Agreed, but few are facing the flipside to this philosophy.

Airlines like Skywest want to build a carrier on cheap labor, so maximum profit goes to those other than labor (espescially pilots). This sounds great until one realizes that if successful, it will only proliferate the larger RJ's into more of the domestic market, forcing mainlines to contract, thus producing less "career" positions and more "jobs". This philosophy is why I say in 10 years the best airline "job" for most pilots (9 out of 10) will be the 75K/year (2020 dollars) PBS based existance that must be begged for every 4-5 years (which insures pilot compensation stays in the gutter).

I find it confusing that so many pilots here trumpet the "Mesa" style upgrade mills (AKA "junior workforce") because they think that is what's going to get them to a major, but refuse to accept that this mentality will actually produce the opposite. Most regional pilots are young and are only concerned with immeadiate gratification (1000 RJ PIC) and then think their troubles are over. None want to build a regional into career status with eventual compensation like Eagle. Eagle doesn't pay really anymore then other regionals, but was a decent place to stay and that's why most did. Yes, Eagle is a dying icon........a once proud "career" company, but market forces and pilots attitiudes like you point out will insure there will be no "career" regionals in the future.............only a conglomeration of Mesa type carriers each undercuting each other over and over.

Mainline pilot jobs will wither on the vine and this will be bad for mainline pilots advancement and thus newhire slot generation, but nothing like the horror of future career regional pilots not having a career, but an unpleasant "commuter" job in perpituity. 10-15% might snag a few of the major airline positions that do become available, but these airlines will shrink and themselves become more effecient (even PBS), so again 8/9 out of 10 current regional pilots will be screwed, especially considering the military and corporate pilots looking for a home. If regionals were more career oriented in compensation and treatment, there would be fewer of them eating off mainline pilots plates and also making it better for regonal pilots, which is better then the almost certain future of 95 seat airliners being flown by peanut-eaters and kept in scheduling cages.

But hey................there WILL likely be a shiny 95 seat jet in most of their futures, even if they get paid and treated like crap. I guess it's better then 35K at Lowes. Many here at Eagle know what will eventually come as we too will be the eventual victims of market forces, whipsawing, emasculated pilot unions and self-centered pilot philosophy. It's inevitable. Dying icons like Eagle and Comair represent what could have been (and should have been) made of regional carriers.........a CAREER option, not an upgrade mill. An upgrade mill wouldn't be bad, IF there was a place for most to go, but this very philosophy will insure a "career" for most it will remain a carrot forever out of reach. As far as the dinosaurs of Eagle are concerned, until that time arrives for us, many of us poor (and scorned) senior types will enjoy the dying days of working for a career regional, getting paid a decent wage and 401(k) ($1/$1 match).........until the all the kids out there help facilitate the industry they so richly deserve, while the unions that suppsedly represent them remain helpless to stop it.