And then where did you end up when they shut Express down?

I was a MD88 Capt. 6 years after I was hired at DL, at age 32...for 9 months. Then they sold the DC9's and those guys jumped onto the MD88, spitting all us 6yr. Capts. out the bottom, back to the right seat for many years.

5 years later, as I was just getting senior enough to hold the 737-200 mainline left seat, they were pulled off the mainline and put into...

EXPRESS! :rolleyes:

I went back to the right seat in the 767. Express was a great deal only for the very junior. I hope we never see that C scale stuff again. It set a very bad precedent for the industry.

I agree, that's why I voted No for POS 96. ALPA has been telling airline managements across the industry they are willing to let their pilots fly for less, ever since they let American's B Scale onto the first ALPA property in 1985. After the B Scale it was outsourcing mainline flying to RJ's in 1991, then it was Express in 1996, and then huge pay cuts in 2004, along with pension terminations. Very little pushback by ALPA, at any of those times. In fact, to me it sounded more like, "Thank you sir, may I have another?"

Any wonder why today we are working with 20 year old pay rates?

Sad thing is we all went to Express rates. I was making $167 as captain on Express before I was kicked off. Flash forward almost 10 years and I finally make more than that (yes, could have done it a little earlier). Does this mean I'm on B scale now?

Yup, we all are now: The Bankruptcy Scale.

And as long as 51% or more keep voting yes for this crap, it will continue.

Big question is, will the 747B, 330B, and 765B's take the 717A? Junior narrow body went 8200ish...?? Seems most of the wide body FO's can hold a junior NB CA seat (7ER not included). Anybody want to guess how junior 717A will go once we have all them?

I'd be really surprised to see a significant number of senior large widebody international guys bidding down to the 717A seat. Those guys can make more money where they are in less days than if they bid down. The guys that are bidding it are the 7ERB guys that used to be able to hold nice international lines but can't anymore.

In my position, I do both domestic and international, and it's like flying for two different airlines. If I can manage to get my kids through school without upgrading, I may never bid a domestic only captain seat.

All the 777 F/O's are there by choice, they could have held MD88 Capt. years ago. Many are displaced 767ER Capts. now.

I know many of the 777 F/O's I've spoken with on trips are bypassing the Capt. seat of anything smaller than the 767ER. Many of them have already "Been there, done that, not going back to narrowbody Capt. any time soon!" I did the same thing in the right seat of the MD11, waited until I could hold reserve with move ups before I bid the 767 left seat. Having already been in the left seat of the MD88, I was still a recovering dial a flap aholic and didn't want to go back to that hell hole.

A few of the junior ones have bid off to fly the A320 and 737 Capt. seat, but I doubt you'll see any who want to fly the 717.

All true. Most guys are waiting for an int'l left seat. There's nothing wrong with the 717 per se, but in commercial aviation you are looking at biggest $$ for days away from home. The 117 issues with the 777 frms is making what used to be an 8-9 hour/day away from home more like a 6hr/day schedule and is making the 73NA, A320A, and 757A a little more attractive. Mostly folks are in a wait and see mode and will probably exodus the plane after the summer if lines don't start looking better. JMO.

I'll tell you, if I keep getting stuck with 67hr. lines I'm bidding off. That A330 to HNL is calling my name!