summer (July/Aug). They keep TDYing reserves because they are short staffed. I don't think they're getting to the point where they are canceling flights, yet. Allegiant, AirTran and Virgin America are hiring and I suspect we will have some attrition to those companies. I think there are a few cargo companies hiring too.

This is a good point. I don't know for sure, but I would guess that we had a few in the pool at AirTran.

Just got a "thanks, we're not hiring" email from SKW... who knows?

Well IIRC, we have something like 84 FO's on VLA, don't know about captains. I think we also have 100 something in the "pool". So we could always run a few classes and not be "hiring". Just my $0.02.

I know where you're going with that [rhetorical] question. Before you can have an effective union, you need something else:

When it comes to the scarcity of these things, Skywest is no different than the industry as a whole. Perhaps even more divided.

If Skywest was going to hire (or run initial classes) to help with the summer rush, it would have happened already. I think the "powers that be" are willing to run the operation thin on pilots through the summer so we're not grotesquely overstaffed come fall. Consider the reduction of CVG flying and the possibility of the Air Tran routes going away....

Another thing to consider is that not everyone that is out on a VLA intends on coming back. I know of a guy in my base on VLA that got into a MBA program at some big name university. Others have gone on to other (foreign) airlines and may/may not come back. Some may just get out of aviation altogether . I worked with a couple junior FO's that were commuting to reserve that took VLA's. One guy got a job at home depot in his home town, the other guy started a mobile oil change business.

There is no doubt that this downturn has driven many from the business ....many never to return.

Herin lies the problem. Pages and pages about how tough our jobs have become and how it's barely worth it anymore and how our quality of life has decreased and somebody wants to sign up.

Probably would work for free for the first year, and would be on here b!tching a year later.

We are all doomed

I don't disagree with fighting for better work rules and definitely better pay, but you'd be hard pressed to find peers (regional pilots) that have better QOL bennies. Skedplus gives me more schedule flexibility than any of my other friends at XJT, AWAC, or Colgan. Total compensation package issues I'd like to see addressed are: a higher 401K matching and FO pay, especially for the Brasilia guys and a captain payscale along the lines of Horizon.

The regionals of today are hardly the commuters of yesteryear and if we keep fighting, we will get what we deserve. My only concern is that if rapid regional growth continues, there will be under-cutting and management teams will continue to make the argument that "we'd like to give you the world, but we must remain competitive." Additionally, the danger of larger aircraft going to the regionals could force us to focus our efforts on negotiating decent pay scales for the larger A/C rather than improving QOL issues and current pay scales.

My original argument was that the lifestyle of an airline pilot is inherently different than most other jobs. If it doesn't fit you, don't be mad at your airline or your fellow pilots who are better suited for life on the road. Take a look in the mirror, you probably worked your butt off to get a regional job but the fact that it disappoints you is a function of your lack of research or sense of entitlement to the unsustainable 2-year upgrade circa 2007.

....And I agree that although we're understaffed, if we needed guys for the summer, we would be training them by now.

Your assumptions about me are way off track...

I got hired by a company that was purchased by SkyWest. The reason I chose to work for them was that everyone I knew that worked for them seemed very happy, they treated their employees well, they were paid the best in the type equipment they flew, and most importantly they had a long term domicile that I already lived in and didn't intend to leave. The choice had nothing to do with any "sense of entitlement" for a 2 year upgrade.

PBS is only as good as the pairings that are built in each domicile. As yet I have never had as many days off with as much credit as prior to PBS with the hard lines. You must be single, and or not have kids if you didn't have a problem with the company's sudden decision to take away all our health benefits except the CDHP.

Then there's my personal favorite of closing some of the oldest domiciles in our system with little notice. When BH was still here there was an understanding that maybe they couldn't pay like the majors, but they could let us keep our chosen bases with lower costs of living, and or less traffic, smog, better schools, etc. I don't really see how they save money when now they're paying hotel costs and per diem in the same places that it cost nothing as a domicile. They even added new routes, and added a whole lot of frequency in exisiting markets to one of the bases they just closed, which makes even less sense.

It seems maybe you haven't been here long enough to know how much has been lost over the years! Or, maybe you're SLC based, and single, and haven't personally suffered much loss of "quality of life" over the years.?