It also takes daily Microsoft Excel spreadsheet monitoring, the ability to 1 to 3 day drop/pick up trips (not many guys can find room on their calendar to fit a four or five day), and constant babysitting. One wheel flies off the axle (sick kid=you gotta be home a week, etc) and your potential 10 months of planning to the nit noid is thrown into the trashcan.

You are eligible to pick up premium, in accordance with seniority etc. You don't "jump to the front of the line" or anything.

Seniority movement at AA is about twice the speed as seniority movement at DL for a new hire today.

The hiring wave at DL has ended. AA is a better place to be a new hire (base and commute considerations excluded).

If you're going to commute DL has a 2 flight commuter policy (with stipulations), AA has a 1 flight commuter policy (no stipulations).

I would not put that in your decision matrix. First of all, you can non rev on airlines other than the one you work at, I've used Lufthansa and British Airways with great success. Second, our (AA) international destinations are pretty dang good for non revving IMO. Third, our non revving system is fantastic IMO because it's first come first served (some people hate that). We get to travel based on check in time (and some minor other categories that aren't important for this discussion) first to check in is first in line. So when you check in the day prior, you have a pretty good idea where you sit for the flight. If it looks bad, I'll often change my game plan the day prior. On Delta, it's seniority based. So you never know when a 30 year employee will list late and push you down the line.

Not saying you should come to AA, just that I wouldn't consider this in your decision.

There are employees at DL that have been at DL more than 65 years, so you certainly have a point there….

Playing the IMAX game is hard to do but plenty of guys make it happen. I randomly, by dumb luck, created partial IMAX months. Do 2 trips and get 75-80 hrs of pay... and could do premium for 20 days a month.

Plenty of guys do well with it and as happened to you making one mistake in the glide path doesn't mean you get completely screwed. Maybe you just have to fly one trip instead of getting the whole month off.

It's a goofball system but it's worth learning how to exploit it.

about 1000 guys company wide do IMAX

6.25% of the 16,000 Pilot force

I didn't make a mistake. I wasn't playing the IMAX game. Just back into it. Had 36 - 40 hr (?) limit, ALV was upper 70's, and I flew 2-3 trips and then had 15+ days for premium which I rang the bell on. Fly 55 (??) hrs and get 100+ hrs of pay. Buying the crew dinner sucks... ;-)

what will affect your life more, non reving few times a year or your day to day seniority at work? (I’m at neither of those carriers). Seniority is king imo with all things being equal (commuting, based, aircraft type etc.)