The "problem" is, in a free market, the "market" demands a service and the companies "supply" it and there is really not much else that can alter this fairly simple process. I was watching a news story the other day (again) about how crappy regional pilots are paid and when they interviewed a bunch of random people about it... ALL of them said that it was horrible / unacceptable / scary / etc.

The funny thing about this story is that all of these people SAY that this practice is bad... but what do you think they do when they buy their airline tickets.... they find the ABSOLUTE lowest price with out taking ANYTHING else into consideration! They go from site to site, company to company, and even go as far as altering their travel plans (departure/destination/day of the week/etc.) JUST to get the cheapest possible price.

When all the "market" really (in reality, not in front of a camera) cares about is price... then that's what the airlines must cater to and that's how us pilots continue to get low balled lower and lower. As much as I wish I could blame these "ruthless" company managers for this practice, they are at the mercy of the market's pressures.

If the "market" started to care about professionalism / experience / training of pilots / safety / etc... then the "market" will have to start DEMANDING that stuff by looking at things OTHER than the absolute, rock bottom lowest price in order for these companies to start "supplying" that type of stuff.