Originally Posted by
CaptKrunch
I agree with you except where a CRJ guy should be getting paid what a 737 guy got years ago. Even i know with the current cost structure at the airlines this would BK them all. But I do think RJ guys and even Dash guys need to get paid more. 18K a year to start is stupid.
Why should it BK the airlines? Did Piedmont go bankrupt paying those wages?
The question you should be asking yourself is this. If Piedmont was profitable flying those routes in a 737, why shouldn't a Republic or any regional be, as well?
My answer is that the airlines did this to themselves. In their frenzy for crewing high cost aircraft (RJs) at the lowest common denominator, they boxed themselves in. Now they can't even make money in a stand-alone RJ operation, and have to subscribe to the "fee per departure" paid by big brother.
Solution, put a bigger aircraft fewer times a day, pay the crew what they're worth, match the market with the demand, and voila, recipe for success. Exactly what Piedmont (and most other major airlines) used to do back in the day.
Oh wait, we wouldn't have airline pilot infighting and divide/conquer between pilot groups if we did that. Which is exactly what they want.
JMO.
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