Originally Posted by
Squallrider
To your first point I think mainline will try get relaxed scope to compensate for retirements, which will help their staffing to a large extent, not completely but help.
No way in God's great earth is that going to happen, for two reasons:
1. The mainline ranks are quickly filling with guys who spent the better part of the "Lost Decade" in an RJ, and will quickly vote no on anything that includes any scope giveaways. Yes, management could offer a much larger carrot and
maybe get them to consider it, but they've also shown a strong reluctance in offering carrots as of late.
2. Even if I'm wrong and management can get scope relief, where are they going to find the bodies? Even at $35+ an hour? That amount of money, even on a wholly own certificate with a flow, as uncertain as they are, isn't going to be enough to get hordes of new prospective pilots to start working on their ratings.
I agree with your second point except they have to give a huge carrot to current mainline pilots to sign that TA off, I'm not saying it won't happen, it's because of that that we have a regional industry to begin with,
I'm not so sure about that either. The airplanes already exist, and in many cases are already owned by the mainline carrier. The pilots already exist, they're sitting in the seats already. The raises are already coming, as evidenced by new rates at TSA, offers at RAH (flawed as it was, it was still $40 first year pay). The only piece really missing is what list they're on.