It seems futile to argue about upcoming MD-90 deliveries, or even the company's RFP. The best (and maybe "only") way to settle debates about whether the company will and will not order an airplane is an airframe with Delta paint, in service.

Meanwhile, we're back to 2008, and the company has to tell Wall Street they'll shrink if needed, and tell us they'll grow as much as they can. Once again, our fates are fluctuating with the price of crude, our cracks spread...

The only thing worth talking about is contractual rules that need to be modified, such as the "nugget" Jonhso29 referred to. There need to be penalties on the RJ side, for when the mainline fleet shrinks. For example, we need to have Delta pilots operating a number of ERJ's/CRJ's. When the company is out of compliance, airplanes need to be shifted over to us. The point that Bar made is valid: right now, the MD-88 and DC-9 fleets are serving as the airline's accumulator.