Pilots have much to lose during mergers

ByABC News
March 10, 2008, 12:08 AM

— -- Don't ask Scott Theuer about the benefits of airline mergers. He'll tell you his life's story.

Theuer, 52, has been a pilot for US Airways 22 years. But because of two past airline mergers and other industry turmoil, he has been a captain for only three.

"My career advancement has been delayed because of mergers," says Theuer, now a Philadelphia-based Boeing 737 captain.

Job seniority the number of years at an airline is the central staircase of a pilot's career. Where one is on that staircase relative to peers determines what job a pilot holds, what plane a pilot flies, on which routes, for what salary. The lower the seniority number, the better one's shot at a captain's seat in the largest planes commanding the top pay. The higher one's seniority number, the lower one's rank. In a downturn, pilots with the highest numbers get laid off first.

No quick solution

Without a joint list, Delta and Northwest can't truly merge, consolidating their fleets and routes to maximize profit. If the airlines' executives make their merger deal before the pilots reach agreement, they risk months or years of debilitating internal conflict.

Resolving the seniority list could take weeks.