Assuming the 777 gets the same percentage raise as the 737 when matching WN, the 777 rates will exceed FedEx in 3 less years. (FedEx has a 15 year pay scale)

Food for thought...

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/06/bu...-the-road.html

Let me start with just two items of my own to begin this On the Road Column Airline Consumer Manifesto. Readers may wish to add their own suggestion for a follow-up.

¶ Airlines must be more clear about their relationships with the regional airlines — the companies they contract with to provide regional jet and some turbojet service for small and midsize airports, where some of the worst disruptions now occur. Far too often, passengers who have problems on connecting regional flights are frustrated in trying to deal with the major airline, which sold them the ticket but sometimes shrugs off its responsibilities to the contractor that flies the plane.

For major airlines except Southwest, regional airlines form the backbone of service between the big airline hubs and many midsize and small airports. Regional airline flights, for instance, account for about two-thirds of the departures at Chicago O’Hare and Washington-Dulles airports. But that business is struggling as major airlines re-evaluate domestic route networks to get the most revenue possible for every mile flown.

“Regional airlines are not airlines,” Mr. Boyd said. “They’re leasing companies, and the kind of equipment they lease, especially 50-seat regional jets, is becoming less and less economically feasible.” He added that “the need for what they provide is going away” as major airlines drop service on those the smaller jets.

Good point.

I would agree with that. ALPA doesn't have anywhere near five years.

This pilot group has been very patient with the recovery compact and constructive engagement as practiced by Moak and now O'Malley. The whole point of doing that was "deferred gratification". We help the company in their time of need and when profitability returns we will be taken care of.
If management now refuses to hold up their end of the bargain and the Moakist "cooperation rather than confrontation" philosophy of labor relations is shown to be a failure, then ALPA is toast.

Well put! My observation of the attitudes I see on line are cautious optimism. I have been impressed with the desire of captains I fly with to do everything in their power to save the company money and go the extra mile over the past several years. Make no mistake about it though....they have been helping the company become profitable for one primary reason and it has everything to do with contract 2012. The same can be said for our current union. If something good doesn't come in a timely manner, the dam will break.

Jack I know you didn't write the article, but since it was posted here just wanted to respond to a few points.

Small to midsize airports. Like JFK, IAD, ATL, ORD, DTW, MSP, DFW, IAH, LAX, SLC and SEA.
Struggling, and somehow expanding.
More like staffing companies. Especially DCI. The "regionals" run a seniority list and employ high school kids to run the office. Aircraft come from the Overlord, and are moved between staffing companies based solely on cost.
I was first indoctrinated into the Boyd logic about 10 years ago, and he has been calling for the death of the RJ as long as I can remember. Boyd is a salesman and every year people somehow keep buying his snake oil.

Agreed. Boyd is batting about 50% on his predictions. I think he gets money from Embraer or at least it seems that way as he often works a mini promotion of their products into many of his sermons.

The fact is 50 seaters will not work with the current oil prices. Delta management talks about our advantage of so many types being able to right size for any route yet there is no airplane currently being publicly discussed to fill the gap between our new 737's and the contractually maxed out 76 seat RJ's. Why do you think that is?

Okay, nonrevs should not be allowed to check in online or at the least there should be a penalty when they no show. This is crap. They don't show, sorry no time to remove them and put someone else on because we can't be late... plane goes out with empty seats and nonrevs waiting.

This has to change, there are a lot of sloppy flippant nonrevs.

Wait a second. Besides GoJets, name a Regional that's expanding? Freedom Airlines, the Pinnacle Saab's being parked, Skywest's 8 figure contribution to UAL to keep their CRJ-200s on property until the last day of their leases? The 50 is dead.

However!

The CRJ-700/900 are flying ATMs though (note I make no comment on the E170/175 - off high yield routes they're a rip-off). If we want scope recapture we'll have to take the low hanging fruit first. If we can recapture the CRJ-900 flying (since DAL owns every single airplane - because their original plan was to whipsaw the mainline group against the regionals all along) then the margin contributions of those airframes leaving will be gone and financially cripple the rest of the regionals into submission.

Back to my point though.

The 70/90 airframe count is as high as it will get. The 50s are evaporating out from underneath them.

So did I mis-read your post, or did you really believe that the regional industry is expanding?

Agreed. Hear Hear.