I think we all need to face a bit of reality.... most mainline carriers are moving to larger and larger equipment on longer and HEAVY routes. Using "jet" carriers to fill in for higher frequency and smaller destinations...that business model is NOT going away.... We may not like it.... but those are the trends....

As for lifers... those who look down upon the pilot who has decided to make a carrier at one of these carriers need to stop being snobish and realize that flying for a so called Legacy carrier is NOT what everyone wants or needs or can do. different strokes for different folks. If there was not and had not been a model to evolve the so called old regionals into what they are today you guys griping about bigger jets would still be flying jetstreams and shorts on 8 leg days......

YES push for better pay and work rules.... but if we as a pilot group start dictating what equipment our carriers should fly that is just plain crazy. As a pilot group we should hold the company to the regs and contract... and in exchange the work groups need to do what is asked of them within that scope. I have friends who are lifers at AE and they like it there... different strokes for different folks... and if AE, AMR and AA decide they should fly bigger equipment... okay. Flame away.

And what is wrong with that? He's in a different situation and it is perfectly reasonable for him to feel that way - you would too.

Excellent point, HercDriver...thanks for the post.

The industry is just changing - remember that the only constant in this mess we call life is change. We're not really losing mainline Jobs, those jobs are just being transferred...Legacies are dropping domestic routes in favor of expanding International.

I don't think too many pilot groups are going to line up to tell their employers "We're not taking on bigger jets." You couldn't really do that even if you wanted to. You can't just go on strike because you don't like the way your company is growing. Regionals fly what they fly based on the scope of their mainline partners, not the other way around. I wish everyday the 170/175/700/900 were on mainline property. But they're not...and it's not because RAH/Comair/ASA/SkyWest/PSA/Eagle/anyone else said "Man, I'd really like to stay at a regional longer and fly some bigger jets."

No need to flame anyone. Not all people have the same opinion, that fine. Trust me I'm far from snobish and I'm not looking down on a lifer at a reigonal. It's not what I want to do, but if they are happy good for them. My problem is a lot of these senior guys are willing to work at pay rates that are a pay raise for them but under cut the majors flying the same size A/C.
This does not help the majors keep airplanes and create more higher paying jobs.

As far as flying bigger jets instead of Jetstreams or shorts thats fine as long as you are getting paid well for it. Regional pay has not increased as fast as aircraft size has. This does not help the industry.

I don't think it is that crazy to dictate what airplanes your company flies. If your company is not willing to pay you industry average or better, tell them you don't want them. I could be wrong, but didn't Delta refuse to fly the 777 because of pay rates.

IM

No one said strike. Those planes (170,175,700,900) are at those airlines (RAH,Comair,ASA, Skywest,PSA,Eagle) because there pilot groups agreed to pay rates for them. It's usually the senior guys that negotiate the contracts. And they don't intend to move on to a major. So they see it as there way to get more money. And don't care that it may affect mainline flying. I think PSA refused to take the 190's at the pay rates the company was offering. And I think those planes went to mainline instead.
IM

Ummmm at RAH the 175's pay much more. I showed in a previous post where they were right in line with pay from the regionals up to the majors. I have yet to have anyone show otherwise. Not saying I like it. I don't think anything over 50 seats should be regional but I am saying that our 175 pay is not out of line. I can prove how it's where it currently should be. It's up to someone else to prove why it isn't.

Well, when 175 FOs make the same as 145 FOs, I'd have to go ahead and say something's not quite right there...

I'm not picking on any one airline or pilot group. So please don't take it personal. My opinion is RAH 175's pay rates may be industry avg. or better. But they are very low compared to what the majors got for flying the same size A/C before there BK contracts. Where do you think management at the majors came up with the pay rates they offered the pilots? So RAH and the other reigonal pay rates did not set the bar high. They set the bar low and that's exactly where management at the majors aimed for and got.

Has anyone checked out JetBlue's payrates for the 190?? They're not paying much more than what the Regional guys are making...

This whole "big-RJ" thing isn't just the RJ Pilot's faults...