The RMA was based on years of service not age. The max was 120k but I don't know how it broke down by years.

 

That's government style accounting. They didn't get as much for their service, true, but hardly qualifies as paying the company. Kind of like the rhetoric I keep hearing about the 747 guys losing money by hanging around until 65. If that were true, why are they still here?

 

This is what KILLS us at the bottom, and makes all this hiring and retiring meaningless to the guys already here and in the bottom third, as far as advancement goes: all the upward movement is stopped via "no backfilling".
From the AE award info:
744 – With the news of the four 744 retirements in 2014 we will not backfill up to 10 Captains and 10 First Officers on this AE
777 – ...we will draw down the DTW-777 categories as pilots bid off and we may post DTW-777 displacements in 2015....We will not backfill up to 5 DTW Captain and DTW F/O positions.
330 – ...We will not backfill up to 15 DTW-330 F/Os on this AE.
765 – ...We will not backfill up to a total of 8 Captains and 8 F/Os on this bid.
7ER – ...At this time, we are not adding Captains and may not backfill DTW and MSP as Captains bid off. ...We will not backfill up to 10 DTW F/Os.
73N – ...We will not backfill up to 15 CVG Captain and 15 CVG First Officer pilots.
320 – ...We may not backfill DTW and MSP Captains and DTW and MSP First Officers.
M88 –...We will not backfill up to 10 CVG Captains and 10 CVG Frist Officers.

So there you have it in a nutshell, all the "openings" for Capts will be MORE THAN DESTROYED for junior advancement, by "not backfilling". Just one more in a long line of AEs that look good on the surface, and guys will come on here and post "look at all the CAPT positions Delta added!", but the details show more CAPT positions deleted via "not backfilling".

Meh, it is what it is, just getting this out there before some cheerleader gets on here telling us how great this is and how many CAPT positions we're getting...

 

Not sure I get the 777 part since the company plans a increase in 777 block hours. That is why they have been adding Captains in ATL.

 

I was referring to the early retirement program. They WOULD be foolish to pass it by since they will not go early because the company will be in no hurry to replace them.

 

Because it's not true. They are making huge amounts of money by staying.

 

We have had AE's posted for a NET gain of over 900 CA's positions since contract 2012 was signed. 775 have been trained and converted.

 

Hey, I like it when Cheerleaders get on here. What you got against Cheerleaders?

TSquare ... need some help here.

 

I'm going to South Carolina this year... I'll get back to ya.

 

And that would be exactly what Mr. RoadKill was talking about.

Sailing that sounds really great, but the fact is that as a 2001 hire who still resides on ATL88B, I can tell you I've moved up maybe 20 numbers in my category this last year.

Just keep telling us how great it is.