Let me start by saying this is not flame-bait, but the reality of a better life and career for most regional pilot does not lay with American legacy carriers. ALPA and the big three have turned their backs on the hard working and sometimes abused 18,000 regional pilots. Simple contract corrections, modest QOL improvements, solid flow and/or seniority list placement have been ignored. What do the legacy carriers expect the 18,000 pilot regional pilot monster to do… sit and wait to be invited to the exclusive esoteric party? If they had any common sense, they would include regional pilots now, and I mean tomorrow. If not, I believe our pilots livelihood and QOL improvements will be provided by foreign carriers. Again, this post is not meant to anger anybody, but you have to place yourself in the shoes of the everyday regional pilot.
I have exited the industry after flying for multiple regional carriers (4 types). I have no checkride failures, a degree plus multiple other FAA tickets… still no call from the big boys. I am not unusual, but rather a carbon copy of the multitudes of highly qualified regional folks that are currently out there and not getting called.
I fervently hope that foreign carriers are granted permission to operate in the U.S. and hire American pilots. I was very disappointed in the latest congressional vote concerning NAI.
Some of you may toss me aside as disgruntled, but there are thousands of other regional pilot that are of the same opinion but silent.
I will do everything I can to promote foreign carriers to operate in the U.S. and for regional pilots to convert their licenses for a better life.
REMEMBER, the legacies created this 18,000 regional pilot monster,,,, please accept the repercussions.
For regional pilots, listed below is a bit of info concerning a possible better way of life.

If you have an ICAO ATP and more than 500 hours on Multi Pilot Aircraft:
Your Requirements in Brief
Pass 14 Written Exams
Obtain a First Class Medical
Pass Training as Required in a Flight Simulator
Approximately $2000

As an example concerning regional compensation… compare this to your Regional paycheck….
Norwegian pays its captains about $170,000 annually and pays first officers about half that.
Again not flamebait,,,, but if you insist. ALPA you can kiss my A$$

The Deny NAI campaign scares the crap out of me. It's uber anti-competitive and shows the power of lobby groups in Washington. I'll never back the PAC to fund stuff like this.

I'd gladly work for a foreign carrier. It'd be a great experience, especially in Asia. Seems like most are wanting typed high time captains though, which doesn't really help a large segment of the American regional pilot group.

So go to Asia? Inviting flag of convenience scheme in aviation will surely make the industry go the way of the maritime industry.
Why wouldn't it? Safety and expensive labor laws will take a back seat to profits and margin.
What an Asian carrier won't hire you because of lack of experience? What makes you think the contract companies from Singapore will be any more interested in you if cabotage or flag of convenience is instituted?

Remember, for every Emirates there are three Ryan Airs.

This.

What you will eventually see is very cheap foreign airlines lowering wages to offer lower and lower fares. It's the only piece of the puzzle left that can be controlled. With the high level of automation in the newest widebodies, it will be easier to hire inexperienced crew to manage the airplane. This will all be fine until the incidents like Air France, Asiana, Air Malaysia start killing Americans. By the time it becomes a problem, the American airline industry will already be in shambles. Let's be 100% honest; there is absolutely no reason to have trans-Atlantic roundtrip fares for $100 in a $100 million jet burning tens of thousands of dollars in jet fuel.

There is also no reason that we have thousands of pilots here in the US making poverty wages. I say let these foreign companies come in. At least they pay a livable wage.

So, in 20 years, everyone gets to make a barely livable wage while working in the Middle East? Sign me up.

Agreed. Foreign carriers working in the US would be the new low cost-low pay model, but with bigger airplanes.

It is the worst thing that could possibly happen to the airline pilots in America.

There is a reason why ALPA is against it.

It's because of threads likes this that makes me glad I only have 17 years 14 days left to retire. It's about to get dramatically better at the Regionals, instead of inviting Cabotage in our house continue to support the big 3 that voted NO to concessions this past winter. Staffing is so tight now flights are being cancelled & planes parked. Upgaging will continue at mainline carriers and big RJs will be brought into the mainline fleets.....creating additional jobs on top of the jobs due to the retirement wave.

I agree with one part of the original post. ALPA can suck it at the REGIONAL level. You guys need a RALPA. That does not have a conflicting interest. Organize, advertise, protest, informational picketing, put up the big Rat, full page newspaper ads.

But you don't treat indigestion & heartburn by inviting a cancerous virus in to counteract it. In the end you'll need Chemo and what's left of the industry will be devastated and working for a "livable" wage. A livable wage in the US now is around $50 grand. Do you REALLY want livable wages flying big metal around the US? I'm an 8th yr DAL narrow body right seater. My total comp this year, excluding the value of healthcare will be around $215,000 & I'm home on average 15 days a month.

You can take cabotage and a "livable" wage and shove it.

This post is extremely ignorant. You are comparing 787 pay to regional jet pay. There are regional captains making $100-$120k per year. How is flying as a 787 captain for $170k per year an improvement? Eventually that low 787 pay will force the rj captain pay and legacy pay even lower until they just go out of business.