The issue isn't the ATP rating. That only say's you can fly as PIC over 12,500 pounds. The issue is experience. And it only comes from hours in the seat.

Flight instructing teaches you as much as it teaches the student. Single pilot check hauling or cargo teaches you as well. So do a lot of things.

Yes, back in the "day," commuter flying was twin Cessna's, B-99's, Shorts3-30, Merlins and Twatters. Big guys got the Dash 7. FD/O's didn't have a chance of a job unless they had close to 1500 hours. They (we) flew in unpressurized and in many cases, non autopilot equipped planes. You LEARNED how to fly hard IFR and how to deal with things.

That's not said to make it sound like we walked to and from school everyday uphill each way in blizzards...and loved it. It's said because getting into an RJ with very low time, programming the boxes and hitting the "A/P engage" at 500' and disconnecting it on rollout does not give you any experience other than how to manage systems.

Skiles is right. More experience is required before getting the job. The airlines must consider the type of flying done and the FAA should require more time before getting into a 121 cockpit.

In reality, the move will likely come from insurance underwriters who will jack up premiums on carriers who insist on hiring low time pilots on the cheap.

ALPA, if it had any balls, would get off it's butt and have it's legacy members demand that any carrier who flys code share must have better hiring standards and better pay. In the end though, pay is not the issue either. It's inexperience.

Getting experience and an SIC rating in an RJ with a couple of hundred of hours is hogwash. It may look nice, but it's nothing more than a license to learn.