Originally Posted by NuGuy

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