WHACKMASTER

Mmmm, no. Not exactly. Let's not take the eye off the ball here. We're talking about a "shell game" airline(s) paying their 787 pilots regional airline wages. Disgusting....

SkipperBaloo

You mean the same guys and gals that subsidize profit margins and profit sharing at majors? Those regionals?

SUX4U

Yup! I support my fellow pilots from Delta, SWA, FEDEX, etc for helping raise the bar in this industry! I have serious hope for our brothers and sisters at the new Alaska, Spirit, Frontier that they too will be getting industry leading contracts to continue to keep upward pressure here in the states.

As for the regional guys... aren't many pilots currently getting paid higher than ever wages? Aren't many lined up to flow to AA without even needing to interview? Aren't they getting absurd sign on bonuses and rather quick upgrades as well? Not to mention how many regional guys are getting hired by majors now, the upward mobility has to be nice. Sure sounds better than my 9 years stuck as an RJ FO topped at $36 an hour. This of course doesn't represent all regionals as I know some are still struggling with their own issues i.e XJT, Mesa, etc. And finally, when I now get to hear from Commutair pilots that "nah, I'm not gonna take the freebie United job, I think I'll hold off for XYZ airline instead", I can say my sympathy level is starting dwindling for a lot of the regional guys right now.

WHACKMASTER

You and me both paid our dues at the regionals when $17,000 was the starting pay for RJ FOs. It wasn't right and I'm very happy to see liveable wages being paid at the regionals now (although they are still underpaid).

You can't blame an aspiring professional pilot for going the regional airline route whether it paid food stamp wages or a livable wage. It's one of the accepted and proven routes to the dream jobs. That said, to hear that some of them were toting "Guppy Killer" stickers on their flight bags is extremely disappointing and short-sighted of them.

Again, let's keep NAI separate from the regional airline issue as they are in fact different issues.

Andy

LOL! You really think that the regionals make money for mainline? Sure, if you do creative accounting tricks like the way mainline accountants do it. Take a $200 one way GRB-FLL fare where it's GRB-ORD on an RJ and ORD-FLL on mainline. Attribute $175 of that fare to the GRB-ORD leg and voila! regional flying's profitable.

In the real world, Independence Air (and ExpressJet?) weren't able to make the numbers work as independent airlines flying RJs. The CASM on RJs is not competitive with mainline jets. Even if you charged RJ pilots to fly the planes, they still wouldn't make money as standalone operations.

There are a number of reasons why mainline outsources to regionals but it's not because RJs being flown at RJ payscales is profitable.

sweetholyjesus

With all due respect, let's not lose focus here boys. Yes there are issues in our current industry. Yes there are differences between the old an new generations. But think about what is at stake here. Even those coveted mainline jobs that we must now "put in the time for" could disappear if all those jobs are taken over by cheaper foreign airlines. All those American passengers would be providing profits to other countries' GDPs. There is so much more at stake than just regional vs. mainline.

Not that any of this online discussion matters in the grand scheme of things, but it'd be pretty sad if our lack of unity, as Americans, somehow led to the demise of our industry. And yes, I'm guilty of it too. One step at a time..

2StgTurbine

You "hear" that they have these stickers? Just like the stereotypical frosted hair, sunglass wearing, backpack toting, ear bud wearing regional pilot, I think these "Guppy Killer" stickers are a bit of a unicorn that allows mainline pilots to distill complex economic and industry issues into a simple black and white issue.

I'm not saying that no one ever had such stickers on their flight case, but that was probably 10 years ago. The vast majority of regional pilots are aware that more regional flying means less mainline jobs. And in all likelihood, the pilots who had those "Guppy Killer" stickers are probably at United by now and have long forgotten about the days they even carried a flight case.

sweetholyjesus

Exactly. US carriers have taken advantage of our lack of unity for decades. Don't let some conniving bastards from some frozen over country in Europe do the same!

PS: My apologies to anyone from Ireland or Norway. Very nice places to visit when they're not screwing us over.

kevbo

Don't they know that the majors are set aside for military and other upper middle class golden boys. All you no name wannabes get to languish in the regional cesspool until we have all been served.

SkipperBaloo

So they are just doing it out of the kindness of their hearts? If it didn't boost the bottom line, then there would not be a reason to outsource right?