As a LCAL pilot I disagree 100% with your statenent on CAL Scope. What happened after 9/11? CAL parked the DC-10's, MD80's and CAL Express exploded. There was a limit to 59 seat jets but it was very high, close to 300 I recall. Our scope clause was pathetic.

Our current scope clause is industry leading. It's not about seats, it's about protecting mainline pilot jobs. With our scope choke the only way they grow beyond our current 70/76 RJ flying levels is with mainline growth. As a percentage UAL today has far less RJ flying as a percentage of mainline size then CAL post 9/11. Additionally CAL had no mainline single isle block hour ratios like in our contract, or clauses to remove RJ seats if mainline furloughs.

Unlike what happened to CAL post 9/11, if UAL shrinks today then UAL Express flying shrinks.

Just jumpseated on a DAL -319 from VPS-ATL.

That means DAL is flying their mainline -319's, -717's and -88's into PNS and VPS where all we still fly are the 50 seaters.

It's time to start flying mainline into the Gulf Coast region!

It is probably known within DAL as the "Employee Shuttle". I have no idea how many DAL employees commute from their, but it might be way into the 4 figures.

They need mainline aircraft to position crew. I am only surprised they aren't flying 767-400's to PNS and VPS.

Jun-Aug they fly their 757's into both.

DAL may shut down if they didn't fly mainline to the GC.