Don't forget, CAPEX, is CAPEX. The acquisition of the MD90's was only about half the expense of getting them into service. They are much larger units of capacity at a time when we are pulling down capacity. We need to keep revenue per seat mile UP, not only for our bottom line, but to improve market perceptions of our network's pricing power. Replacing DC9's with 50% more capacity in markets will result in RASM reductions as we cut prices to fill seats.

We need something in the sweet spot of 100 to 130 pax with a 100 seat cost footprint. The E175 is a lot closer to meeting that need than an MD90, with the added benefit of outsourcing the CAPEX off our balance sheet. Wall St. seems to think anything outsourced is cheaper, regardless of whether it is true or not. (one unused resource available to ALPA is running and publishing our own analysis of the costs of outsourced flying and changing perceptions that we're just too darned expensive to perform the work we perform)

Hence the reason they keep saying "we hate RJ's" but keep signing contracts for more of the "RJ's" that offer mainline type amenities.