It is odd that the pay at Horizon for a 70 seat aircraft is higher than the pay for a 76 seat aircraft. The best answer I have for this is because the old farts negotiated the last CBA. They were in the F-28, and made sure that they got theirs no matter what jet they were in. That's why the jet pay is great while the reserve rules suck and FOs on the seven leg a day Q200 can't switch aircraft without a pay cut. The gray hairs weren't going to be on reserve or fly a baby dash so why care? The Q400 got good rates, but there isn't any reason it should pay less than the CRJ-700.

Also, the Q400 didn't always have more seats than the CRJ-700, so that might have something to do with it too. Hopefully the pay disparity between t-prop and jet will get fixed in the next CBA.