When I went to a regional they weren't nearly the size they are now and all the mainline carriers were hiring right along with the regionals so the jobs weren't being outsourced at that time. Also the contract we had in 01 at AirWilly was better than the current contract. The 146's paid well and were used primarily for ASE, not hub to hub.

Currently regionals are flying 70 and 90 seaters at lower rates. Heck most of the 70 seat rates are less than the 50 seat rates at AirWilly when soft money if factored in.

This is not a regional vs major crapshoot, as you put it. It's about getting the flying back to mainline so pilots can't be whipsawed against each other.

Even when flying at the regionals I would have gladly had my job eliminated if it meant that flying went to mainline. Instead all of the UAL flying AirWilly was doing was taken away through bankruptcy manuevering by mainline management and given to the lowest bidder. At that point in time all the AirWilly pilots were not willing to further reduce their rates and it cost them that UAL flying. They will probably be out of business in 2015 at the end of their UsAir contract since they are still way to expensive when compared to their peers.

You can believe what you want. Untill significant regional flying is returned to mainline this career will still flounder. And don't count on the looming pilot shortage to move you up, theres been a pilot shortage just about forever.

Isn't this what operation orange is about? Eliminate the whipsawing and outsourcing to the lowest bidder while restoring the profession to suitable wages and work rules?

Do you want to make your career at a regional or do you want to have a mainline career?

You didn't mention where you started your career at.