Delta reduction

[HA25]

All this is true, and the facts are this economy is stronger now than it was in 2008..

 

[Quack]

You're right the economy is stronger now than in 2008...but it is still on shaky ground, and that is why I think the big airlines would rather play it safe via mergers (DAL/NWA, CAL/UA, US/AWA and poss AA, SWA/AT) and shrink capacity and costs before announcing any sort of expansion, growth, or large amounts of hiring. Hiring some is good, it is still not where it needs to be to convince me that we aren't on the edge of another collapse. 100 new hires at HAL and 100 at Alaska, and another couple 100 elsewhere is a small drop in the bucket (but a start!) when you think about the number of qualified pilots ready to jump ship at the regional level. This was suppose to be the year when the flood gates opened up with age 65 kicking in, and we have yet to hear about anything more than minimal hiring numbers? Why? Reduced capacity, and an unsure economy. DAL has no plans to hire for most of 2013, AA still has vast amounts on furlough, UA is hiring (plans for 100?), which is less than 1% of their total pilots and have 1500 on furlough, SWA none, cargo none, USAir minimal. While I hope these numbers change, they don't lie.