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Old 05-08-2026 | 03:24 PM
  #941  
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There's no more WB Wall. It's been decimated to rubble. Just in time for a black swan tho
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Old 05-08-2026 | 03:31 PM
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Originally Posted by Planetrain
First post/Covid hire is about 10,000. At 500 retirements/year that’s 9 years to Sen#5500 with 0 WB growth and no black swans.
Over the next ten years, assuming all WB options are exercised and 330ceo/764 all retire, the WB-paying fleet will go from ~140 today to ~220 (also assuming Delta doesn’t make another new order). A 57% increase in the WB fleet. We will absolutely see some young/early COVID hires in their mid-to-late 30’s hold WBA. Especially, with Delta’s 2-captain staffing requirement.

If Delta’s long-haul ambitions are realized over the next handful of years, being an early & young post-pandemic hire will replace 2014 hire as the best time to have ever been hired at Delta.

Last edited by Ripinpeace; 05-08-2026 at 03:44 PM.
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Old 05-08-2026 | 03:43 PM
  #943  
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Originally Posted by Ripinpeace
Over the next ten years, assuming all WB options are exercised and 330ceo/764 all retire, the WB-paying fleet will go from ~140 today to ~220 (also assuming Delta doesn’t make another new order). A 57% increase in the WB fleet. We will absolutely see some young/early COVID hires in their mid-to-late 30’s hold WBA. Especially, with Delta’s 2-captain staffing requirement.

If Delta’s long-haul goals are realized over the next handful of years, being an early & YOUNG post-pandemic hire will replace 2014 hire as the best time to have ever been hired at Delta.
yowza. I thought hitting wba at age 50 was awesome lol
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Old 05-08-2026 | 03:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Rvr330
yowza. I thought hitting wba at age 50 was awesome lol
Hitting it at all is awesome
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Old 05-08-2026 | 04:10 PM
  #945  
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To paraphrase H.L. Mencken:

"Airline pilotism - The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be getting a slightly better career."
Old 05-08-2026 | 05:22 PM
  #946  
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Originally Posted by Trip7
There's no more WB Wall. It's been decimated to rubble. Just in time for a black swan tho
Whuuut? There was only one wall?? 🤣🤣
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Old 05-08-2026 | 05:24 PM
  #947  
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Originally Posted by Trip7
There's no more WB Wall. It's been decimated to rubble. Just in time for a black swan tho
There never was a wall... Only milestones.
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Old 05-08-2026 | 06:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Rvr330
yowza. I thought hitting wba at age 50 was awesome lol
It's all about growth and timing. Emirates, Qatar and Ethiad have long had Captains in their early 30s
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Old 05-08-2026 | 06:29 PM
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Originally Posted by Trip7
It's all about growth and timing. Emirates, Qatar and Ethiad have long had Captains in their early 30s
I would rather be the plug 717 FO in ATL for 10 years commuting from Hawaii than a WB CA at any of those places.
Old 05-09-2026 | 05:05 AM
  #950  
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Originally Posted by Extenda
I would rather be the plug 717 FO in ATL for 10 years commuting from Hawaii than a WB CA at any of those places.
Agree.

Which is exactly why those airlines had WB CAs in their 30s….
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