The sad thing was that at one point in time, folks could bank on a career at a commuter/regional. Think of places like Air Wisconsin, Rocky Mountain Airways, Comair, or even American Eagle.
IMHO, the thing that destroyed the regional dream was the constant bidding for flying. The only way to get it back is either mainline ownership with scope protection (American Eagle before bankruptcy) or bring the flying back in house at the majors.
Originally Posted by
Cubdriver
Joking, or you mean $140k? Some regional captains already make twice that, I hear it is possible to break six figures if you try at some of the better companies (XJT for example). From what I can tell, being a regional lifer is not a low paying job necessarily, it just sucks not having a future at a major without random luck playing the main role in getting the job.