I'll respectfully disagree with the optimistic masses that occupy APC. Your future young Xjetter is determined largely by one factor and that is the price of fuel. If fuel goes up (who here wants to bet it will go down?) then the planes will either have to get bigger or more efficient or preferably both in order to generate cash flow to pay the bills.
The regionals future was signed, sealed and delivered in the 08 fuel spike. This the exodus from 50 seaters. 76 seaters for now can pay the bills but when fuel goes up again it will be 90 seaters and so on so forth. Thus the massive orders for next gen 737s and Busses. Eventually in a major pilot scope held world the regionals will need a new technology ultra efficient 30-76 seat range of perhaps GTF powered props or jets and charge exorbitant amounts to deliver Joe Lunchbucket from Idaho Falls. Joe is going to have to drive quite far even for that because most regional airports will be golf courses by then. EAS survived, but not for long.
The question becomes who will fly these ever increasing sized airplanes. Does labor going forth in this country have the power to hold it's own against their opponents? Now we come to the million dollar question. That is a whole other subject.