Originally Posted by tom14cat14 (Post 1724996)

So are you saying people should never strive to improve this career because we choose to do it?

Originally Posted by Slick111 (Post 1724994)

My point is simply this: US airlines could easily solve the issues of the pilot shortage and the embarrassingly low regional pilot pay, (which CAUSED the pilot shortage),...... IF they wanted to. And it wouldn't cost them a lot off of the top line or the bottom line.

To my way of thinking, it's closer to a rounding error than an additional cost. Yet apparently they would rather remain stingy and blame congress for the pilot shortage that they, themselves, have created.

Originally Posted by Grumble (Post 1724950)

That hypothetical $10 hike in fares, would lead to a decrease in PRASM. It really is that volatile. In a world where passengers will pick one airline over another to save literally a dollar, a $10 hike can take your ticket sale from being #1 on (insert travel website here) to #12 on the list.

There are very smart people (ya laugh all you want, but wrap your head around the complexity and fluidity) that have written very sophisticated algorithms that are constantly adjusting the price of a ticket for a given flight, for a given day, for given demand, second by second. A very minor flaw in one of those formulas cost our company (so they say) several hundred million in revenue in 2013. We still made a profit, but it would have been more. When they looked back at why we were so far behind they found the algorithm was a few minutes behind the competition in adjusting fares.

Originally Posted by Delta1067 (Post 1725007)

Thank you! Those who think you can simply raise fares $.33 or even a couple dollars don't get it. If Delta could hike fares a couple dollars to make a few hundred million more per year, don't you think they would be doing that? It seems to come from the entitlement generation who always got a trophy no matter what place they came in.

Originally Posted by Delta1067 (Post 1725007)

Thank you! Those who think you can simply raise fares $.33 or even a couple dollars don't get it. If Delta could hike fares a couple dollars to make a few hundred million more per year, don't you think they would be doing that? It seems to come from the entitlement generation who always got a trophy no matter what place they came in.

Originally Posted by block30 (Post 1725041)

I do understand this rationale. Management does have a challenging job. What I am still trying to figure out is Delta taking back their regional flying. I just can't believe Delta would be happy paying pilots and I'm sure all other employees compensation packages worth 2-3 times current regional wages, while United and AA continue with very cheap RJ feed.

Originally Posted by aviatorhi (Post 1725061)

Remember that whole part about pilot salaries being less than 1%... that's how Delta (and all the majors) see it too. Farming out the regional flying was not originally about cheap labor, that was a by product. It stayed around because of the gaggle of people stampeding all over each other to get some coveted RJ time so they could end up at one of the majors.

Originally Posted by block30 (Post 1725114)

Right, so pilot salaries are just a tiny speck of the bigger picture. So then why does management go to such great lengths to beat down regional wages, and is doing so right now? In fact Endeavor and Enovy got the take pay cuts or be Comaired threat. Oh, and by the way, mainline got pay raises. ???

Originally Posted by block30 (Post 1725114)

Right, so pilot salaries are just a tiny speck of the bigger picture. So then why does management go to such great lengths to beat down regional wages, and is doing so right now? In fact Endeavor and Enovy got the take pay cuts or be Comaired threat. Oh, and by the way, mainline got pay raises. ???