Your cascading training comment makes no sense. Virtually every seniority integration includes a no bump/no flush clause. In fact moving a CR900 CA to an open A350 CA slot would create fewer training events than moving a 767 CA to that slot.
You seem to also imply that I am suggesting a merger would go DOH. It would never come even close to that but it would some type of integration other than a staple. I doubt any list would place a regional pilot into the top 50% of the combined list and probably would top out far lower. What would not happen however is a straight staple. Some weight has to be given to each of the tenants of the merger policy.
As far as being retired I have a vested interest in what happens at several of the major airlines. I also lived through many mergers personally and have close friends involved in even more. I suspect your experience is a bit more limited. The arbitration will result in splitting the baby. It would be heavily weighted in Delta’s favor but it’s highly unlikely to be a staple. If you are in the top 50% at Delta it’s a non event. Below that people might end up very unhappy.
In the end however it’s all simply speculation and I doubt Delta management would ever merge the airlines. They would stage an orderly shutdown of Endeavor and transfer the aircraft to the mainline. In another year or two they will have the surplus training capacity to easily handle such a scenario.

 

This.

Thanks for the insight. You’re one of the few relevant contributors to this forum.

 

I stopped reading when you said "what will happen". Nobody knows what "will" happen. A lot of us have ideas what "might" happen.

I know the guys in chitchat are salivating to see "junior" get hosed in a merger now, but I doubt this will be the one that does that.

You really should go sailing and let us worry about this now.

 

Spoken like “the smartest person in the room.”

 

What I stated was what would not happen. I never said what would happen. Simple common sense can tell you that Endeavor will not accept a staple. I know lots of senior pilots. I don’t know a single one salivating at the thought of junior pilots getting screwed. Most if not all are in the complete opposite of what post. The fact that you give 1 second of credibility to anything on chit chat is telling.

 

LOL nope, that's not how it works. Ever.

If they want super seniority on their planes, then when and if they bid up, they start at the bottom behind yesterday's new hires.

 

Yes, you did. Several different ways, in fact.

//Break Break//

Even if... Even if it got to arbitration, it's extremely likely the arbitrator would duly consider the career expectations, status, and category - and conclude they are all clearly 100% below every last pilot on the DL seniority list. it's actually not that complicated.

But I have an honest question. Seriously, please answer this:

Do you think any pilot currently at 9E should be senior to even one former 9E pliot who already flowed off the top of their list? And who had been senior to them while both were at 9E? IOW, do you think it's "fair and equitable" for that junior 9E pilot to leapfrog and now be the senior pilot at Delta?

 

I don’t think it’s fair but what’s fair and what will happen are two very different things. The scenario you mention has played out in past mergers in various ways. It won’t even be a consideration in merging the lists. The first thing that will happen is a constructive date of merger will be determined. Usually the day a public announcement of intent to merge is made by management. A snap shot of each seniority list will be taken on that date. Each list will then be stove piped showing what each pilot would hold if everyone bid the highest paying equipment. The arbitrator will work off those two lists. Who you worked for before and how you came to be on a list will not even be a factor that the arbitrator looks at.

 

It’s 9E, not E9. Sorry, just had to get that off my chest...

 

Doh! I need coffee, lol... Can you tell my background is biased toward the enlisted rank vs. IATA?