I can't believe you guys
This attitude of, "commuter jet's" being somehow inferior to fly is a large part of why the industry is in a downward spiral. The whole commuter airlines flying for, but not part of, mainline carriers is a result of airline jet pilots looking there nose down on "prop jobs" and not willing to make little airlines a part of there "mainline operation". As a result, the little FBO operators flying Piper Navaho's and Beach 99's are now operating 50 to 70 place jets and looking at 100 seat aircraft to contract with their airline partners. These "non real airline aircraft" are being flown for considerably less than if the mainline carriers had to negotiate pays rates with the union representing their pilots.
So now we have a situation where large portions of every airline's flying is being flown by a pilot not part of the mainline seniority list and in many cases, multiple carriers are whipsawed into biding for the commuter flying. Add the increase in sophistication of the equipment flown and we have a situation where the industry believes it can pay a jet captain 60K, asking itself why it should pay any captain more if large numbers of (abet smaller) jets, flying it own colors are doing do for said money.
We have a real problem, mainly of our own doing. We got to stand firm, organize the non union upstarts and get everyone to stop selling their profession short. Its not just the commuters being operated on separate seniority lists but the Jet Blues and poor pay at 2nd terrier cargo operators that need to be addressed.
This may just be wishful thinking by a (graying) hair who came into the industry because of the great pay and benefits it used to provide. Someone's got the stop the freefall, you can't count on the public to stand up and call congress demanding pilots compensation not continue to fall. We have got to work this out for ourself's.