You could enjoy a far better overall quality of life at a mainline carrier and have job stability. I gather you don’t follow the history of regionals very much. Bases and time shift constantly. Regionals come and go.
A pilot moving to Delta today will make 165 an hour as a 737/A321 copilot in year 3. That’s 24 months after being hired. In addition he will get 30% or more in DC contributions and profit sharing. That’s about 215 an hour. If QOL is the driver you could fly 50 hours a month and probably be ahead of regional wages. That’s basically 2 four day trips a month.
If they are staying there is a reason for the majority opting not to move on.

 

Yawn.. what a tired old argument, what came first, todays RJ cesspool or the mainline cave? Hint, we don't want anything to do with those "little" jets.

The 50 seaters are going to start timing out in big numbers the next couple years with no modern replacement on the horizon or even in consideration, (Embraer will still build a 145, however, that's a tough sell.) What will the future hold for Regionals without solid futures tied to majors? I doubt they will just go away without a whimper. This rumored MRJ doubledown may be an indication of what's being considered.

 

It’s certainly possible some regional airlines will elect to go it alone. It’s been tried a few times and I am sure will be tried again.

 

LOL you need to get a history book. Regional codeshares that evolved into fee for departure could not exist without the agreement of mainline pilots. Delta Connection came into existence because a bunch of Delta pilots who flew F4s or B52s thought flying a Saab 340 or EMB 120 was somehow beneath their superior skills and the weak scope they negotiated came back to bite them and all of us in the ass.

Northwest pilots were bludgeoned into allowing large RJs during the strike in 1998 when they tried to hold the line at 35 seats while Delta was getting the 700s, which ironically had a larger footprint than the Northwest DC9-10 that Northwest was flying at the time.

Delta and its pilots are a large reason we have the mess we have today. I only hope you match the big talk you are making on this board with action when your management comes after the MRJs. However somehow I think you will cave, just like the past, when management throws a few more widebodies or some other eye candy at you.

 

Typical of the mainline arrogance that has cost pilots so much. Hint, hint those jobs in "little jets" should be mainline jobs at mainline pay.

Until mainline pilots get the attitude that if it has a mainline logo on the tail, then a mainline crew belongs int he cockpit, we are all screwed.

 

Seriously I don't think you've spent the first day at a regional airline.

 

FlyingKat,

There is no plausible argument that flying RJs at mainline rates is economically viable UNLESS, you mean RJs fly under the mainline seniority list at even lower pay scales. Add in the much higher costs of all the other parts and RJs wouldn’t exist. They tried “B scales” and they created the same problem you bemoan—dissension. Better dissension on another property, I guess.


GF

 

Do you have the in at Delta? I'll PM you my Resume... I guess I should expect a call Monday then...

Right, because NO regional pilot wants to go to mainline... You sound ridiculous.

 

It would have been possible to fly smaller aircraft at a rate of pay to keep them profitable and keep them at mainline. Mainline pilots just didn't think it was worth it and allowed the flying to be outsourced. The B scale still happened. It became known as regional airlines.

We all live in the reality created by mainline pilots. They control it, and if it is a priority to them they can get all this flying. It just hasn't been and that has cost the profession terribly.

I just get annoyed when mainline guys want to come over and lord over regional pilots like they know so much more about how we need to manage our careers, when they don't have the first effing clue how we operate and the environment they have created for us to live and work in.

 

It isn't economical to fly RJs with the guys up front getting paid mainline wages. I'll agree with that.

It's also not our problem. Making the operation profitable is managements responsibility. If the model of paying pilots a livable wage to fly their airplanes isn't profitable, I frankly don't give a damn. Sounds like they need to find a new model where we all benefit, not one where we take it in the shorts so they can make coin.

Why does the sacrifice fall on us? It amazes me how many of my regional collueges want nothing more than orders for bigger jets.


Less regional lift, more mainline flying.