Guys all regionals no matter what their pay are flying 50, 70, 90, what have you planes for "regional rates" (TM). We're not even in the ballpark of the majors payscales.
so get off it..
Actually, that's not true.
If we go off of 10 year captains rates, and look at what ExpressJet pays their captains vs. what Continental pays their narrow body 737 captains, we can see that...
Continental pays their captains $1.13 for each of those seats in the back, with a pay rate of $147 an hour and 130 seats.
ExpressJet pays their captains $1.60 for each of those seats in the back, with a pay rate of $80 an hour for 50 seats.
So if you look at it pound for pound, ExpressJet pilots are making more than Continental pilots. Are they making more raw dollars? No, of course not; you don't carry as many people, you don't get paid as much. Haul more cargo in the back? Get paid more.
Heck let's look at your company compared to your mainline carrier.
US Airways is paying their captains $0.88 per seat at 138 seats and $122 an hour.
Air Wisky is paying their captains $1.54 per seat at 50 seats and $77 an hour.
If you were to take the amount that regional pilots are paid as a ratio, and up the number of seats to the number of seats that a 737 carries, then guess what you get?
I'm guessing pretty close to the original mainline rate of $208 an hour for a 10th year captain.
So in my mind, it's a valid discussion. Pound for pound, ExpressJet pilots and Air Wisky pilots are making MORE, as a ratio of seats to hourly pay rate in a straight linear scale, as mainline pilots.
EDIT: And in looking at this, it would seem that the closest anybody comes to falling in line with the pay rates that Airways is paying their 737 captains is Comair, of all the airlines.