As far as the 765 to NYC...all 21 of them? What routes will it serve? Wondering who will follow it up to NYC and how big the category might be.

Where could you park those things in JFK? There isn't enough room as is? Unless there will be a mass exodous of 763s, but, there are some routes out of NYC that just can't justify the 765 much less the ER. I could see some 765s, but all of them?

Pardon my ignorance but what is a 765?

767-400

not sure why they did not just designate it 764, but I am sure I am not seeing the big picture

Wasn't it because the 764-400 was split between international and domestic and when you would bid the category the 765 was international and 764 was the domestic, now the domestic 764 is gone so its just 765.

Are we still looking for a mid summer AE? If you can't hold 767... that means shrinkage somewhere in the ATL system, is that shrinkage without replacement or shrinkage with replacement?

Lets see, 765 goes to NYC, then you could see 765 pilots going to the ER and 767 possibly, that could bump 767 pilots again. But where to? I thought the 88 was going north, so if the 88 shrinks then are we talking fewer spots there as well so either the 320s or 9s are coming down to replace or ATL is shrinking. Something tells me ATL isn't shrinking, so who's coming?

I am assuming it would be a shift in a/c. That is something that has been talked about for a year or two. It was a debate between the 330 and the 765. The 765 is better suited for the routes out of JFK. SD stated it at the PTC meeting so they are leaning that way now.

They are debating the need for a surplus on the ER for winter. With the 10% cut, they will have a little more of a surplus than anticipated. Now the trick here is that they also need all of those bodies next summer, so they have to decided a few things. One, do they need to surplus pilots to the 88b to make sure that the TLV for the year is within contractual limits, Two, is the surplus award worth the cost in training for a few months, vs keeping the 88 short staffed. They are mulling these things over right now.
As for the basing moves post SOC. It sounds more and more likely that the 88/90's will be coming from SLC and go to MSP. The ER will be leaving JFK and going to SEA, the 330's from SEA are up for grabs, but ATL is becoming a better and better possibility. Initially JFK was going to be their home, and their might still be some there, but they are better suited for the ATL route structure. As of late they are talking about moving the 765 for JFK, which is better suited for their routes. The 320 is looking like it may have a small home in SLC and CVG. It can do what they need a 800 or 757 to do out of CVG. It is a small jet and gives them better pricing power on these routes currently flown by the DAL-S fleet.
The one airplane that has never been mentioned anywhere, is the 737. The 700's are route specific, so they may not move at all.
Current thinking is that all of these changes will take about two years worth of AE's and surplus bids to do. Even one of these changes will cause a major training footprint. Do all of these, and yes, I expect to get bumped from the 767. Why? Because there are just to many people in ATL that live here that do not want to commute. Seniority will win. ATL is going to get real senior real quick.
As for when the AE is going to be posted. Some say May, some say late summer. In effect, who knows.

Does that mean more 88's are going to the desert? (Or as we used to call it... USAir's Mojave hub!)

Well route management does not want to park them. They want the 90's as a growth aircraft. Flt Ops seems to think that given the current restrictions on hiring et al that the 90's need to be one for one with the 88's.

That said, the Route guys always get what they want, and I am sure there is some sort of a power struggle going one. We need bodies and they do not want to hire. Well, if we do not hire, something has got to give. That or, we need to give in and hire to operate the planes route wants to put on given markets. They would love the 90's ( not 900's the MD-90) to replace 50 seat jets on a 2 for 1 type of deal. ( 1 MD-90 for two 50 seat jets to the desert) Got it. I did not want to confuse nor alarm people.