Originally Posted by bedrock

The regional business model is pretty transparent by now.

1. Underbid the other guy, so that you have the tiniest of margins.
2. Go to your pilots and say you can't make money, so cuts must be made.
3. Get concessions
4. Make cuts to staffing by firing the qualified and experienced and replace with the unqualified and experienced at lower pay
5. See step 2.
6. Furlough
7. Bankruptcy
Ensure your senior execs get multi-million-dollar golden parachutes because you 'need seasoned leadership to guide the company through these difficult times'.
8. Start new airline
9. See step 1.

pilots are viewed as a commodity or stock. Buy low, sell high.

The only way to stop this, is don't allow yourself to be commoditized by chasing ephemeral promises of upgrade.