When you calculate P&L there are a lot of variables. Look at some of the expense from our 10-K. There are very nebulous categories of expense. We have a lot of cash now and that can be spent on any number of things. We have a retirement short fall that needs funding. There is a lot of expense variance depending on how you want the year to look. Paying expenses now frees money later that can be used to dress up the balance sheet. Decisions will be made on timing as well as spending. This is the point, with a lot of cash and a lot of debt, you have a lot of levers to pull whenever you want them pulled.

You were the one who got the spelling correct though. Being in the real estate business I should at least know how to spell principal correctly on a meme generator.

This is probably true. At some point you have to ask yourself why you are doing this job though. If flying widebody international is your ultimate goal, then you probably did make a mistake in coming to Delta. And I don't know this for a fact, but I think that your opportunity to make captain is significantly better here at DAL. The end result of that is probably more money in your retirement account down the road. We all like to say it is not about the money, but honestly, it is. You are lying to yourself if you say otherwise. If it isn't, why would any of us care about retirement? When you are young, flying international is glamorous and frankly a lot of fun. As you get older, those time zones take their toll. I never thought I'd say this, but you can have Europe. (I still like Asia though) Delta's management shows zero likelihood to ever become a large widebody airline. we will never have the number of 350s that UAL/AAL has in 777s. Why should we if we allow them to JV all that kind of flying out? You hit the issue right on the nose. UAL has a bunch of RJs but they also have a bunch of widebodies. Personally I'd trade that bottom end scope in a HEARTBEAT for top end scope. I don't frequent this site as much as I used to, but I will resurrect al oldie but goodie. Longevity pay.

Fire away

Longevity pay per position, not true longevity pay you mean, right? ;)

Is that what UPS has?

You bring very good points. End of the day it is in fact all about the money. The quicker I can make switch to the A side of the plane I’ll be set. It’s the WB pay rates that make a difference as well.

It’s all perspective too man. When I was at the regionals making $26,000 a year, life sucked. Second year made $40k. Life was good. Thought well if I can upgrade I’ll be set. 3 years of making about $100k and I was thinking “man if I could get on at Delta or FDX their fo rates are 1.5-5x what I am making right now. I could live on year 3 717 pay forever. Now sitting here over halfway up our 12 year scale, I look at the Captain pay and think to myself “well if I can continue working Friday-Monday 3 weeks a month I’d be set on that Captain pay. Funny how our minds work for sure.

Back to trying to figure out this AE now....

It's like the more money we come across
The more problems we see

CA and FO, yes. The seat still matters, just not the airplane. Let DAL buy whatever they wan, just pay us for our talent/experience. Once that was completely absorbed in the system, it makes mergers go smoother as well.

Longevity pay makes that moot.