Simple Logic

Will Delta Agree to Northwest's Offer Without Pilot Consent?

Even relative seniority would be a windfall for the NWA pilots. Both sides must consider what their company brings to the table in regards to fleet, domiciles, contract, etc... You then negotiate with what you bring to the table. 60 widebodies at NWA cannot hold weight against the 120 widebodies at DAL. NWA's 100 or so DC9's that were built in the 1960's are prime targets for parking jets in the recession. That means furloughs. Those furlolughs should all be NWA pilots instead of DAL pilots. NWA brings pilot domiciles in Detroit, Minneapolis and Memphis, with a very small base in Seattle. Whereas DAL brings Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Cincinnati, New York and Los Angeles. DAL's pilot contract is much more lucrative than that of NWA pilots. A DAL777 Captain earns more than a NWA747 Captain.

In short, DAL pilots have far greater career expectations than their counterparts at NWA. A relative seniority integration would result in a loss in pay and schedule in the near and long term for DAL pilots, not to mention the furlough of DAL pilot families as a result of parking the archaic, gas guzzling NWA DC9's. In contrast, the NWA pilots would achieve vast increases in pay, schedule, benefits, job security and quality of life. In fact, that is why most prospective airline pilots apply first to Delta, only accepting a job at NWA if they do not have an option at DAL, AMR, UAL or CAL.