PilotBases

Do ULCCs want to fly the stuff to BMI, AVP, etc that legacies can, even with adjusted regional feed? I’m not underestimating what ULCCs can do, not at all, but it’s a massive network to replicate, and they themselves don’t have the RJs that you’re advocating for. Pilot costs at LCCs are not as low as they used to be, and a growing network and having to hub/spoke to fill in gaps raises costs. This isn’t black and white. There’s a world where regionals exist, fly a large chunk of traffic, and feed majors. It might not be as large as it used to be. You’re free to go back to 2008 and look at the size of regionals then.

AA seems happy replacing 50 seat jets with 65 seaters. Delta has been pushing the 220 in on what we’re once RJ routes such as Texas to Hubs. United has the ability to add 76 seat planes tomorrow if they wanted, but they haven’t pulled the trigger, so you can see what it means. There’s an E2-175 out there, and I’m sure legacy pilots would be happy to negotiate a rate to fly it. 220 already burns less than an ERJ-175, with 40 more people in the back. Many who are “newer” to the 121 world don’t remember the days it was mainline DC-9s and the like flying routes that RJs now do. It’s happened before.

LAXtoDEN

The CRJ200’s are flying trash cans pulled directly out of the junkyard with expired but “approved” turbine engines. You’re correct I flew them, passengers HATE them, yet they still book the flight. Why is that? Because it fits the time for their commute.

I’m not arguing against the death of the 50 seaters, I’m arguing against keeping the 70-76 seat locked up. Nobody’s arguing 1-1.

Seneca Pilot

The majors will get scope concessions when they need it. A lot of pilots care deeply about scope. A lot of others have many other concerns that have nothing to do with scope but QOL, retirement, and pay. The question is not whether scope will be given up but the size of the carrot on the end of the stick.

LAXtoDEN

Again, you’re going to have a tough time flying 95 220’s at the previous rate of the RJ’s you cancelled. If that’s what you think works best for your pilot group, so be it, but you’re handing money to your competitors. You’re giving away your dedicated customers who pay more money for the Legacy ticket because of the member rewards programs.

I promise you, nobody is paying a night for a hotel because that was the only option DL gave them to make their morning meeting. You can convince a loyal customer to pay an extra $20 and fly on a CRJ200. GOOD-LUCK convincing them to spend an extra day away from home and $200 (hotel) extra to fly delta.

Hedley

United pilots aren’t arguing to keep the 76 seaters locked up either. They’re arguing that the company can have as many as they want, providing that United pilots fly them.

PilotBases

There’s around 100 A220 options. Original order was 75 and it’s been topped up multiple times. Don’t worry, folks have this planned well in advance. 76 seaters can fill in frequency easy when they are doing EWR-ROC a few times a day instead of EWR-DFW, and so on. I think many would have bet for scope relief contingent on no furlough clauses, but that didn’t happen.

LAXtoDEN

That sounds like a great idea, seriously, only problem is you’re competing with OO rates, AND OO has all the future orders of 175’s. They saved ERJ way back when and now hold leverage. UA would have to buy SkyWest out. It would be great actually, there goes half the 10,000 pilots you need by 2030, supposedly.

One problem, UA has attempted to buy OO out multiple times, with no success.

Hedley

Interesting theory, but it didn’t happen during the biggest crisis that this industry has ever faced. American announced the retirement of their 200’s, Delta announced the retirement of all 50 seaters, and the United shut down 2 regionals flying 145’s, plus the LOA further restricted UAX block hours. All of this happened without the addition of a single 70/76 seat jet.

LAXtoDEN

Airbus better get to work, I just checked their order book, you’re not the only show in town trying to purchase 220’s. I’m showing 95, but maybe it’s 100 idk.

PilotBases

If United called Embraer tomorrow to order 100 175s, or maybe the E2-175 (which EMB badly needs a customer for) they wouldn’t sell them? E2-175 fits 4 more peeps, has greater range and MTOW, and burns probably what a CRJ-200 does. There is offsetting the OO rates right there. Nothing in this industry is impossible, it could go any which way. I try to keep my mind open to the future.