Originally Posted by acl65pilot

It would be great, but it will never happen.

As some have pointed out in other threads, the CASM on small jets is already very high, putting them at mainline and giving them anything besides what the regionals make in total compensation would kill that segment of lift.
AMR as DAL and every other airline and in fact the unions realize is that giving away that lift (by putting it on a compensation metric that does not justify its existence) gives away vital feed and market share.

In effect money talks.

This holds true for aircraft below 70 seats. 70+ seat jets can be justified using mainline economics, but the margins are small until you are above 74 seats.
50 seat jets can never be operated at mainline, fact is RJ pilots are already paid close to 1.5 times to two times that of a mainline pilot per seat.
If you want them at mainline you need to create a B scale again. It is the only way to get the managers to sign off on it.
It is in effect a no-win for the unions. We do not want a B scale and want the jets at mainline, but the economics of today prohibit it. Now get people to pay what a seat ideally should be selling for, and you might have a chance. (When Pigs fly)

As I stated in an earlier thread, we have a chance to have some real leverage as the Regionals start to combat the legacy costs that are rising. Pilot are smart and see the mainline as a bet some are not willing to take. This has caused many pilots to make the regionals their home. One way that the airlines could combat this is by resetting longevity of the regional pilots through a flow. It in effect over time reduces the costs at the regional affiliates back to a level that supports more outsourcing. We as pilots and union members could use these bi-lateral flow desires in our favor as bargaining power to get large RJ's back to the mainline. (They can also be justified economically)