Originally Posted by
Cubdriver
Pure speculation, but I think the future at regional is for slightly higher salaries for a number of years to bring some of the marginally interested pilots out of the woodwork. Gradually they'll raise pay and working conditions as we are already seeing at Lakes, CommutAir and a few others. They are extremely reluctant to dramatically raise pay because once that happens it is impossible to put the cat back in the bag. We'll see piddling raises for years to keep the marginal people coming. Airlines are very good at chiseling costs and will not stop doing that any time soon but I doubt we'll see any of them fold due to lack of pilots.
Aren't they all trying to offer incentive pay for first yr, instead of wage increases? That and new flow schemes will be the next step. Maybe later there will be some sort of set-up with aviation programs where an airline subsidizes part of your training in return for an agreement to work for them for a certain amt. of time. I can see the return of Delta Academy, for example.