Actually, the integration method was pretty radical. All NWA and DAL pilots were to be "slotted". As each side had attrition, each side's pilots would move up to the next "slot" for that airline. It was remarkably similar to the "dynamic seniority list" someone presented here a while back...each side preserved the attrition that it brought to the table. This part of the SLI was SOLVED!
There was NO problem with a relative seniority merger at all. In fact, unlike what we'd been led to believe here, the NWA team was pushing this along with the dynamic list concept. But the problem was the slotting ratio, which VASTLY favored the DAL pilots. It wasn't even close to a 1.4 ratio, which is what a even split (percentile list) would have created. It was closer to a 1.8 ratio, which backloaded the list with NWA guys. It didn't come anywhere NEAR a "relative seniority" merge. There were guys that were going to have double digit percentile shifts and made an out of proportion number of NWA guys furlough fodder (which, apparently, DAL management suddenly decided to welch on).
Nu