I have speculated about pre-scope reversal ASA extentions by managent as well. It is a possibility. But in doing so, management would give unintended pricing leverage to the pilot groups who'se ASA got extended. And don't forget that in all circumstances, mainlines have the predatory bargaining nuke. Outsourcing is already a B scale that mainline pilot groups have shopped to management for a cookie. Those same groups can always, always offer to do that flying for less if that becomes the only way to get it back in house, and there is nothing a regional could ever do about it.

As for union fairness and all that, why is it unfair for a mainline to get scope back, but not unfair for regionals to engage in predatory bargaining that plunder each other's existing flying? There is no moral leg to stand on at the regional level. Of course we're not talking about 01-01-2013 every single seat suddenly becomes insourced. I doubt that will even be an opener/teaser to begin with. No matter how it plays out, there will be regionals flying 50-70 seaters for most if not all mainlines for several decades. The issue is reversing the 76 seaters and limiting 70 seaters as contracts expire. That will result in decades of RFP bidding wars and the preservation of numerous seniority lists perpetually at war underbidding each other for flying.