That would actually make regional flying more expensive for AA... instead of folks all exiting under the 12 CA/ 4 FO pay scale they would create professional regional pilots that are long term and expensive. Additionally AA would have to continue to be an industry leader in pay at its WOs to staff (both features of endeavor, and both things AAG has sought to move away from in recent contract negotiations with its WO pilot groups).

The flow is designed to keep AAs Wholly Owned regionals staffed as cost effectively as possible in order to keep its domestic routing profitable. Don’t think for one minute AA cares about who is sitting in the seats of their aircraft as long as they’re qualified and safe.

AA is one of the most competitive airlines to get into OTS because of the flow. If they decide to give seniority #s to the WO pilots they’re not going to worry about turning folks off to applying to them OTS. Plenty still will apply because at the end of the day you can make as much sitting in the right seat at AA as you would in the left seat at a lot of places and the allure of working for a Legacy. AAG will just encourage more folks to come work for the AA WO and double down on that being the path to a garaunteed seniority # at AA.

AA giving WO pilots seniority #s will help both WO recruitment and retention (folks will be less likely to leave to DAL, SWA, UAL etc of they know their seniority# they get as a WO pilot will afford them Better retirement standings at retirement if they stick it out for a few more years flying an RJ).

It wouldn’t surprise me if AAG offered its WO pilots mainline seniority#s in exchange for PBS and more cost efficiencies in salaries/benefits after the current 10 year flow agreements expire in the early 2020s... if the economy hasn’t tanked again by then to decrease pilot hiring elsewhere.