Originally Posted by
saab2000
I completely agree. The term 'Regional' was invented 20-30 years ago by aircraft manufacturers and airline execs to be synonymous with 'lesser', or the equivalent of light beer. It's had a huge negative impact on the careers of thousands of pilots, from the most junior F/O at a contract carrier to senior pilots at legacy carriers. It is also used as a way to convince folks that the crew members are less qualified and therefore deserve less.
It is time to get rid of the term 'regional', especially as it applies to routes which used to be flown by mainline carriers, which is in fact what most so-called RJ's do.
It is a term which is been used to gain public and industry acceptance of a grossly lower standard of compensation for crew members. Nothing more, nothing less.
While I completely agree with the sentiment here, not sure about the birth or timeline of the term regional. It's been around a bit longer.
North Central, Western, Bonanza, Hughes Airwest, MohawkAllegheny, Ozark, etc. were to one degree or another TRUE regional airlines. They flew mainline equipment with similar wages, in direct competition with majors like Pan Am, TWA, etc.
The more recent advent of code-share and small jets, whose sole purpose is to feed the mainline, have changed this industry forever.