I really don't think staffing on group I is that big of an issue. Yes they are having trouble keeping the very bottom reserve spots filled, but they are having the same trouble with 767 F/O spots and even the very bottom spots on the A330 go very junior. Basically every fleet nobody wants to be the bottom guy so long as there is good movement, might as well wait a few more months and enjoy some seniority in your current fleet. It's not like they are cancelling flights, they just offer a little premium pay every once in a while.

If you grow the Group I fleet it's not likely to get any worse IMHO. People will bid over if they can be in the top or middle seniority wise. Put them in a base people want (NY or BOS or even dare I say PIT) and the problem will go away.

Honestly it's not much more expensive for the company to fly these planes at mainline. They don't want to do it because they can't whipsaw the mainline pilots. I say hold the line. And don't believe Kirby for a minute when he says it's just for existing planes and orders...