The biggest thing the author misses as that, with the last round of scope concessions through 1113c the mid part of the 2000's, it finally screwed enough mainline pilots to where it is a hot button issue.

Too many mainline guys have gotten their careers totally jacked by giving up scope (or have gotten their flight time flying RJ's and saw the horrendous erosion and its effects...not to mention seriously lengthening our ability to upgrade or even get hired)... thus scope is no longer something that is negotiable. Taking it back is closer to the table than giving it up, for sure.

For me, I have zero issues whatsoever with shutting widgetland down over one more seat, one more pound, or one more plane....

 

What in the @#$%&*?!?

Yep, capitalism is perfect!

 

This is not true, at least not a couple years ago. The so-called RJs are flown by Lufthansa CityLine or some such entity. Their pilots are hired as a sort of Lufthansa Lite and if they wish to go to the mainline they will have to go to a more thorough screening (selektion as it is called there) and many will not be allowed to transfer. But it's not really more thorough. It's a bit like a fraternity and if they like you you'll pass and if they don't you won't.

CRJ/ERJ pilots in Europe are treated as an even lower form of pond scum by their mainline counterparts than they are in the US. I worked over there for a number of years, which is how I know this.

 

Even if this were true, it doesn't justify US mainline pilots treating their regional counterparts as pond scum. It makes the mainline pilots feel better to **** all over their regional pilots, but this action only works against them since the regional pilots now have no reason to cooperate with them.

 

Delta already has. We'll never see the planes, though. That ship has sailed. I'm praying that DALPA doesn't cave on scope further than we already have.

 

You are correct. I am generally not subjected to the patronizing comments in person, but some comments here are pretty dumb.

Anyway, I don't really see a 'war' between RJ pilot and mainline pilots. It is between a handful of outspoken idiots on both sides.

Also, I don't see a whole lot of flexibility of mainline guys on the issue of scope when I talk to them personally. I think the majority of them 'get it' when it comes to what's going on and how badly this issue has damaged the industry. Very few wish to give up further scope. We'll see what happens though in negotiations...

But when I have seen mainline guys on the right seats at J4J jobs they must know that that is their future if there is further scope erosion. Just the way it is.

 

Very good post. This is spot on. I've been at Delta about 2 years and the guys that give RJ pilots a hard time are few and far between. The majority of mainline pilots understand how the industry works and why the regionals have become what they are today.

 

Agreed the majority of mainline pilots are silent on the issue and fully recognize what is at stake. Also agreed they will remain inflexible on the issu so nothing will be done about it.

As for war, there can be little doubt mainline pilots and regional pilots are in competition for jobs. The mainline pilots accuse the regional pilots of stealing their jobs and crap all over them for it. Regional pilots resent the treatment and are emboldened to compete even further. This was usually a lopsided fight when a mainline had 10,000 pilots and their feeder had less than 2,000. Now the mainlines have been reduced in size and the regionals have grown. Some are even flying aircraft traditionally seen as mainline aircraft which allows them to grow into low cost carriers for code-sharing. If the mainline pilots do not cooperate better with regional pilots, they will see a further erosion of their own jobs.

 

Hence my previous post.

And nope, there should be NO FURTHER SCOPE RELAXATION WHAT SO EVER!

But it makes you wonder, in the negotiation process, what did the NC have to give up to get "regional" airframe rates on the books? A shame that EVERYTHING is subject to negotiation and everything is a give and take.

 

If it is a competition for jobs between mainline and the regional carriers, I want mainline to win. Definitely. I'd rather be in my current airplane on a mainline seniority list with the chance to transition to a nicer airplane and nicer QOL someday than have to start over from the bottom. Again.

As far as the inflexibility on scope, I hope they remain inflexible. I don't wish to see it go from 76 seats to 86 seats. Then 99 seats. Then 120 seats. I'd rather see those numbers go the other way, but it's hard to re-tube that toothpaste.