Originally Posted by
Herewegoagain
I agree with you that a constant stream of pilots moving onto other companies is in fact a cost, but disagree with everything else you said. The regionals have been operating with that turnover since their inception, yet they turn profits correct?
You DO realize regionals:
a). do NOT sell their own tickets and are paid for (subsidized) by legacy
b). have been going out of business for YEARS. Ask any former XpressJet, Comair, Great Lakes, Chatauqua, (and about 50-75 more) . . . member
And, the regionals that have survived, whether wholly owned or not, FO PAY is pretty much commensurate w/ F9 now. It's an actual tough decision for a FO to leave a regional w/ a flow over going to F9.
Read up on SWA - started out point to point in TX only (and had to overcome the Wright Amendment). Paid about 40% less than everyone else. Flew one type of aircraft. Sound familiar? Look at them today. Highest paid in the industry. Award winning customer service and credit card plan. Not the same as it was about 10 years ago (no airline is) but has never had a non-profitable year until COVID. They taxi fast, 2 engine and start the APU on every landing. It can be done if you MANAGE correctly.
Almost your entire post is irrelevant.