I'll vote for retarded. It's a pity that it has come to this. Many have been saying what you just said for a long time. We just couldn't understand why airline management wanted to use these planes on routes that were previously flown by DC-9s and 737s ( full ). Many stations lost big cargo contracts because the RJ couldn't carry any cargo. Then there were the bone headed decisions to replace the RJ for flights into Myrtle Beach. Ever try to put fifty golf bags in the back of an RJ
. They had to fly the bags to Charleston and pay a transportation company to deliver each bag at more than the original ticket cost
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
I've got many friends at Indy Air, as they are all old WestAir buds. I really hoped that they could pull off the transformation and I really applauded their management for giving UAL the finger. Unfortunately all they have proven are that the operating economics of the RJ are flawed.
The retarded managers of the majors never understood what made the regionals profitable in recent years, so they kept giving more flying to them. It is only the fee for departure arrangement that they operate under which makes them profitable. As the regionals get bigger and bigger this will become unsustainable. The major partners will have cannibalized themselves and will be unable to afford the fee for departure arrangement. They will look to sell their wholly owned RJ subsidiaries or they will reduce their fee arrangements.
The end of the big RJ providers or, go it alone RJ operators will come. The only thing that can prevent it is if they start operating the more economical E series jets, like the EMB-170, EMB-190, etc. That is where the major pilots must make a stand, ala AWA/USAirways. That flying belongs to the majors or pilots in States will forever have to work for sub-standard wages.
Typhoonpilot