I agree that regionals shrinking is a good thing. What I am saying is that hiring will be disproportionate. We wont see many guys from ASA getting on with Delta like we used to. Contract or no contract we will shrink in an expeditious manner. I really think that from this point forward the ASA side isn't planning on upgrading. They need FO's and not enough captains are leaving or will leave to justify upgrades in mass (maybe a handfull, under ten or so every three months). They will simply shrink to fit.

Eventually we will get on with the majors with tens of thousands of sic hours. By that time, all those who went to TSA/Compass/Mesa/gojets will have upgraded, got pic turbine and advanced to a major well before we were ever looked at. I'm not saying this just to flame. I feel it is just the way some things work. Timing and luck have much to do with this. I tell people this sincerely; never work for a regional, get a different gig when you are young, corporate, mil, etc. Bypass the nightmare. Honestly i think the new FO's will simply go where the upgrade is. Even though the contracts suck at the carriers upgrading, they will be captains so quickly that they will still make more money flying in the left seat then they would flying the right seat at any other regional bar none. It's a tough hiring situation, but SJS is alive and well, it always seems to prevail.