It's funny how many people seem to ignore this little FACT.

Trying to extract the productivity that an RJ is capable of from a legacy contract would get VERY EXPENSIVE. Considering the rigs, min day credits, monthly credit caps etc. Compile that with what 117 has done to regional sector.

The simple answer? Well, simply reinvent the B-scale, AGAIN. Bring the RJ's in house, under better rates, but under a different set of work rules that would allow the extraction of those efficiencies without the pesky legacy work rules (labor costs) getting in the way...........

It simply turns into a self defeating concept that you explained. Who wants to go to work at a legacy if they have to start on small paying equipment with crappy work rules? Again, basically a B-scale.

Now, that all too easy retort to that is "well, with the pilot shortage, a pilot won't be on the that B-scale very long". Sure, right. Another terrorist attack, another economic collapse, another massive oil price spike, whatever. A pilot could be stuck there for a loooooooong time. Ask a junior USAir/UAL Airbus pilot how happy they were to be on reserve, under that crappy concessionary contract, under crappy work rules, for damn near 10 years

If it was cheaper to bring the regional feed in house, it would have happened A LONG TIME AGO.

The way Delta is running right now, if they could find a way to make it cheaper bring the regional feed in house, they would have done it.