Delta also had over 1900 pilots take permanent early outs as of last September (15%). Couple that with a pretty steady retirement flow still in play and the company will have to hire to get back to even a healthy percentage of prepandemic flying.

Delta has 7 distinct fleet types and 7 Pilot Domiciles....We will be back to a single fleet type and 4 domiciles

What’s panic bidding?

Curious myself. In the past it referred to the senior FO’s who had been bypassing for years bidding captain just ahead of the wheel grinding to a halt. For a Bus fo to take a Boeing fo bid voluntarily is a fools errand. Much better to be displaced as long as they bid enough options for displacement.

In fairness... if there had been no PSPs and no EILs, I'm sure Zeagle would have been right. And you'd be lucky if it wasn't much worse.

Bailing early to avoid getting stuck on reserve at the bottom of a shrinking fleet while your seniors take all the available transitions?

Well here we are. Im still just taking it one day at a time. I’m working my ass off on cancellation make up crediting over 90 hours a month.

I wish the EILs hasn’t gone so senior but here’s the thing: I’m not making wildly inaccurate guesses about what is happening. Nor am I rejoicing in the misfortune that many are experiencing in their careers right now.

One day at a time


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They have made it very hard to write individuals back in private massages.... a timer after every response... I don’t have that kind of time, nor the patience. I am going to try to address all questions openly all at once.

Most FO’s will come back close to the duration of their leaves.
All 73 CA’s back by May
The current 200 or so Airbus CA and FO’s can expect to stay out close to their duration, slightly adjusted for training needs... but close for most. Captain transitions will be needed first, unsure how they will implement that. Probably, CA/CA Airbus to 73 transitions.
Almost positive SFO is closing. Right now company is trying to decide what to do with 110-140 lines of Airbus flying for the next 18mos.... Shrink both bases evenly and eat the additional rsv costs, closing SFO 10/2022 and keeping LAX Airbus open w/ 40ish lines of flying. Or slightly growing LAX Airbus for a year and closing SFO 10/2021. I would expect something out to everyone May to June timeframe. I don’t see scenario where SFO w/ co-terminal stays open but have advocated for it. The total ask at this point in my mind is a HUGE concession.
Just a swag on this one A321/LAX closure, best guess 9-30-2024.
About 30 more SEA CA’s to come back 5/1, pretty sure most SEA FO 9’s back 5/1 also.
Not many if any Airbus pilots will get the 2nd summer

Thoughts on 73 awarded EIL pilots coming back?

With everyone back we would be 320ish fat summer of 2021 in both fleets. 200ish of those are Airbus overages. That leaves us with about a surplus of 120ish Boeing FO’s for this summer. Based on your seniority and duration of your individual leaves, you could probably work backwards and see when your sand runs out of the hour glass. I would put the empty glass at 3/22 737FO and 5/22 320/FO.