Originally Posted by
overcast
Why would any major take flow through from their own regional? Usually these flow through folks are the most senior, most experienced captains: check airmen, sim instructors, training captains. Now your regional that already has a problem finding qualified people (nobody is going to work in this industry for the abysmal wages that are being offered, bonusses are not the solution) is going to lose its cadre of people that can train and safeguard the bottom of the left and right seat seniority lists? It takes a lot of time to regrow this group of people. So why take it away? Once at the major, they are just a number on the bottom of the seniority list, so why not take them from the competition?
The whole flow through interview guarantee is just a carrot. Doesn't cost much to set up interviews, but it really boosts morale. Typing an email address on top of a "thanks but no thanks" letter takes what - 10 seconds?
Flow works because it dramatically increase pilot recruitment at the regional. Flow also reduces pilot costs at the regional because there aren't as many high time "lifers" collection maximum pay rates.
The brain drain, as you rightly point out, does present challenges to the training department. The bright side is that you will find replacements from the broader applicant pool. The key is management grooming future instructors early.
Think of the time a pilot spends at a regional as an extended interview for the mainline carrier. Another way of thinking of flow is that currently management is saying you're good enough to fly our passengers on a regional plane, but you're not good enough to fly those same passengers on the mainline aircraft. Good luck defending that one in a liability case.