I thought hyperboly was the act of engaging in hyperbole. At least that's what I can remember from creative writing class.

Well, you shouldnt quote me. Afterall, I am an airline pilot. Im lucky I can form the occasional coherent sentence .

Who said permanently? Nothing is permanent in this business.

Maybe it is just a coincidence that there is a trip rig issue at the same time you guys had a displacement AE and we had an award AE. Luck of the North I guess. It just seems like you guys would want to support your new brothers in parity and avoid a "coincidental" whipsaw.

The trip rig issue is getting very political. When the trip rig rules are implemented nwa will be at least 300 pilots understaffed. Thus, there will be 300 or so upgrades plus hiring that will occur because of this. However, if they wait until after soc these will, for the most part, fall to Dal guys. (please spare me from showing the sli math) Moak knows this and has seen the numbers, knowing that if he can stifle this grievance until close to soc the windfall will go to the dal guys.

Further, in the past six months we have lost 110 pilots, (Dal have you guys had any attrition?) creating further shortages on our side. We have scaled back flying some which has helped with staffing but we are not in position to fly the summer schedule.

Just to get the facts straight. This AE was a split AE in two parts for the spring summer flying. The first part was already posted and was a gain in positions. The second part is dead even with no loss of positions so the overall spring flying numbers are up not down.

Opus,

I can't see how your theory is correct:

(1) Neither side is staffed for last summer's schedule. The Summer of 09 is being planned 14% below the summer of 08. That kind of year over year shrinkage is painful.
(2) That pain is being felt directly by Delta pilots taking displacements.
(3) Much of that is the result of Delta Connection Growth. The large RJ's are replacing our MD88's and the MD88's are being shifted to what was 757 flying. The 757's are getting parked prior to coming up on C Checks. We hear a new RJ has less capital acquisition cost than a heavy maintenance event on a Boeing. (Typical management burning the furniture mentality... save a buck on maintenance, spend millions with the operation of inefficient outsourced equipment)
(4) Both airlines' scope was lousy and the addition of the 76 seaters put airplanes in the mix that operate with cost specifics better than mainline equipment (although fuel coming down gave DC9's a short reprieve).

The "silver lining" for NWA is that they received the benefits of the next five years of retirements NOW, which means they have better than status quo bidding power. Delta's displacements are effectively knocking these junior Delta pilots out of the way of more senior NWA pilots.

Now when the schedules come back in late 2009 or 2010, the NWA pilots are in the position to use their seniority.

As one of the 78 Captains and 94 First Officers losing their seat, I disagree with your characterization of "no loss of positions."

PMFJI, I think what BAR means is that the seats have not left the company rather the seats have/will move to different bases. (IE away from ATL).

So... figuring I'll be displaced from the ER as 767 pilots are displaced, and while many will go north to JFK some of us might just stay ATL. So, what is the fast track training I hear about on the 88 that I am probably headed for? How fast is fast? Is it like, hit the line not knowing enough to be safe- fast?

We need to start a displacement info thread about how it all works from training to pay. I'd do it. But some of you guys know more.

I agree, start the thread.