[THREAD DRIFT ALERT...apology in advance]
"Delta's pilot wages and benefits were decimated by the 2005 bankruptcy and they are still playing catchup over a decade later..."
Airbubba,
You're right about THAT !! When the water reached the upper deck and I followed 2000+ other rats down the mooring lines to dry land in 2003, the top end MD88 capt rate was $227/hr. Just to ballpark the issue without claiming infallible process or accuracy, put that number in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Stats CPI inflation calculator and it's $297. The new AIP offers $253, or close to that neighborhood.
Resume normal speed. :-))