Originally Posted by BE19Pilot

The Colgan and Mesaba purchases are going to go down in history as some of the stupidest transactions in history. However, this is looking at from our own narrow view as employees. I suspect that there was more going on below the surface, and DAL has been in on this for a long time. I am not angry, because I realize that it's business and you have to be dispassionate as a CEO in order to discharge your duties to the shareholders.
The bottom-line for the airlines is transitioning from the current business model and onto another one that is profitable. Unfortunately, we find ourselves in the painful transition period and the handwriting is on the wall about what and how many jobs (of high pay/QOL) will be left when the dust finally settles.
It is reasonable to assume that what the airlines look like in 5 years is going to be much different than it is today. I think we will see an overall reduction in capacity and airframes at the regional level, more flying of larger airplanes, but less total airframes at the legacy carriers. This is going to translate into more full airplanes flying to less cities and less often. EAS is going to be eliminated as a line item in the federal budget and this will open the door for some entrepreneurs to come in and serve markets with the right airplane, frequency and price.
I am not saying that any of the above is good for the overall health of the piloting career, but it is just a theory. The next evolution is going to be development of a man-monitored UAV grid for air transportation. This is also going to be painful, but how many of you have ever had a ride on a train with no one driving?