Originally Posted by Larry in TN

Productivity must be there in order for the pay to be there. Productivity doesn't guarantee pay but pay is not sustainable without productivity. For pilot pay, productivity is cost per available seat mile (CASM). We can simplify that to cost per seat.

A 777 crew at a US Major would make around $325/hr (CA) + $215/hr (FO) = $540/hr. UAL's new 777-300 has 366 seats so that's $1.47 per seat.

If we pay a ERJ145 or CRJ200 crew the same $1.47 per seat you only have $73.50 to divide between the Captain and First Officer.

On the balance sheet, the RJ crew is more expensive to the airline than is the 777 crew even though they are paid far less. The difference is productivity measured as the number of sellable seats each pilot produces. That's also what makes the <120 seat airplane difficult to justify at mainline. The pilots see the pay rates as too low while the company sees the CASM as too high and they're both right.