Originally Posted by
TANSTAAFL
50 seaters yes, 90 seaters Scoped to 76 seaters not so much. I think with FTDT NPRM there will be further downward financial pressure to fly more seats per RJ to remain profitable. As you state no one wants that except management. Our best defense is keeping everyone under one roof, keeping the pressure on to raise RJ wages and benefits to where they are no longer the whipsaw/outsource incentive. This is best accomplished from within ALPA. Worst yet if another major leaves ALPA they WILL BE predominately representing RJ and low cost carriers (as in BOD/EVP votes) and we will have the full power and assets of ALPA, in fact, not just conjecture, working for the interests of RJ carriers. Doh!
This.
Assuming that the NPRM is anywhere close to what was published, the regionals are looking at the abyss as far as costs are concerned. Some off the cuff figuring places it at a %20 increase in staffing, even for outfits with "mature" contracts.
Quite simply, that is death for the 50 seaters at the current price of oil.
That said, this will cause IMMENSE pressure at the mainline level to raise the seat limit. Flying a 90 seat jet around with 76 seats, with a %20 increase in staffing will make those jets untennable. Management will pull every trick out their creepy book to try to get those levels raised, because otherwise the regionals simply cannot operate profitably.
Now, more than ever, is the time to hold the line of scope. If we can keep the O2 cut off to the regionals after the NPRM, then they'll die of their own accord. But we MUST hold the line.
Management already had their wild scope ideas when we negotiated the LOAs for XJ and CPZ. You can bet they'll be back. We need people in place who understand that now is the time to put a stake in the vampire that's been sucking our flying.
Nu