Johnso,
First of all, this is not an attack (your posts are level headed and not inflamatory), but just my opinions as to why mgmt will fight tooth and nail to keep flying seperated.
1. We tend to forget that the real culprit is the DOT changing the rules back in the early 80's (all part of the rush to deregulate and let the market rule) that allowed Joe's airline to fly for Bob's airline using Bob's name and paint. This amazing gift to airline mgmt., allowing them to move flying from one airline to another while still presenting themselves to the public as one seamless operator, started all this. Beware theorists bearing gifts of less regulatory intrusion.
2. While possibly originally meant to be a de-regulatory gift to certain commuter airlines,
( a regional airline then was Ozark, North Central, etc), as we now know, it proved to be a great deal for trunk airlines to put the screws to their employees. Southern airlines used to fly MetroLiners. Ozark, F-27's, Noth Central CV-580's, etc. It didn't take long for all Turbo prop flying at long established 121 carriers to disappear. Step 1.
3.All the long established regional airlines, operating DC-9's and such, were absorbed by a "legacy". The only exception was Allegheny who merged/grew themselves into a main line legacy, but while still outsourcing any small aircraft flying.
4. The arrival of the CRJ. No longer was the outsourced feed restricted to roughly a 300 mile leg. Also, Bob's airline could do hub raiding. Non-stop service to medium size point to point markets. Great idea. Except Tom, Dick, and Harry all came up with the same thought, much to ATC's dismay. Now even more RJ's, soon to be rolled back into hub feed as fuel went up.
5. ALPA chose to represent both regional pilots and mainline pilots leading to a situation which a growth oriented contract at a regional hurts the careers of a mainline pilot and a regional growth (scope) restricting contract at the major hurts the career of the regional pilot. An obvious paradox that ALPA hasn't yet figured out an answer for.
(please, for all those that will immediately shout that it isn't a harm to the regional pilot as it will open up more mainline jobs, it would take me too long, but the School of Chicago economic theories can't work for most, and they wouldn't work for a large number of the RJ guys and gals)
6.The majors started signing up multiple Regional partners. JACKPOT!
They just checkmated ALPA's (and labor unions in general) strategy of pattern bargaining. Any regional that makes any significant gains in compensation (pay, work rules, whatever) will eventually lose their flying to someone else. Ask any ComAir pilot.
(as an aside, they did, and are doing, the same thing with small station ops. First they replaced all the long time mainline agents with regional X. Now they just give the ground handling contract to a different regional every 5 years or so. Longevity, vacation, sick leave all back to zero. Oh yeah, 6 month wait for health insurance. The shareholders and Wall Street are well pleased).
So,(if you are still reading), Delta, or anyone else, isn't about to give any flying back to one pilot group unless they have a gun to their head. As it stands now they can always shift any small aircraft flying to a different operator who will do it for less. If they give it all to mainline, they lose that power.
I have some thoughts as to some things "we" can do to fight back, but they are radical, would take legislation that is unlikely in our conservative leaning society, and would require great unity amongst ALL airline pilots. Won't happen soon.
I've already been too long winded, maybe that's another post on another day.