Good point.

For Atlanta, I see 0 As that are in the MD88 or higher paying category cascading down to the 717 because of displacements above, instead, there are 18 vacancies. The Bs will move 52 from higher paying categories down into the lowest and shift another 127 over from the 9.

---- show my math:
For Atlanta there is a net change of 0 A positions for the 7ER and displaced 767. They're all absorbed and no other displacements above. Then there are 18 vacancies prior to the DC9/717, once you displace the 65 DC9As and add 145 717As you get a net gain of 98 As.

As to Atlanta Bs, if you're displaced from the 777 (-15) and 765 (-2) then that's a total of 17 displacements. But the 330 adds 25 so all of those pilots would be absorbed with 8 seats gain. But after you do the 767 closing (-84) and add 7ER (40) you end up with a net loss of 36 seats. Assuming those pilots cascade down the 73N adds 0, 320 will add 4, so 32 guys still moving down, 88 loses 20 so now 52 moving down to the 717. Add the 9 and now 127 pilots move down to the 717. But the 717 adds 145 slots so plus 18 gain for FOs in ATL.

That of course does not take into account seniority, just seats assuming the higher paying category is more senior.

Not to mention* that we are fully predicted to be wildly profitable, but the defense of that was we're locking that part in in case we're not. But if we're not, despite all the predictions, and somehow become money losing, which would require a multi billion dollar annual swing in the other direction, you know they will be coming to us immediately for pay cuts in the first place, and good luck getting those 300ish "productivity gains" back.

In any case I hope they take that money and put it towards debt. We still have a lot, of "both" kinds. I hope we don't stop at the reportedly magical 10B figure, not to mention* (omg rly?) the other long term under funded kind.


*don't you hate that expression? Its only purpose is to mention it, otherwise it wouldn't/couldn't have been mentioned.

Being the #1 guy on the list is not much different than being retired. Actually, anybody in the top 10% of a widebody captain list is pretty much retired. No minimum to fly, so you pick a couple of trips you want, maybe fly them, maybe not. Why would any of those guys go early?

The guys that are going to go early are the ones that barely made it into the captain seat and can't touch the trips they want to fly unless it's Christmas. Those are the guys that are going to wake up on a 11 hour MCO layover and just say "screw it, I'm done."

For those staring down the barrel of a Displacement and considering the switch to NYC, today was a nightmarish reminder of the joys of commuting to NY. This same storm went through MSP a few days ago with nary a hiccup or Ground Delay Program. In NYC, they cancel half the schedule and still have rolling groundstops all day and 3-4 hour GDPs. Today is one of those "Ya can't get there from here days"

Don't forget the claim, note, and DC plan in the interim. I bet he got over $1,000,000 between those three, plus the salary, plus the benefits (medical), etc. There are a lot of guys that took a check that ended up regretting it.

Some good analysis so far.

Wow, with a bunch of MD-90s coming this year, 737-900s, and 717s, this is a zero hiring shift downwards of everyone. Virtually every category "is overstaffed" now. I'm sure the usual suspects will come on here and tell me how great the rain is, but from where I'm sitting it sure does smell like **** to me.

If this is what we have to look at with three types of new aircraft coming onboard, a "TA that will generate hiring", and a hugely profitable airline comfortably done merging in an industry that has finally rationalized down to 4ish like everyone said would be so good for the industry...

Well, den yummy yummy! I sure nuf do like dat yellow rain!
I predict I will move backwards at least a percent to continue my decade long slide downhill.

My impression as well.

The rub will be that they have to staff the 717's, that means more incentive to "push" on this bid. The number of backfills are always the unanswered question in these AE's.

Keep in mind these 98 additonal captain positions in Atlanta. I would think it is going to absorb a lot of the first officer displacements.

Forgot to mention what else we funded with the ratification:

Context- Ed Bastain speeking at investor's confrenece.

So we saw that there was a real opportunity to make a fairly significant sea change in a relatively short duration of time that if we were able to align the interest of all parties that we could bring about a big opportunity and in fact we teased it last year at the investor meeting.
We gave you a little sense that the 50-seat RJ maybe a thing of the past. We weren't quite sure how we were going to pull it off but we had some ideas and we've, I'm pleased to say that we've gotten most of the way through the restructuring and so we've got a clear line of sight to getting that RJ fleet down to about a 125 (inaudible). Part of that clearly was the opportunity we jumped on with AirTran and the 717s.
Part of it was the opportunity that we had when we renegotiated with our pilots and we used that as some of the motivation to do a deal early rather than late and get additional scope flexibility with respect to 76-seat RJs which we just announced last week, the order of 40 additional CRJ 900s and with Bombardier’s assistance they are going to facilitate the removal of another 60 of those 50-seaters

Any rumor if the long time new hire recruiter DAL pilot (shares the same name as a ancient Greek Philosopher) will be doing new hire interviews in the future?