Originally Posted by
SkipperBaloo
You mean the same guys and gals that subsidize profit margins and profit sharing at majors? Those regionals?
LOL! You really think that the regionals make money for mainline? Sure, if you do creative accounting tricks like the way mainline accountants do it. Take a $200 one way GRB-FLL fare where it's GRB-ORD on an RJ and ORD-FLL on mainline. Attribute $175 of that fare to the GRB-ORD leg and voila! regional flying's profitable.
In the real world, Independence Air (and ExpressJet?) weren't able to make the numbers work as independent airlines flying RJs. The CASM on RJs is not competitive with mainline jets. Even if you charged RJ pilots to fly the planes, they still wouldn't make money as standalone operations.
There are a number of reasons why mainline outsources to regionals but it's not because RJs being flown at RJ payscales is profitable.