We already have a CRJ900 pay scale

why wouldn’t DL be able to compete? If you are so opposed to flying an RJ for a year at mainline wages I’m not sure you are talent worth competing for. Didn’t we used to have 737-200s (basically RJs) at a significantly lower rate in the late 90s and early 2000s? Did DL have a hard time finding applicants then? I’m not sure we would need a much higher rate than we have now. Maybe bump it up to our E195 rate but it won’t have to pay 717 pay to make it worth our time.

First question. Serious question too. Do you expect me to predict what would be a junior aircraft in the made up world i outlined? I cant tell you what's going to be junior. I would first assume everything in nyc will be junior for hiring.

Secondly.
23000 pilots at regional airlines in 2011 or 2012, nearly all flying RJs. You're saying theyre going to stay at the regionals rather than come to delta even if we offered the same hourly, and the rest of our contract is the same? Thats what it sounds like you're getting at. Delta doesnt buy airplanes for recruitment. Sailing has pointed out Delta hired more pilots than any other mainline airline in the last 10 years. American has how many more 777s? We had 20, we dont anymore. We are loading up on A220's, im fine with it. I believe those classes will be full because of it. I believe pilots will stay here to fly our airplanes because we are here for the contract and the great QOL it affords us.

I dont know where you're coming from on your POV, but ive heard some similar things from mil guys in my regional new hire classes as well as delta new hire classes. They openly mock the RJ's and the pilots flying them, which is why mainline gets the rep they have with regional guys. If thats what you're doing, im not gonna stop you, i would simply point out the majority of pilots in the airline industry, because we love it.

If tomorrow Delta tells me the hipsters just made their intentions clear, they want to fly to Chicago on a two legger in a 1900 with no fa and I'm doing it with no autopilot I'm still here for it. Im here for it if its a cessna. I fly people from here to there under a great contract, thats what i do for a living. I punch my clock, i smile, i cash my check, i leave.
Which this is all things Cog should know at this point.

Its not about how obvious the fix is, its that many pilots at Delta derride small jets and can't fathom a world where they'd be "made" to fly them.
​​​​​​​

You’d have no issue filling the RJ in bases that aren’t super junior such as NYC. I know plenty who’d fly a smaller jet if it meant some seniority in MSP, SLC, SEA and so on. The 175 is an easier jet to fly than half the planes here. If we got people to come when the 88 was the plug jet, there will be no worries at all.

Hell, even if you straight copied Endeavors hourly rates with Delta work rules, you’d have folks jumping to fly an RJ here.

Keep in mind, sealing up the bottom end of the scope might be worth our time even if its a dollar more than a regional hourly rate, you're still getting DC to 401k, profit sharing, blah blah blah, then we just have to grab back top end scope. Of course I'm just snapping my fingers and waving my hands, I cant make it happen.

oh I completely agree! I was trying to say that we would not need to move the rates up significantly like cog was saying

Yeah, I didn't realize until later you're doing what I'm doing the polite way. I wanted to publicly point out you're a good man for assuming the best out of the poster and politely explaining how his...concerns...could be addressed and are addressed already.

CRJ is probably easier than the 88 but that’s about it. Overhead panel aside, the 73 did a lot that the CRJ just didn’t in terms of automation. But unlike everything else at DL there is no VNAV or auto throttles, I wonder how many ASAPs we would have in places like MSP if we brought the CRJs over.

Ive gone back and forth between vnav/autothrottles and dumb rj power levers and/or Fadec and the stupid snowflake and back to vnav/authrottles. You miss the automation but i didnt kill anyone or do anything unusually asap causing.

as a former regional dude I really feel strongly about people who think they are too good to fly an RJ if we brought it to mainline. with that said if someone has limited or no experience with regionals other than what their friends say, it can be easy to form misconceptions about how bad they are. I personally have no love lost for the -200 but would bid the 7/9 again in a heartbeat for our pay rates on those planes.

I try to assume the best in people on here as thing can be tough to convey tone over a message board. I know a few ex mil guys who have been at mainline for 25+ years with 0 concept of what the regionals are like who would go off about how “they can’t stand regional jets or any pilot who would fly one” (this was back when I was trying to decide if I wanted to pursue commercial aviation or try to join the ANG) and I can’t roll my eyes hard enough at people like that, But overall I’ve found most people are more reasonable.