JustinS
Well-Known Member
From an outside perspective of someone who isn't flying 121 but tries to keep up with the industry drama, I'm lead to think the only way for things to get better long-term for guys starting 121 careers at the regionals is for several of them to go under. A lot harder to play musical airplanes when there isn't much competition to do so, and perhaps if this were to happen and the pilot groups increased their strength(along with pay raises and what), major airline partners may find it much more economical to just take back a chunk of the regional flying. Short term, lots of people on the streets, some will get hosed big time and leave the career, but for those who do make it and those who enter after them, it will be a better place. I have personal friends at the majority of regionals out there and obviously I don't want to see them on the streets, however, I wonder what would have happened if say PSA took the initial Eagle stance and just allowed the airline to be shut down and others followed. Short term, lots of negativity. But if a few years from now only the operationally expensive regionals with decent contracts were left standing and people didn't flock to any alter-ego or new-entry regionals with rock-bottom pay that are started up, what do you guys think would happen? Just curious.
Agreed. I think it would be more cost effective if ONE airline was really ONE airline and not a conglomerate of up to 10 airlines. There is a lot of duplicity of upper management positions, HR departments, payroll, training, etc. etc. I'm not sure how much of a savings it would be, but I think it could be substantial among other things. Airline corporations are money driven however, and money talks. For some (or maybe most) airlines it doesn't seem they care about the passenger just the passenger's money. Until money talks, I think mainlines are going to continue their regional addiction to the very end.