Background: I am a regional pilot who would love to see all flying consolidated among a few players, namely the major/legacy carriers. I feel that our true strength as a union lies in sheer numbers, and the current myriad of competing airlines and competing unions is selling us all short.

My thoughts: It is going to be close to impossible to get the cat back in the bag. CAL/UAL pilots can try to reclaim flying from the regionals, but taking on all that flying will put CAL/UAL at a competitive disadvantage relative to companies like US Airways and American which still have large regional feed operations. I know someone has to start somewhere, and I think the only meaningful first step is going to be to bring all regional fleet types under the major scope at current or very slightly improved pay and work rules for those regionals. Year by year, each major will have to assimilate sub-100 seaters into the mainline contracts. Only once that is done can real pay hikes begin without collapsing. I just don't feel CAL/UAL management will really give in to allowing that perceived disadvantage to exist. Again, I wish you luck. The near term pain for me will be worth it down the road, but I just don't think management will budge so long as every other major competitor is outsourcing. Good luck, though. We truly are all counting on you.