ZR29907

truth isn't always easy to hear.

LoneStar32

The truth is that the lost decade pretty much proved there is really no difference other than pay and benefits. Unfortunate for those who work as pilots those who run the big 3 realized this too. If they could they would make all their domestic routes "regional" as they know the majority of customers have no clue whether they are flying on a Regional or Mainline aircraft as the product is nearly identical. Sorry if this shatters your world.

Itsajob

The baseball analogy wasn’t to say that one player is better than the other. It was to show the difference in what team you play for. There is one major difference that you failed to mention. When you play for the major league team they have to negotiate with you and scope clauses severely limit how much they can farm out. When you play for a farm team, you still play the same game, but you are fighting under the table with the rest of the farm teams for the major’s scraps. That is why the legacies can can demand higher compensation than any regional. You are right that the big 3 would love to farm out all of the domestic flying (international too). You are also right that most passengers don’t know the difference in mainline vs regional. The fact of the matter however, is that the big 3 are limited by restrictive scope clauses, and they also know that the unions are not giving up any more. Because of this, the legacy pilots will control the vast majority of the flying and always be able to command higher pay and benefits. Sorry if that shatters your world.

rickair7777

That's been an analogy used for a long time, and it's pretty accurate.

Web265

Agreed!


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Burt123

A player on a farm team needs to prove himself athletic skill wise in order to get picked up by a major league. In aviation your “skills” are a direct correlation to your logbook hours or “experience” if you’re one of those believers. There’s a ton of pilots at regionals with far more “skills” than their counterparts at the majors. So how does this compare to a farm team and major league again?

Web265

There’s a LOT more to it than that and you know it. How’s that player going to fit in with the team? How is she/he going to represent our team? Etc etc...


Having said that, I’d like nothing better than seeing the end of the current regional system.

sanicom3205

I have fairly recent experience at both a regional and a legacy airline, and can flat out tell you that you are dead wrong. Have seen more professionalism, CRM, airmanship, etc at the mainline level than at the regional. No comparison. Not even close. What’s your comparison based on? Honestly asking.

Are you suggesting that experience doesn’t matter? I don’t think there are people that aren’t “believers” as it pertains to experience levels, but maybe you’ll prove me wrong?

Burt123

The comparison of the regional/major airline divide to the farm team/major league sports divide is inaccurate and elementary.

sanicom3205

Seems like the analogy makes sense/has made sense to many for a long time.

I gave my personal experience, your opinions must have come from somewhere.