Yes, but while I don't have time to pull the quotes from Aviation Week I think it is fair to say AAI put a lot of pressure on DAL. This is a hunch on my part but I bet they're probably the #1 LLC that ran a hub and spoke. I don't think you could have been much cheaper than AAI and yes while their A's made about what an 88 A at DAL makes on Chapter 11 rates their FO pay was almost punitive in nature.

So just as this thread alludes to by saying AAI pilots will get a windfall on pay increases the truth is our #1 competition in ATL and probably our #1 thorn in our side when it comes to pay are all about to increase substantially. That to me is a good thing. And it's a great thing for AAI FO's especially and congratulations.

And sure it means competition will come in stronger than AAI, or at least louder. But by every account DAL management is salivating over the opportunities that lay ahead and as an employee I want to be at the #1 airline, not just the largest, and I think SWA will push DAL to be better.

So to me, it's a good thing. I think the only people this is a bad thing for is SWA FO's. Already facing a bit of seniority stagnation due to decreased growth and way too many young Captains they're about to get merged with cultural outsiders. I could see how that would be frustrating. All of this really is not for this thread but rather the eventual SWA vs DAL in the A-T-L thread.

But a staple isn't going to happen. Go back to the DAL-Alaska vs DAL-Hawaii merger SLI scenarios. One is apples to oranges in operational scope (DAL and Alaska) and one isn't although DAL is 19 times the size of Hawaii.

But in either case, your company is making a move that it see's not as charitable rescue in nature but rather an important business move and thus to an arbitrator there will never be a reason for nor would our pilot group advocate a staple of any type. Management thinks it needs the other airline to succeed thus the middle ground between straight ratio or DOH and a staple will be found.