To be clear...90% of us RJ pilots want flying kept at a mainline. Every single time that a regional puts another aircraft into service, that further degrades our chances of getting to a mainline. If you keep all the flying, we can get to a mainline quicker and fly a 70 seat aircraft on mainline pay as opposed to regional pay. The only people that really want to fly "the newest big thing in the regional world" are the idiots with the shiny jet syndrome that will sell their sole to fly something "big"

 

I agree with the person that you were quoting. But I agree with you too. It was 70+ seat scope that ruined the current UAL, along with other carriers too. However 70+ is becoming the new norm. So now if the new UAL was to restrict scope to 50 seats, it would kill them because it would put them in at a competitive disadvantage. The only way a major would benefit by 50 seat or less scope is if all major from here on out stuck to that.

 

You guys have to be realistic. The scope will not be 50 seats at the new UAL. It will be 70. Like Slappy said, it would be way too costly for UAL to get rid of all the contract 70 seaters, then buy some themselves, then start up a training program for them, then train thousands of pilots to fly them. Not happening.

Its crazy CAL has been at a competitive disadvantage for years and they still have been able to pull profits. AAL on the other hand, have struggled with too many MD80s on CR7 routes

 

I wouldnt get all excited about more 70 seat jets at a regional anytime soon. If you have talked to a CAL pilot lately they arent rolling over on scope. It is going to take a bankruptcy for management to get scope relaxed and that doesnt look like it will happen anytime soon. They need both pilot groups to play nice and management should be willing to give them something to make this happen. Stopping the flow of jobs going to regionals should be their #1 goal.

As for who would win or lose flying it is a complete gamble. I wouldnt neccessarily dog any airline (regional or major) in this fight. Any 50 seat regional contract can be renegotiated on a 2-1 deal for a larger aircraft. I will bet money that if CAL and UAL merge and scope gets relaxed that XJT, CHQ, Skywest, or even Mesa will play ball with management to "right size" the fleet. In XJT case Does CAL want to continue paying out a 50 seat contract for 5 more years when they could get 70-90 seaters?

Who wants to retire at a regional? not me. Screw the "regional" jets and lets get that flying where it belongs.

 

If 70 pax is a magic number, the winners might be the folks with Q400s. New York to Chicago only about 15-20 minutes longer flight than a jet while burning 30% less fuel.

Maybe ATRs could make a comeback.

 

When you have new 737's that carry the same amount of passengers as small 757's with a CASM that is untouchable in any "regional" .... These behemoth airlines have the magnitude to fill the seats of planes a lot bigger than 70 seats.

 

70 isn't the magic number. In management's view, there is absolutely no limit to the maximum size of outsourced flying. Management would happily allow Colgan to fly 777s internationally for $20/hour. If it wasn't for union contracts, I think Mesa would be the launch customer for the 787.

I have no problems with E-190s or Q-400s. I think they're perfect mainline airplanes! I have no problem getting paid a livable wage flying them for CAL or UAL.

 

Realistic is a permanent CAP on the number of outsourced jets and jobs. If mgmt wants more "RJ's" then by all means they can have all they want. The catch is that from this point on it should be mainline pilots at the controls for any additional aircraft post merger.

 

Realistic is that the merger integration will allow at LEAST the current number of UAL 70 seaters.

I cannot even imagine what CAL ALPA would have to give up to actually roll back UAL's 70 seat allowance.

I think that UA pilots want scope badly enough that the combined pilot group will probably be able to hold the line where it is.

 

And I would love to have a Cal/UAL seniority number while flying my lowly Saab. Unfortunately, I cannot make that happen. Maybe if North Central and Southern Airways (the ORIGINAL Republic Airlines) had not merged with Northwest, there would still be a large and respectable turboprop airline.

The thrust of my comment was apparently missed: big turboprops will make a comeback on the runs of 700 miles or less. If the mainlines pilots cannot force management to put them on mainline pay scales then the regionsals that have them will grow. I don't like it, but that seems to be the way things are.

((Vive la Convairs and Martins http://www.southernairways.org/SO_mu...404%20song.mp3))