Originally Posted by deltajuliet

Pretty much why we all came to Mesa. Others went to other regionals a while back, the economy went bad, and then their upgrade times suddenly shot up by years. And you're absolutely right, who wants to do that? Who in their right mind would want to be a regional FO for eight years?

The problem some other people have with Mesa is they feel we underbid other carriers by accepting lower wages, thereby forcing other carriers to cut wages to their employees and causing a "race to the bottom." I don't think that's true, and many others don't either. Many regionals (most? all?) have accepted contracts at a loss because they'd lose more money by having their planes sit unused. These bidding wars between regionals are far more significant than what pilots make, especially when Mesa is basically the same as the rest of the industry. In fact, a while back I made a post that sparked some controversy by having two hypothetical pilots go to Mesa and SkyWest. My theory was that the Mesa guy would come out with more money (due to reaching Captain pay much sooner) and have a lot more seniority at a major airline later since he could get hired there sooner.

What makes this all a passionate discussion right now is that Envoy (American Eagle) pilots have rejected American's contract offer twice in the last few months to try to get a better one; they felt the offers were bad. Now it seems American might just give the offer to Piedmont instead. The Envoy pilots were viewed as taking a stand for the industry, but now it doesn't look good for them.

They should be respected for taking that stand, but there's a sense that anyone who will accept less is essentially stabbing them in the back. With that whole thing, the ball is now in the court of the Piedmont pilots. The problem is, if they don't accept it, they won't get any new planes to replace their old fleet that will be gone in a few years. The economics dictate that they accept in the interest of survival and having a job. But that goes back to the sense of betrayal between pilots.

It's all convoluted and emotional, but at the end of the day, like you, I don't think sitting right seat for eight years sounds fun, prudent, or beneficial. Pilots will always argue, especially with the Internet's anonymity, but at the end of the day you have to do what's best for you. Consider where you live (is it a base for another regional you could see yourself at?), or where you might want to live, as well as career progression. Many think regionals should be a career job; I do not.