The Delta 744 is a great ride. I flew them twice in April of this year. BE is the way to go if you can swing it. IMHO, the 16 will survive until 2018-2020 and then they will be gonzo. I really hope Delta buys the 777-300 ER to replace them. I'd bet my next paycheck they will get a sweetheart deal from Boeing for 20 or so frames.