eugdjinn wrote:I've been waiting for someone to mention the pay rate for DL pilots for the 777 as both a direct reason that the fleet never grew to more than 18 between the two variants, and as a -huge- incentive to retire the type. My understanding was that (at least in part) DL management agreed to a pay rate that was excessive for the 777, fully knowing that both AA and UA pilots would insist on DL +X%. And in making their own rate nearly prohibitive with the small fleet, the intent was to make life truly impossible ('happy bankruptcy UA!') for the competitors with serious fleets.
Was I mistaken? APC suggests now that A350 rates match those for 777. But that now means that the pilot's wages may in fact make an argument for keeping the A359 fleet minimal, just as it may have kept the 777 fleet small.
Your thinking is completely misguided. Divide wage rates by number of seats for DL widebodies and narrowbodies. The 777 and 359 are not out of whack.
https://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/air ... _air_lines