Out of the domestic arena? Where you do think they are going to go? They won't do JUST international flights when they can still pack a plane with 300 people going from LA to NY.

If you want to get the QOL for pilots better perhaps ALPA would make more headway urging the insurance companies to up the requirements to keep their premiums down. That would take care of mesa.

We are not talking about coast to coast stuff. Pretty much every other domestic route though. It will take some time, but that is what they want.

I don't think so. If there's money to be made they want it. Too many airlines serving too many of the same routes. They just need a merger or two to take care of that then they can dominate. If they merged they could fill more seats and with full seats they'd realize the 737's were more efficient than the RJ's pulling in more per mile. Of course pilots would be losing their jobs, but the legacy guys will hang around. Thats IMHO

Not so
 

The regionals love to hire retired hobbyists. They don't require much income at all and work without much argument. At Horizon Air we had all kinds of retired military, police, fire and a few bored millionaire's. They are in it for the benefits and the simple thrill of playing airline pilot. At Horizon Air I remember a retired police officer who was hired at 56.

Besides if they raise the retirement age to 65 then my generation has 25 years left.

Skyhigh

Too true. In my Eagle new hire class (Nov '06) seven of 16 were 40+.


American has no 100 seat aircraft. The Super 80 hauls around 150 pax and they fly well over 600 of them. The next smaller a/c is the 70 seat CRJ of which Eagle has only 25.

There is a need for 100 seat aircraft. But AMR is using MD80s to service those routes. Once AMR starts to retire those aircraft what will fly the 100 seat routes? AA's expensive new 150 seat aircraft? Or will they contract a regional to provide 90-100 seat lift?

It doesn't take a ERAU education to figure this one out.

That's a very pithy term, "retired hobbyists." Kind of amusing also.

Odd...I read it and thought another of Skyhigh's glib comments.

-LAFF

Pithy - We know which Irish program you watch. SO do I.

Then I re-read his post and found its probably all too true and it really bothers me to think that he may be correct...

-LAFF

The future of majors seem linked to big airplanes. The prevailing attitude is let the regionals fly 50 pax and below (slowly evolving to 80-90 pax) and we will fly the big ones. How big is big ? I know it sounds stupid but in my opinion Airbus airplanes that carry 500+ pax might as well have the word and symbol TARGET painted on the side. I'm not flaming or baiting but looking for an honest discussion of the continued growth of airplane size and passenger carring capability in the majors.

Clarification
 

What I meant by the statement "retired hobbyists" was that as a retired person they do not have the same income needs as say a 23 year old with student loans and career goals. Retired Hobbyists kids are grown and really couldn't care less about being gone or what the paycheck is. Management loves them.

I could be approaching that situation soon. If I were to return to aviation I would be less concerned about pay and more interested in the schedules and benefits. I bet that even flying for the regionals would seem like more fun if I wasn't starving in the process and wasn't concerned about career advancement.

If a start up came to Seattle I most likely would jump on it regardless of pay. I think that there is a large group of sidelined guys just like me who have also created outside income streams and would have similar intentions.

The regioals have picked up on the retiree phenomenon and I would bet that the majors follow suit.

SkyHigh

With regional life increasing becoming more unpleasant I am not sure there will be as many of them in the future. Even if you don't need money, a regional can really put a drag on things.