I don't think getting rid of the seniority system is a great idea for current regionals. This industry is based on the seniority system and would require a complete and chaotic nightmare to implement.

I would suggest a existing regional starting a separate company and giving it a shot. I just don't think it is going to work due to the fact that nearly everyone that makes it through new hire is completely qualified to safely fly the plane s/he is qualified in. Proficiency is a whole new story that honestly cannot be evaluated well.

How would you rate pilots? Who has the best PA announcement and smile? Or who brown nosed the "grader" the most? I could honestly see that being the single most corrupt system the industry has ever seen.

Honestly, regional pilots are mainline pilots and the seniority system is the best way to provide order and prevent people abusing a merit based system.

Look at it this way. If all the regional seniority lists were stuck onto the bottom of the majors, would people be complaining the same? This would obviously require a change to the seniority system. 1st pay at $25/hour and 2nd at $40/hour with x% increases all the way to 25th year pay.

How about that idea? Would that be better? The gap between 1st year mainline FO and 2nd year FO would be eliminated since its now with the 1st-2nd year regional FO where it honestly should be. This would eliminate the top heavy regionals. It honestly would probably decrease the costs with the majors as far as crew pay is concerned because the extra 10 years added to the top of the payscale would be much greater than the 1-8 year upgrades at the regionals. Of course training would be higher but the regionals make it happen with a profit(mostly) and the majors due so it should equal out.

Of course you will have the regional lifer as mad as can be when he can't be in the top 10% of the seniority list for the top-of-the-scale-plane in less then a decade but they don't have to fly the big planes...there's a seniority list for every piece of equipment and seat. The exact same as the regional model without the baggage.

This honestly could happen but the merger of the seniority list will be a disaster unless something could be worked out so that current regional pilots will not be displaced from their seat by anyone currently on the mainline seniority list and vice versa. Only open slots can be filled until everyone in the new airline was hired after the merge and then its a normal RJ to 777/380/whatever equipment list.

Example: 25 year CRJ Cpt is number 1 on his equipment. He is paid the same as before but with the new merged lists and a whole bucket full of new equipment to think about flying. He can bid into the new equipment but only if there is an opening for it. The opening must be for a captain and he must start on the bottom of that planes list, no exceptions.

This would be the tricky part, who gets that bid? Maybe whoever is getting paid the most? Thoughts??

Lets say he wants the 757. He is being paid $100/hour now since he was maxed out at his regional for 10 years. He doesn't magically get the 25 year CPT pay of $240/hour. He starts out at $100 + X% as determined before. He stays on the 757 until he retires but his pay scale stops once he hits the 757's 25 year mark. Let's say that $100 + X% is year 5 on the 757 CPT scale so he can get a raise for 20 years at X% per year which would max him out on the 757 pay scale.

But here's the thing. This 25 year CPT is almost at the top of the CRJ scale and can bid whatever line he wants at the base he wants. If he moves to the 757, he would be at the junior base for it sitting reserve.

This would allow the content regional lifer to just sit in the left seat of the CRJ with absolutely no change in his pay or QoL, just like he wants it. But it allows for him to move on without starting at the rock bottom of the mainline, just on that piece of equipment making X% more than before.

Any new hires after the merge can bid whatever they want with their bid number since they would never bid ahead of anyone pre-merge. Just like a normal airline at that point.

Now the fun part is, the mainline guys maintain their overall seniority number within the old mainline list and that acts as a normal airline and the regional guys maintain their overall seniority with the regional list and that acts as a normal airline. Remember, no mainline FO can displace a regional FO. They start at the bottom of that equipment list. And no regional FO can displace a mainline FO. Whoever has the highest pay gets the opening.

If that 5 year mainline FO on the 737 wants that same 757 opening and is paid $102/hr, he gets the spot and is placed wherever his seniority number is respective to the other mainline pilots. Lets say its at 85% on the 757. He is now there, not at the bottom and he gets paid $108/hr, the current scale based on his years with the major.

Thoughts??