Originally Posted by
rickair7777
Neither alpa nor not-alpa will solve the regional problem. Remember there is only a "regional problem" in the eyes of regional pilots...from the perspective of managers (and a lot of mainline pilots) the regional systems works great!
The only solution is vertical or horizontal unity...
Vertical: Regional pilots on mainline list for the brand they fly. This is up to the mainline pilots, and is possible, though doubtless an uphill battle.
Horizontal: One union actually controlling all regional labor (not happening, even the majors don't have this). The west coast longshoreman are the only good example I can think of.
I'm not sure I agree with this assessment entirely. Many passengers recognize it for what it is, especially on the smaller "regional" jets. They know they're cramped and often have less well run operations. The regular customers certainly know this.
And I'm not even sure most mainline pilots like it. I have a bunch of friends who work at mainline carriers. We all do. Most of them don't actually like it but accept it because the system as we now know it has been in place for so long - over 20 years of RJs now. There has been incremental growth and scope decay for a long time and we now accept flights on contact carriers as the norm, rather than the exception.
Where I agree with you is that managers like it. And I suppose at some level shareholders do but even there I'm not so sure.
But I don't think the customers like it and I don't even think our friends who fly larger aircraft like it. They're commuting on someone else's metal and getting bumped and seeing their brand diminished by less reliable carriers.
We'll see what happens over the next few years. Right now the retirements are just starting in large numbers and seem to continue virtually indefinitely. Schools are not producing enough pilots to fill all the seats.