The primary currency management will tender the pilot group in exchange for more 51-76 seaters is the reduction in 50 seaters which are going away anyway, and/or B717's that our scope clause already owns. Plus we just might end up with several poison pills for later on down the road. Maybe we increase the weight limits and they use E190/195 as 76 seaters with a large first class, then next downturn they squeal about how they need to add the seats to save the company, etc.

More large RJ's will also permanently add pressure to our narrow body flying. Maybe we have enough inertia today to justify 717's but will that always last with more and more large RJ's being flown by the most ruthless low ball bidders in the industry in perpetuity?

We only have 9 737-700's and probably less than a decade's use out of most of our 319's even if we do run them til they cycle out. Other than those, the vaporware 717 and the ancient −9, which WILL be parked in the near future regardless, will be the only thing under 150 seats. Even if we get the 717's, and even if we get all of them, some will be replacements anyway and we're still left with an orphaned last gen airframe at our smallest seat range with more DC-9-10 replacement jets farmed out to the lowest bidder?

And there is NO WAY the company is going to eliminate all other outsourcing and give us the most dominant scope in the universe if we only allow a few more 76ers into the system. As much as they love their cut throat RJ RFP's, they aren't about to give up their AS code share abuse and JV frenzy just to get a few more CRJ's.

And that's not even considering the next crisis, including one day when the bazillion 76 seaters they ordered, over paid for and locked in for 1000 year contracts suddenly become obsolete and they come squealing to us for more relief.

If we fall for this we're being set up big time.