Originally Posted by
Pilotpip
You know, ALPA could have held the line years ago and put the RJs on mainline property. However the guys that are long since retired were more concerned with hourly rates and pensions which are in some cases long gone as well.
I like to mention this when I'm told that it's our (low timers) fault that we're flying 70 seats for 50 seat rates which are really the same as 19 seat rates.
Actually if you do a little bit of reading, the manufactures pitch it to the majors first, then management pitch it to the pilot groups, and one by one they all said that the 50 seaters were too small for them to fly....five years later, there's an overwhelming amount of regional jets about the place and 70 seaters start coming into the picture. Ten years later we are where we are. At the end of the day the union can only do so much, it was left up to the manipulation of management and the lack of foresight on behalf of the guys at the majors in the mid 90's. CAL held the line and continues to hold it, but outside of that realm all the other players can do now is hold the line at 75 seats or whatever they gave in on.
If you ask me, anything with jet engines should have gone to mainline, but I guess those guys were just too good for them.