserve needs some improving but if you can live in base it is a great gig that can give you a ton of time home with the family.